The Vanderbilt Commodores will take a two-game win streak into a neutral-site matchup with Big 12 foe Kansas State on Saturday afternoon at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2. 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.
The Commodores won their second consecutive game after defeating #18/19 Arizona State, 81-65, Monday night at Memorial Gym in their last time out. Five Vanderbilt players scored in double figures, with guard Saben Lee leading the way with 14 points. Aaron Nesmith (13), Yanni Wetzell (12), Matt Ryan (11), and Joe Toye (11) also scored in double figures. The Commodores limited Arizona State to their lowest field goal percentage of the season (32.3%), and it was the third time this season Vanderbilt has had a game with five players in double figures.
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to ranked opponents, dating back to a 72-62 overtime win over 17th-ranked Florida at the 2017 SEC Tournament (3/10/17) at Bridgestone Arena.
Vanderbilt Basketball Quick Hitters
- In Vanderbilt’s last two wins, the Commodores are outscoring opponents by an average of 22 points, limiting opponents to 33.9% from the floor and 23.7% from three and a scoring average of 58.0 points per game.
- Nine Commodores have scored in double figures in a game so far this season.
- The game with the Wildcats is the second for the Commodores on a neutral floor this season. Vanderbilt dropped their previous neutral-site game against North Carolina State in Miami, Fla. on December 1.
- Freshman point guard Darius Garland, a five-star recruit and a 2018 McDonald’s All-American, was lost for the season after suffering a meniscus injury in his left knee against Kent State on November 23. He suffered the injury two minutes into the game against the Golden Flashes. Garland was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week in the opening week of the year after averaging 21.5 points per game in two Commodore wins over Winthrop and USC.
- Sophomore Saben Lee has stepped in as the team’s starting point guard in Garland’s absence.
- On November 27, the Commodores scored 120 points against Savannah State, the most by a Vanderbilt team since December 22, 1970, when Vanderbilt scored a program-best 130 points in a win over Ole Miss (130-112).
- Joe Toye scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time of his four-year career in the first three games of the 2018-19 season and has double-digit points in six games this season. Toye is the team’s lone senior.
- Vanderbilt won their 800th career game at Memorial Gym against Arizona State on December 17. Memorial Gym, which opened in 1952, is the oldest basketball arena in the SEC.
- As of December 20, Shittu is 12th in the SEC in scoring (15.1), sixth in rebounding (7.7), fifth in defensive rebounding (5.8). He also fourth in field goal percentage (.546). Saben Lee is 10th in assists (3.8) and Matt Ryan is eighth in three’s made (2.3) and 10th in 3FG % (.368).
- Vanderbilt won its first road game of the season at USC, the first time the Commodores have had a season-opening road win since a 72-70 win over St. Mary’s on November 20, 2009.
- As of Dec. 20, the Commodores rank in the top five in the SEC in scoring (3rd, 83.6 ppg), scoring margin (5th, +12.6), FG% (5th, .475), FG% defense (3rd, .303), and 3FG made (5th, 8.5).
- Garland scored the most points by a Vanderbilt freshman in his collegiate debut (24 points) since Phil Cox scored 30 against Duke in 1981. He also tied Savion Flagg of Texas A&M for the most points scored for an SEC team in their opening game of the season.
- Shittu’s double-double in the season-opener was the first by a Commodore freshman in a season opener since Ted Young tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds against Rice in 1979.
- According to KenPom, the Commodores rank 312th in the nation in terms of experience (1.19 years).
- Head coach Bryce Drew, now in his third season, led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Nashville, marking the first time in the history of the program a first-year Vanderbilt coach led his team to the tournament.
- Redshirt sophomore forward Matthew Moyer, who transferred from Syracuse after the 2017-18 season, was granted immediate eligiblity by the NCAA this season on November 15.
About Kansas State
- Kansas State enters the game with an 8-2 record after a 55-51 win over Southern Miss Wednesday night in Manhattan.
- Barry Brown leads four players in double-figure scoring for the season with 14.3 points per game. Dean Wade (13.6), Xavier Sneed (11.8), and Kamau Stokes (10.1) also average double digits.
- Saturday’s meeting will be the second between the teams on a neutral floor. Vanderbilt won, 82-76, in the NIT Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1994. Kansas State is 3-0 in games played at Kansas State.
- The meeting Saturday is the back end of a home-and-home agreement. The Wildcats won 84-79 on December 3, 2017 at Memorial Gym.
Vanderbilt (7-2) vs. Kansas State (8-2)
Kansas City, Mo. – Sprint Center – 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Dave LaMont (pxp), Jon Sundvold (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: XM 380
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Three Point U
The Commodores are one of only three schools (UNLV and Princeton) to have made a three-point basket in every game since the inception of the three-point line in the 1986-87 season.
With a made three against Kansas State, Vanderbilt will move to 1,041 consecutive games with a three-pointer.
Freshmen Leading the Charge
The Commodores are one of only two programs (Duke) in the nation to have three separate freshman score 20 points or more in a game (Darius Garland, Aaron Nesmith, Simisola Shittu)
A freshman has also led the Commodores in scoring in every game this season.
Commodores in 86th SEC Season
Vanderbilt is now in its 86th SEC season and is a charter member of the league. All time against current members of the conference, Vanderbilt is 715-706.
Against Big 12
The Commodores are 36-24 all time against the Big 12. Vanderbilt will also meet Oklahoma later this year in Norman for the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
