NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As expected, the 2020-21 season has come with its own unique set of hurdles as the Vanderbilt Commodores strive to get as many games in as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This past week was a prime example of how adjusting on the fly has become more normal than not. Vandy was originally scheduled to travel to No. 18 Missouri on Tuesday, then was scheduled to host No. 10 Tennessee after Missouri paused team activities due to COVID-19.
But Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse said one of his staff members and one Vanderbilt student-athlete tested positive for the virus, thus forcing his program to take a few days to make sure everyone is healthy and safe.
“This whole season is going to have some curveballs. It’s not the last curveball that we’re going to have,” Stackhouse said. “You got to be ready to play. It behooves everybody to not worry about your next scout, you better start scouting everybody as a group right now because you just don’t know how things could shake out.
“That’s just how it’s going to be. That’s just the drawbacks of playing college basketball during a pandemic.”
The Commodores are scheduled to head to Knoxville this weekend to face No. 10 Tennessee at 5 p.m. CT Saturday on the SEC Network. Not only does that mark an opportunity for Vandy to get back on the court, but also a shot at getting its first win in league play.
Losses to Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State, respectively, have the Dores (4-5) off to an 0-3 start in the SEC. It must be noted, of course, that the last two defeats have been by a combined six points and Vanderbilt had a shot at the end of both contests to send the game to overtime..
Stackhouse’s team has allowed the opponent to shoot 45.5 percent from the field (last in the SEC) and the Commodores are only forcing 12.7 turnovers per contest (11th among SEC teams). Picking up the defensive slack will be imperative Saturday – and for the remainder of the season.
“Hopefully we keep trending the way that we’re doing in our half court defense. Our traps are getting a little bit better and our interceptors are anticipating a little bit more,” Stackhouse said. “Offensively we’re about where we thought we would be. Offensively you’re going to get better as the season goes on with guys that have a better understanding of what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to get.
“We’re scoring well enough to win games, now we just got to do some of the other things on the defensive end and in our transition defense – and we’re doing some of those things well. Now it’s just a matter of doing them a little bit longer and doing them a little bit harder.”
Tennessee (9-1, 3-1 SEC) has won two straight after a loss to Alabama on Jan. 2. The Volunteers are also 7-1 at home and lead the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, shooting defense, scoring defense and turnover margin.
Santiago Vescovi is the conference’s top player in 3s made per game and in assist-to-turnover ratio while forwards Yves Pons (5.1 rpg; 2.2 bpg) and John Fulkerson (11.6 ppg) are loads to handle inside.
“They’re hell-bent on trying to get that ball into the paint,” Stackhouse said of the Volunteers. “We got to give them some good resistance to have a good chance of winning.”
After Saturday’s contest, Vanderbilt is scheduled to play host to Texas A&M and Arkansas, respectively, next week. But first it has to figure out a way to conquer its arch-rival on the road.
No easy task even if the Commodores wound up having a few extra days to prepare.
“I think they’re elite defensively if you allow them to be,” Stackhouse added. “If you can go in there and be disciplined and have a plan of what you what to try to accomplish – even though we’re somewhat of a perimeter team that thrives on when we make a certain amount of 3s it normally looks good for us and gives us a good chance to win games, we still have to get in the paint and get to the free throw line.
“You have to have a plan against a team that has elite rim protectors as they do.”
— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Follow him @MrChadBishop.
