Men’s Basketball: Three takeaways from Vanderbilt’s win over Memphis – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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In the “I-40 Showdown” on Tuesday, Nov. 10, No. 22 Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball defeated Memphis, 105-81. 
Both teams entered the night undefeated and with a Power-5 win — as the Commodores defeated Wake Forest in their last outing, and the Tigers opened their season by taking down then-No. 18 Iowa State.
Not unlike the last outing at Memorial, Memphis kept the game close throughout the first half, but the home team found a way to pull away down the stretch. Offensively, the ’Dores showed why they are one of the best teams in the country — putting on an efficient display of team passing and shooting, and have come out of their first test of the year completely unscathed.
Breakout BK
Most Vanderbilt fans, and especially the Memorial Gymnasium PA announcer, have no idea how to pronounce his name, but it didn’t matter for Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, as he had a stellar outing that impacted winning in all phases of the game. 
His teammates simply call him “BK,” and he started off hot by making his first four field goals. The Turkish big man can score in a variety of situations — as he can knock down catch-and-shoot threes, score in the post and find open looks in pick-and-roll sets. This led him to have 16 points versus Memphis. 
He also nabbed eight boards on the night and showed off his passing ability by making four assists too — including one across-the-paint feed to Bangot Dak that resulted in a ferocious slam. His ability to create space for his teammates in the screen game does not show up on the stat sheet, but greatly allowed Vanderbilt’s guards to get off-the-dribble looks.
So, no matter how you say his name, Buyuktuncel has quickly made himself one of the most impactful new entries into head coach Mark Byington’s rotation.
Heat check
The ’Dores played strong team-first basketball throughout the contest. With constant ball movement and off-ball screening that broke the Tigers’ zone, the Black and Gold found open looks whenever they went down the court. The result was a fast-moving offense, where players barely dribbled before finding open teammates. The stats back this up too, as Vanderbilt assisted on a solid 55% of its field goals and had 20 dimes to the Tigers’ 8.
And when high-level college basketball players get space and quality passes, it’s easy for their shots to get hot. The ’Dores shot 47% from behind the arc, knocking down 15 triples in total. Washington State transfer Ace Glass was specifically on fire in the second half, as he made five long-balls in the latter period en route to a team-high 23 points on the night. Four other Commodores — Dak, T.O. Barrett, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Buyuktuncel — joined him in splashing multiple 3-pointers themselves.
For a group whose team shooting was one of the bigger questions entering the year, this performance was a great way to answer them.
Rocked at the rim
This rivalry not only represents the two biggest cities in Tennessee, but the cultural homes of two very contrasting music styles — country and blues. Head coach Penny Hardaway’s Memphis squad, though, met its opponent with the ferocity of a heavy metal band in the painted area. 
It is hard to criticize much Vanderbilt did offensively in this contest, but on the other end of the floor, and especially in the first half, the Tigers had their way with the ball in the paint. Beneath the free-throw line, the ’Dores were outscored 40-38 on the night, and picked up 17 shooting fouls trying to contest Memphis, who was otherwise stellar in finishing its layups, dunks and post-moves. Dak and Williams-Adams were particularly pitiful in shot-contest — picking up three and four fouls, respectively. 
In a November blowout win, this is a nitpick, but control over the paint is what makes winners and losers come March, so Vanderbilt’s big men must do a better job at cleanly contesting shots around the basket.
Vanderbilt’s next game is Friday, Nov. 10, when the squad plays host to Prairie View A&M at 6:00 p.m. CST in Memorial Gymnasium.
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