Alabama and Texas A&M on Deck

About the opponent: Alabama  

• Alabama is currently on a two-game losing skid after falling to [RV] Missouri and No. 1/1 South Carolina. The Crimson Tide’s pair of SEC victories comes from a sweep of the Tigers of Auburn, with scores of 56-53 and 75-68.
• Alabama has only won two games on the road this season, Chattanooga and Auburn.
• Back on Dec. 13, the Crimson Tide earned its 800th program win against the Bearkats of Sam Houston, 84-50.
• Alabama was picked to finish 10th ahead of Missouri, Florida, Auburn, and Vanderbilt in the preseason Southeastern Conference media poll.

About the opponent: Texas A&M 

• The Aggies are back in the win column after defeating Arkansas on Thursday, 77-64. Texas A&M will face Kentucky prior to hosting Vanderbilt on February 10.
• Texas A&M swept their bracket of the 2021 Paradise Jam against Pitt [W, 57-64], South Dakota [W, 58-44], and Northwestern [W, 77-68].
• The Aggies began the season on a nine-game winning streak before falling to then No. 14 ranked Texas in the Big 12 / SEC Challenge, 76-60.
• Texas A&M only has three losses inside Reed Arena and nine wins, but have yet to win a true road game this season going 0-6.
• Head coach Gary Blair reached 850 career victories in the Aggies’ 77-64 win over Arkansas.
• Back on Dec. 21, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced coach Blair as a nominee. Blair holds the 12th-most wins in Division history, having won 848 games throughout his 37 years as a collegiate head coach. The Dallas native has registered 35 winning seasons, 30 20-win seasons and 16-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. He is one of three coaches to have taken two-or-more schools to the final four (Arkansas, Texas A&M).
• Kayla Wells was selected to the Cheryl Miller Award watchlist on Oct. 27, Destiny Pitts was selected to the Ann Meyers – Drysdale Award watchlist on Oct. 26, while Wells and Jordan Nixon earned spots on the All-SEC Second Team in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll.
• The Aggies were selected to finish second in the league just behind the Gamecocks of South Carolina.

Competing in the conference 

• The Commodores lead all teams in total steals [243] and is tied with Ole Miss for first in steals per game [10.6].

Can’t Stop Cambridge

• The senior guard was named to the 2022 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year watch list. Cambridge notched her third career double-double against UAlbany with 10 points and 10 steals, which tabbed her as No. 2 in program history for steals in a single game. She is currently 22 steals away from entering the top-10 in program history for career steals. would tie Wendy Schlotens at 211 steals.

Numbers Don’t Lie 

• In Division I women’s basketball the Commodores are 75th in assists, 56th in rebounds, 10th in steals, 33rd in steals per game, 94th in 3-point field goals made, 61st in 3-point field goal percentage, 99th in turnover margin, and 42nd in turnovers forced.
• Jordyn Cambridge is ranked 58th in assists [5th in SEC], 94th in assists per game [6th in SEC], 120th in minutes played [10th in SEC], 1st in steals [1st in SEC], and 3rd in steals per game [1st in SEC].
• Brinae Alexander ranks 51st in field goals made [4th in SEC], 180th in field goal percentage, 51st in final points [5th in SEC], 144th in points per game, 79th in steals [8th in SEC], 201st in steals per game, 107th in 3-point field goals made [7th in SEC], and 228th in 3-point field goals per game [9th in SEC].
• Iyana Moore is ranked 116th in minutes played [9th in SEC], 60th in 3-point field goals attempted [3rd in SEC], 23rd in 3-point field goals made [3rd in SEC], 77th in 3-point field goals per game [4th in SEC], and 42nd in 3-point field goal percentage [4th in SEC].

Fresh Faces 

• The freshmen quartet in Moore, De’Mauri Flournoy, Kendal Cheesman and Washington have combined for 500 points this season, 34.6% of the total points scored for Vanderbilt.

A Vandy Win Would

• Put the Commodores back in the win column after falling to Georgia.
• Be the 35th all-time win over Alabama and the first victory in Nashville since the 2016-17 season.
• Be just the fifth win over Texas A&M and the second Commodore win inside Reed Arena, the first coming in the 1997-98 season.

A Vandy Loss Would

• Put the Commodores on a two-game losing streak.
• Be both Alabama’s and Texas A&M’s third SEC win of the season.
• Be Vandy’s seventh consecutive loss to Alabama and the eighth straight loss to Texas A&M.

On Deck

• Vanderbilt travels to Knoxville, Tennessee to face in-state rival Tennessee on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m.