Looking Toward the Tigers

Vanderbilt to play Missouri at 8 p.m. Wednesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After a heartbreaking loss to Georgia in their last time out, the Commodores are hoping to regroup with another contest at Memorial Gym, this time against the Missouri Tigers.

The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday and will be aired live on ESPNU. Commodore fans can also tune into the game on the Vanderbilt IMG Radio Network with Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson on WLAC 1510 AM and 98.3 FM and online on VUCommodores.com and the VUCommodores app.

Vanderbilt Basketball Quick Hitters

• Vanderbilt dropped to 9-18 overall and 1-13 in SEC play after a heartbreaking loss to Georgia Saturday at Memorial Gym, 80-78. Junior Saben Lee tallied a career-high 34 points to lead the Commodores, his second game this season with 30 or more points. Freshman Scotty Pippen Jr. added 20 points, and junior Maxwell Evans chipped in 10 points in the loss to the Bulldogs.

• Lee is averaging 24.7 points per game in his last six contests, and for the season, is averaging 17.9 points and 4.3 assists per game, which ranks 4th and 6th in the SEC in both categories in all games, respectively. In league play, he is averaging 19.9 points per game, which ranks third in the league.

• In all games, Lee is also also sixth in field goal percentage (.468), fourth in total free throws made (128), third in attempted free throws (167), and sixth in steals/game (1.63). In league games only, Lee is fourth in field goal percentage (.476) and seventh in steals (1.6).

• The Commodores have had five players score 20 or more points in a game – Wright, Lee, Maxwell Evans, Aaron Nesmith, and Scotty Pippen Jr.

• Scotty Pippen Jr. is ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in assists/game (9th, 3.8) and free throws attempted (8th, 143).

• Dylan Disu notched his fourth double-double this season vs. Kentucky. He’s second in the conference among all freshmen in the SEC in double-doubles (Trendon Watford). He has the highest single-game total for a freshman in the league for steals (5, vs. Tulsa, 11.30.19) and blocks (5, vs. Kentucky, 1.29.20)

• The Commodores are a youthful bunch – in the last game against Georgia, Vanderbilt started two true freshmen (Disu, Pippen Jr.), a redshirt sophomore (Obinna), and two juniors (Evans, Lee). True freshmen have accounted for 41% minutes played, and with Aaron Nesmith’s minutes taken away, freshmen have played 45% of minutes played. Disu, Wright, and Pippen Jr. have all scored in double figures in a game in at least one game this season. According to KenPom.com, Vanderbilt has 1.13 years of experience on its roster, which ranks 320th in Division I basketball.

• Pippen is third in assists among all SEC freshmen with 3.8/game. He is second in the league in free throws made (102) and first in attempted free throws (143) among all freshmen.

• As a team, the Commodores are second in the SEC in threes made/game (8.3) and total threes (225). Vanderbilt has been to the charity stripe 605 times this season, which ranks 5th in the SEC, and have converted on 33.5% of their shots from beyond the arc, which ranks 4th in the SEC. The Commodores are also 5th in the SEC in steals/game (7.2).

• The Commodores captured their first SEC win of the season and snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 99-90 win over No. 18 LSU Feb. 5 at Memorial Gym. Lee and Evans are only the second scoring duo in the country to score 30 or more points in a single game this season, joining Austin Peay’s Jordyn Adams and Terry Taylor, who have done it twice. It was the first multiple 30-point efforts by an SEC team since Jodie Meeks (32) and Patrick Patterson (33) against Tennessee State (12.22.2008).

• Lee and Evan’s 30-point+ games are the first in a single SEC game since 1996-97. It was the first Vanderbilt duo to score 30 or more points in a game since Jeff Fosnes (39) and Butch Feher (34) vs. Jacksonville on 12.21.74. Clyde Lee (33) and John Ed Miller (30) also accomplished the feat on 2.16.65 against Kentucky.

• It was announced before the Texas A&M game that Vanderbilt’s leading scorer Aaron Nesmith would be out indefinitely with a right foot injury. Prior to the injury, Nesmith led the SEC in scoring with 23.0 points per game and was fifth nationally. He also led the SEC and nation in 3FG/game with 4.29 and 3FG% at .522. He had also made an SEC-best 60 threes this season through 14 games. He also ranked eighth in free-throw percentage (.825) and  field-goal percentage (.512) prior to his injury.

• Amazingly, Nesmith is still sixth in the SEC in threes made in all games (60). Nesmith has not played a game since Jan. 8.

• Bad luck Commodores – Vanderbilt has lost one of its leading scorers in each of the last three seasons due to injury – 2019-20, Aaron Nesmith (leading scorer); 2018-19, Darius Garland (leading scorer); 2017-18, Matthew Fisher-Davis (second-leading scorer).

• The Commodores have had five first-round NBA Draft picks since 2012, the second-most in the SEC in that time span – Darius Garland (5th, Cleveland Cavaliers), Wade Baldwin IV (17th, Memphis Grizzlies), Damian Jones (30th, Golden State Warriors), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta) and Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State). Garland, Jones, and former standout Luke Kornet (Chicago Bulls) are all active players in the NBA.

Series Information
Series Record:  Missouri leads, 7-6
Last Meeting: Missouri – W, 77-67
Feb. 2, 2019 – Columbia, Mo.
At Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt leads, 5-1
Jerry Stackhouse vs. Missouri: First meeting

Missouri Series Records

• Missouri leads the all-time series with the Commodores, 7-6, and have won three consecutive games in the series.

• Vanderbilt has a 5-1 advantage in games played at Vanderbilt. The Commodores have never won a game in Columbia, Missouri.

Media Information
Vanderbilt (9-18, 1-13 SEC) vs. Missouri (13-14, 5-9 SEC)
Nashville, Tenn. – Memorial Gym – 8 p.m.
TV: ESPNU
TV Talent: Dave Neal (play-by-play), Debbie Antonelli (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from Learfield/IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Live Stats: VandyStats.com
Twitter Updates:  @VandyMBB
Notes: @VandyNotes