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

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Men’s Basketball: Previewing Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky
No. 15 Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC) looks to remain in the win column against Oklahoma (11-12, 1-9 SEC) following its nail-biting victory over Ole Miss Jan. 31. Mark Byington’s squad managed to pull away from the Rebels late, escaping with a 3-point victory to extend its win streak to three games. The Black and Gold’s late surge was largely due to Tyler Tanner dropping 14 second-half points.  
The Commodores now return to Memorial Gymnasium to face a struggling Sooners squad that currently sits last in the SEC after a prolonged winless stretch in conference play. 
One of the keys for both teams is the ability to shoot from deep. Vanderbilt has shot 35.8% from beyond the arc this season and ranks No. 3 in the SEC in 3-pointers made per game. Oklahoma is also a sharpshooting team, just behind the Commodores at No. 4 in 3-pointers made per game (34.7%). 
The outcome of the game will heavily rely on the squad with the most success from long range. Vanderbilt is looking to bounce back from shooting 8-of-32 from deep against Ole Miss. The Sooners shot around their average last game against Kentucky, making 11-of-32 attempted 3-pointers.  
One aspect that favors Vanderbilt is its ability to defend the triple. The Commodores have held opponents to only 28.6% shooting from deep — the best mark in the conference. On the other side, Oklahoma struggles to guard the perimeter, ranking in the bottom half of the SEC for both 3-pointers allowed and opposing 3-point percentage.  
Rebounding has been an issue for both teams throughout the season. Neither the Sooners nor Commodores has a player above 7’0, and both teams rank in the bottom half of the SEC in rebounding. 
Oklahoma’s best rebounders are seniors Mohamed Wague and Tae Davis, while Vanderbilt’s top bigs are seniors Jalen Washington and Devin McGlockton. However, none are averaging more than 7 boards per game. 
In its past three games, Vanderbilt has slightly outrebounded its opponents, although problems on the glass have persisted throughout conference play. The Sooners have been outrebounded in three out of their last four games, being dominated on the glass by both Kentucky and Missouri. Since the Sooners rely heavily on 3-point attempts, their inability to dominate the glass means they will need to look to control possession throughout this matchup. Vanderbilt is known to push the pace on offense, as they rank No. 50 in the nation in adjusted tempo (70.1). Oklahoma will need to make every possession count and force Vanderbilt to turn the ball over inside. 
Tanner’s size has played to his advantage this season, as the 6’0 Sophomore has snuck past taller guards who have trouble defending his speed. However, Oklahoma fifth-year senior Nijel Pack brings a difficult matchup to the table for Tanner. Pack stands at 5’10, 188 Ibs, and is known for his ability to create space and shoot the deep ball. He currently sits tied for No. 7 in the nation in 3-pointers made (73). Tanner, on the other hand, has found his rhythm getting downhill and beating opposing guards off the dribble. While the guards have similar statures, their offensive games are fundamentally different.  
For Pack to be successful, he must rely on open looks from beyond the arc, which will stem from a lack of help from Vanderbilt’s man-to-man defense. For Tanner to shut down Pack, he needs to adopt a more aggressive half-court defense, forcing Pack to take more inside shots. Both guards’ success relies on their aggressiveness in being able to defend one another beyond the perimeter. While Tanner has received praise for being one of the best point guards in the nation, Pack presents a new and difficult challenge for the Commodores’ defense. 
Vanderbilt will face Oklahoma Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2:30 p.m. CST at Memorial Gymnasium. 
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