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

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Following a nail-biting 80-81 conference loss to Missouri on the road earlier in the week, No. 19 Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball (21–5, 8–5 SEC) will return to Memorial Gymnasium to host in-state rival Tennessee (19–7, 9–4 SEC) Feb. 21. The Commodores enter the matchup looking to get back in the win column, while Tennessee arrives with momentum after a dominant victory over Oklahoma. 
The road loss to the Tigers tested Vanderbilt’s ability to maintain consistency in the back half of conference play. Despite the setback, the Commodores have remained one of the SEC’s most effective offensive teams, relying on disciplined execution and efficient scoring to compete against conference opponents, despite not having their best performance against the Tigers. 
Tennessee enters following a crushing 89-66 win over Oklahoma, reinforcing its position among the conference’s top competitors. The Volunteers have relied on defensive consistency and physical play to limit opposing offenses. 
With both teams competing near the top of conference standings, Saturday’s matchup presents an important opportunity for Vanderbilt to regroup at home against a bitter rival. 
Battle of the guards 
The guard matchups between Vanderbilt and Tennessee will play a central role in determining the flow of Saturday’s contest. Both teams rely heavily on their lead guards to facilitate offense and dictate tempo, making perimeter play a critical factor in establishing offensive rhythm and defensive pressure. 
Vanderbilt is led by guard Tyler Tanner, who averages 18.3 points and 5.4 assists per game while also contributing 2.5 steals per contest. Tanner’s ability to create scoring opportunities both for himself and his teammates provides stability in Vanderbilt’s offensive system. His efficiency from beyond the arc, where he is shooting over 37%, allows the Commodores to stretch defenses and maintain spacing in half-court sets. Tanner’s defensive activity also plays a key role in disrupting opposing offenses and creating transition opportunities. 
Tennessee counters with guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who averages 18.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, leading the Volunteers in both scoring and playmaking. Gillespie’s ability to generate offense and control possessions gives Tennessee a consistent perimeter presence, particularly in structured offensive sets. His scoring versatility allows the Volunteers to remain competitive in slower-paced matchups where shot creation becomes essential. 
The matchup between Tanner and Gillespie presents a balance of offensive production and playmaking ability on both sides. Whichever guard is better able to control tempo, limit turnovers and create efficient scoring opportunities will give their team an advantage in what is expected to be a closely contested rivalry matchup. 
Devin McGlockton vs. Nate Ament 
Devin McGlockton has been a defensive presence for the Commodores this season. Through 25 games this season, he is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, including 2.4 on offense. He finished with 8 rebounds this past Saturday in the physical win against Texas A&M. In that same matchup, he emerged as an offensive threat, putting up an early 3-pointer and was reliable from the charity stripe, going 4-for-4. The 6’7 senior had spent a majority of the season playing center, but after Duke Miles was injured, Jalen Washington was put into the starting center spot. Now at the power forward spot, McGlockton has been playing at a different level. In the last five matchups, he has averaged 7.6 rebounds and 10.5 points with a 17-point performance against Texas A&M. 
During this matchup McGlockton will come across star freshman forward Nate Ament. Ament is a projected lottery pick, has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week five times this season and recently checked in at No. 8 for ESPN’s Freshman of the Year Contenders.  
In the Volunteers’ stretch from their win against Alabama to their recent win against LSU, he averaged 23.5 points. Against Oklahoma on Wednesday, he added 29 points, while also getting 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He’s been shaky from beyond the arc in some recent matchups, going 0-for-3 against LSU and 0-for-2 against Mississippi State, but he has been a perimeter threat all season. He shot 4-for-6 from deep against Kentucky and went 3-for-7 against Oklahoma, showcasing his shooting capability.   
While Ament is 6‘10, McGlockton has 23 pounds on him. Ament has the size to make contested shots over opponents, so McGlockton will need to leverage his physicality to get him off balance. 
State Pride 
Tennessee has dominated Vanderbilt historically. The series currently sits at 132-77 in favor of the Volunteers, and they’ve experienced long periods of dominance, including an 11-0 run from 2018 to 2023. A big pendulum shift happened last season, though. On Jan. 18, 2025, the then-No. 6 Volunteers came into Memorial Gymnasium and left with a 76-75 upset loss. Vanderbilt fans stormed the court resulting in a $250,000 dollar fine.  
Now, only a year later, there are very different expectations going into this matchup. Vanderbilt is ranked; Tennessee is not. Tennessee hasn’t been at its best on the road, accounting for four of its losses. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Commodores have a significant opportunity to shift the narrative of this rivalry and, until the rematch in Knoxville later this season, carry the state’s bragging rights. 
Vanderbilt will host Tennessee Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. CST in Memorial Gymnasium.
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