Vanderbilt Takes on South Carolina to Open SEC Play

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After over a month of nonconference play, the Vanderbilt Commodores will face their first SEC opponent in South Carolina on Saturday at 1 PM. Vandy comes into this game as one of the hottest teams in the country at 13-0 and a consensus top 10 team per the NET, Kenpom, Torvik, and Evanmiya rankings. The Gamecocks sit at 9-4 with losses to Butler, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, South Carolina has not beaten a high-major opponent this year.

South Carolina is a well balanced team, although not elite at anything. They have the 87th best offense and 82nd best defense in the country, per Kenpom’s ORtg and DRtg. They are a guard-led team whose focal point is veteran Meechie Johnson, who is in the middle of his 2nd stint with the Gamecocks. Johnson is their best scorer and facilitator, averaging 14.0 points per game and 3.6 assists, both good for the team lead. Other players to know are the 6’9 senior guard Mike Sharavjamts and flashy freshman Eli Ellis. Both are averaging over double digits and have a good deal of the offense run through them.

Something worth noting is that South Carolina does not have much size. Only 1 player that averages over 10 minutes per game is above 6’8, and 7 footer Christ Essandoko is out for the contest. The tallest players who play more than 15 minutes per game are guards Sharvjamts and Myles Stute (yes, the same Myles Stute) and forward Elijah Strong, all of whom are between 6’7-6’9.

Story to watch:

Commodores’ health

While, on paper, the Commodores look like a much better team than South Carolina, they may not be at full strength for the SEC opener. Frankie Collins is still out after getting surgery to repair a torn meniscus and leading scorer Duke Miles missed last game with an illness and is listed as “Questionable” for the game. If Miles is out again, Vanderbilt will be missing 2 of their 3 primary ball handlers, arguably their biggest scoring threat, and two defensive bulldogs. It doesn’t take a ton of basketball expertise to understand how that could change the contest.

Keys to the game:

Play your game

While both teams are similarly guard led, 3 point heavy offenses (nearly half of SC’s field goal attempts come from behind the arc), that’s where the similarities end. Vanderbilt is a high flying, fast-paced offense that is predicated on quick ball movement and spread out scoring. South Carolina prefers to play slowly and relies on a few stars to give them the production they need. Against Memphis, Vanderbilt allowed the Tigers to dictate how the game was played and it became a scrappy dogfight that did not represent the talent discrepancy between the two sides. Look for South Carolina to try and force the ‘Dores into a similar situation. Vanderbilt needs to keep their heads straight and just play their game.

Navigate the injury/health situation

Obviously this gets much easier if Miles is able to play, but it’s doubtful that he’ll be at 100% even if he goes. This will be a real test of Vandy’s depth and skill as Tyler Tanner will shoulder a majority of ball handling duties for the first time today. Tyler Harris stepped up against Wake Forest and New Haven and will have to do so again. Mike James has rarely seen the floor, but he may have to take on a much bigger load on both sides of the court with the lack of depth at guard. It’s not a stretch to say that Vanderbilt’s ability to navigate their health (or lack thereof) will decide this game.

Punish them in the paint

It’s easier than ever to fall in love with the 3 ball, and this team is very capable of shooting you to death. However, if the shots aren’t falling, the ‘Dores should not be afraid to challenge them in the paint. South Carolina only averages a measly 2.4 blocks per game, a testament to their lack of size. Jalen Washington should have a field day with whoever he is matched up against, and Vanderbilt’s guards will not have to fear a dominant rim protector hanging around in the paint should they drive the ball.

Ultimately, this is a game that looks less significant and even favorable on paper for Vanderbilt. However, the health of the team and prospect of opening SEC play on the road presents a formidable challenge. The ‘Dores will try to come up with the right answers for yet another tough situation as they attempt to stay undefeated.

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