USC vs. Vanderbilt preview: Prediction, players to watch, and key stats

By
Blake Lovell
-
(Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire)

Vanderbilt will head to Los Angeles for a power conference showdown with USC on Sunday night.

The Commodores had a strong start to the season by earning a 92-79 victory over Winthrop in what was the first official game for the team’s top-15 freshman class.

As for the Trojans, they got the season tipped off with a win as well by picking up an 83-62 win against Robert Morris.

Let’s look at what to watch for in this highly-anticipated matchup.

Game Details
  • Vanderbilt (1-0) at USC (1-0)
  • Location: Galen Center – Los Angeles, CA
  • Game Date: Nov. 11
  • Game Time: 9 p.m. EST
  • Watch: Pac-12 Network
Players to Watch

Darius Garland (Vanderbilt)

Garland was every bit as good as advertised in his first game with the Commodores.

The 5-star point guard scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting while adding four assists, two steals, and two blocks in 36 minutes of action.

What stood out most about Garland’s skill set is his speed and overall awareness with the ball. His athleticism is going to allow him to drive the lane at will and find open shooters like Matt Ryan and Aaron Nesmith on the wing.

Vanderbilt simply hasn’t had a point guard like Garland, and as the year progresses, he has a chance to be one of the most dynamic point guards in college basketball.

Simi Shittu (Vanderbilt)

Speaking of the team’s high-impact freshman, the 6-10 forward also displayed his unique abilities in the opening night win.

Shittu earned a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and he was able to affect the game in a huge way on both sides of the court.

There just aren’t a lot of players that can do what Shittu can do at his size, as he has the ability to handle the ball with ease and even lead the fast break if needed.

This will be a big test for he and the other young players on Vanderbilt’s roster, but he should be up for the challenge.

Nick Rakocevic (USC)

Rakocevic will try to slow down the Commodores’ frontcourt star, with the 6-11 junior already off to a solid start this season.

He had a double-double of his own in game one, going for 18 points and 16 rebounds while also contributing four blocks.

If Rakocevic can use his experience to control the lane, it will go a long way towards helping the Trojans hold off this upstart Vanderbilt squad.

Bennie Boatwright (USC)

There is still no official word as to whether Boatwright will play in this game, but it would certainly be a welcome development for Andy Enfield and company.

The 6-10 senior averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury that caused him to miss USC’s final nine games.

Having both Boatwright and Rakocevic available would give Enfield’s team a compelling rotation against an opponent that features a talented but inexperienced frontcourt.

Key Stats

Vanderbilt shot 72.7 percent from 2-point range against Winthrop, with the duo of Garland and sophomore guard Saben Lee creating plenty of open shots with their ability to drive the lane.

As for the Trojans, they were efficient in their attempts from beyond the arc, making 7 of 13 shots for 53.8 percent.

The Commodores will feature a lineup with long distance shooters at nearly every position as seven different players attempted a 3-pointer against Winthrop.

Most of the Trojans’ 3-point attempts will come from Boatwright if he plays (133 attempts last season), and no other USC returner averaged more than around three shots per game from long range.

Game Outlook

Without knowing Boatwright’s availability, this is a difficult game to predict.

Even if he does play, there may be some early rust that he has to work through after coming back from offseason knee surgery.

Vanderbilt’s ability to spread the floor with Garland and Lee will give Bryce Drew’s squad lots of possibilities in how they attack the home team, and a player like Joe Toye (12 points on 2 of 5 from 3-point land in the opener) could be an X-factor if he gets off to another good start.

However, like with most young teams, the Commodores need to find more consistency on the defensive side of the court. There were some expected struggles in that area against Winthrop, and it’s going to be essential to guard better in this game.

This is one of my least confident picks of the season thus far due to both teams feeling pretty much even and the unknowns for USC with and without its top scorer on the court.

I’ll assume Boatwright suits up and gives the Trojans enough of a boost to sneak by the talented Commodores.

If the senior doesn’t play, this would likely be a coin flip type of game.

Season Predictions Record (straight up): 19-3

Game Prediction: USC 82, Vanderbilt 79

11/11 Update No. 3: Boatwright has been ruled out for this game.

11/11 Update No. 2: It sounds like Boatwright may indeed be sidelined once again for the Trojans.

11/11 Update: Boatwright is listed as a game-time decision.

For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.