Stackhouse's Commodores will Feature New Look in 2020-21
When Jerry Stackhouse and his Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team take to the court for the 2020-21 season, things will look much different in his second season at the helm.
Gone are both Aaron Nesmith and Saben Lee, the two best players on last year's roster, as both have taken their talents to the NBA. Those two players, along with the loss of Clevon Brown to injury early in the season and a lack of frontcourt depth, turned the Commodores into a guard-oriented squad.
That lack of frontcourt depth shouldn't be as big an issue this time around for Stackhouse, though inexperience could be a factor he will have to deal with early on in the season.
The return of Brown, who averaged 9.0 ppg and six rebounds before his injury in the ninth game of the season, gives Stackhouse the foundation for improving the frontcourt.
Dylan Disu, who showed the ability to stretch the floor as a 6'9" outside shooter, also returns, giving the Commodores more height on the baseline. On the slender side for a big man in the SEC, Disu needed to add more strength and some bulk to his frame during the offseason. If he has succeeded, his value to this team will go up immensely.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Maxwell Evans return to the backcourt and will be the likely starters, but there is plenty of depth here as well.
Transfers DJ Harvey and Quintin Millora-Brown would be instant contributors, and could well find themselves in starting roles.
Havey is a 6'6" wide-bodied guard, who spent practice time last season working with his back to the basket, though his primary position will be at guard, where he could provide some of the scoring lost with the departures of Nesmith and Lee.
Millora-Brown is an intriguing player, who at 6'10" is a transfer who could fight for a starting role. He has college experience as a transfer and having sat out last season, should have helped him make gains in the weight room.
He, along with Brown, Disu, Ejike Obinna, and freshman Akeem Odusipe, give Stackhouse more depth and athleticism this time around upfront.
There is a wealth of additions to the backcourt where Tyrin Lawrence, Issac McBride, Myles Stute, and Trey Thomas all join the roster.
Stute was the first commitment in the class and at 6'6" he should bring some outside shooting to the Commodores, which is something they desperately need.
Lawrence and Thomas are both point guards who will likely see time early in rotation with Pippen Jr. as each player has specific strengths that could earn them time.
McBride's eligibility, as a transfer from Kansas, remains the most significant question mark for the Commodores as they await word as to his eligibility this season.
There are obviously question marks surrounding this squad that will have to be answered once practice begins, but the added depth and athleticism, especially up front, and the expected improvements of returning players should lend optimism to even the most negative fans, considering that last year's team managed to win three conference games without their best player on the court.
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A 29 year veteran of radio in the Middle Tennessee area and 16 years in digital and internet media having covered the Tennessee Titans for Scout Media and TitanInsider.com before joining the Sports Illustrated family of networks.