No. 15 Vanderbilt looks to continue its best start since 2007-08 when it hosts Central Arkansas on Saturday night in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt (9-0) ran away from SMU 88-69 in the SEC-ACC challenge on Dec. 3 before taking 10 days off for exams. It was the second-lowest point total for the Commodores this season.
Vanderbilt ranks fourth in the NCAA in scoring at 96.8 points per game and has four players who average in double figures: Duke Miles (17.8), Tyler Tanner (16.2), Tyler Nickel (13.3) and Devin McGlockton (11.6).
Guards Miles, Tanner and Frankie Collins have been a huge part of the Commodores’ success on both ends of the floor. Collins ranks among the nation’s leaders with 2.7 steals per game and Miles and Tanner are close behind at 2.3
Collins sat out three November games with a minor injury, but his return has allowed the Commodores to keep the other two fresh. Miles leads the team with 28.7 minutes, with Tanner just behind at 27.0.
The three veterans have combined for 113 assists against 35 turnovers and have earned coach Mark Byington’s trust.
“(Ball security has) been a huge point of emphasis, and I’m playing guys that should be able to do that,” Byington said after the SMU game. “But the assists show that we’re sharing the ball and making shots and then we want to get a shot at every possession, so our points total will go up because we’re shooting a good percentage.”
Six-foot-10 North Carolina transfer Jalen Washington is becoming a bigger part of Vanderbilt’s success. His three double-figure scoring games have come in his last five contests.
Washington’s career-high 19 points helped Vanderbilt to a win over Saint Mary’s on Nov. 28. He added eight points, six rebounds and four blocks in the win against the Mustangs.
Central Arkansas (4-6) is coming off a 75-68 loss at East Texas A&M on Sunday. Camren Hunter’s 20 points led the way for the Bears, who were an abysmal 5 of 15 at the foul line.
Coach John Shulman is still working on his preseason goal to create depth and experience in his backcourt. Hunter (15.9 points), a senior, and freshman Ty Robinson (12.0) lead the Bears in scoring.
“In the (Atlantic Sun), the teams with the best guards win, and if you add a big guy you’ve got a chance to win the league,” Shulman told Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook before the season. “We’ve gotten older and have more guys who can make shots.”
The Bears have come up short in the paint in some areas. They’ve blocked just 15 shots while having 34 of their own swatted, but they out-rebound opponents 38.1 to 36.8 on average.
Central Arkansas took lopsided losses against the only two power conference teams it has faced. Those came in a 94-54 defeat to open the season at then-No. 25 North Carolina on Nov. 3, while the other was a 93-56 loss at then-No. 21 Arkansas on Nov. 11.
The teams have met just once, a 75-71 Vanderbilt win on Nov. 17, 2023.
–Field Level Media
