Men’s Basketball: Previewing Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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No. 15 Vanderbilt (16-3) suffered another devastating conference loss to Arkansas on Tuesday, pushing its losing streak to three. Head coach Mark Byington’s squad was once considered national championship contenders, but recent performances have cast doubt among many. To get back to their winning ways, the Commodores must take down the Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday, Jan. 24.  
The Hustler dives into some critical matchups to look out for in this heated SEC battle. 
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard is the SEC’s leading scorer this season, and he’s earned that title through his ability to score effectively at all three levels. The Madison, Mississippi, native has the capability to attack the paint and make tough, contested 3-pointers. Despite standing at 6’0, the guard consistently makes difficult layups against taller defenders, creating a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Vanderbilt’s perimeter and interior defense will certainly be tested Saturday. Guards Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner are two of the top players in the conference when it comes to steals. They both average 2.5 per game, and they will be key in hindering Hubbard’s momentum. 
Hubbard is quick to pull the trigger from beyond the arc, so it is crucial to not give him any space to shoot. Closing out on the perimeter and shutting down driving lanes will be crucial to Vanderbilt’s success. The Black and Gold need to keep Hubbard outside the paint and force contested deep balls to better contain a premier guard in the SEC.  
Rebounding has been one of the weakest areas for the Commodores this season. In Vanderbilt’s past three losses, it has lost the rebounding battle by at least 12 per game. Additionally, Vanderbilt is No. 15 in the SEC in offensive rebounds, averaging 10.5 per game.  
This can be attributed to Vanderbilt’s lack of height, particularly on the interior. Jalen Washington, AK Okereke and Devin McGlockton have struggled to compete with some of the SEC’s best bigs, as was apparent against Florida and Arkansas. 
Mississippi State averages more rebounds than the Commodores, racking up 41.0 boards per game compared to Vanderbilt’s 36.8. Quincy Ballard stands at 7’0 and leads the way in rebounds for the Bulldogs with 7.6 per game. For Vanderbilt, Washington (6’10”) is averaging 5.2 per game while McGlockton averages 6.8. Vanderbilt’s frontcourt has shown the mental agility to crash the boards frequently, and it certainly needs to bring back that mentality for its matchup against the Bulldogs.
Vanderbilt ranks No. 4 in the SEC in field goal percentage (49.1%), and Mississippi State has the worst (44.5%). However, Vanderbilt shot below 40% from the field in its matchups against Texas and Arkansas. 
Tanner and Miles have to be more consistent from the field as, against the Razorbacks, Tanner was 2-for-9 from the field and Miles was 1-for-7. If this backcourt can get hot early on, Vanderbilt can find a way to get back on track. Tyler Nickel must also shoot the ball well from deep against the Bulldogs; he went 5-for-11 from beyond the arc against the Razorbacks. However, his points came only in the first half. Nickel, Tanner and Miles making buckets on the perimeter and cashing in jumpers will open spaces in the paint for the undersized McGlockton and Okereke. 
Vanderbilt’s backcourt has struggled to attack the paint recently. Tanner and Miles went a combined 2-for-8 inside the arc against Arkansas. They couldn’t get open looks, forcing contested shots around the floor. They’ll need to improve their efficiency if they want to knock off another SEC foe on the road this Saturday. 
Vanderbilt will travel to Starkville, Mississippi to face the Bulldogs at 11 a.m. CST Jan. 24.  
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