Vanderbilt Commodores’ Blueprint for Taking Down Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Vanderbilt Commodores got off to the exact kind of start they were hoping for in SEC play, defeating the LSU Tigers 80-72 to move their overall record to 13-1 on the season.
That was an important game for a Commodores team that not much was expected from coming into the year. Over the last five years under Jerry Stackhouse, they were normally near the bottom of the conference, but Mark Byington has quickly made an impact and helped turn things around.
Vanderbilt is beginning to make some headway nationally, as they received votes for the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll this week for the first time this campaign.
The most updated 2025 NCAA Tournament projections also have the Commodores heading in the right direction. They have moved into the Last Four Byes tier, avoiding the First Four Play-In held on the nights before the Big Dance gets underway.
Making it through the SEC gauntlet will not be easy, as the conference is loaded with stellar teams.
Vanderbilt is set to host one of them at Memorial Gymnasium on Tuesday night, as the No. 14 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs will be paying them a visit.
Like the Commodores, the Bulldogs won their SEC opener, dismantling the South Carolina Gamecocks 85-50.
Will Vanderbilt be able to give them a tougher game and even pull off the upset? There are a few keys that will determine the outcome of the matchup.
While some of the statistics of the teams are very similar, this is a huge jump in competition for the Commodores. Mississippi State is No. 13 in the NET Rankings; LSU at No. 62 is their highest to this point.
To defeat the more battle-tested team, Vanderbilt will need to be more efficient at shooting the ball than they were against the Tigers.
One of the best 2-point shooting teams in the nation, they were well below their season average in the opener. That cannot happen again if they want to keep pace with the high-scoring Bulldogs, who average 84 points per game.
The 3-point line will be a determining factor, as both teams struggle to make them and don’t defend them very well either. If one team gets hot from a distance, it will give them a huge edge.
In the victory over LSU, the Commodores received excellent games from Jaylen Carey and MJ Collins off the bench, as each scored 14 points. The team’s leading scorer, Jason Edwards, struggled going 2-of-9 from the field, but still managed to score 12.
Vanderbilt looks to have an edge off the bench, where the Bulldogs received only 32 points against the Gamecocks despite the lopsided score and more playing time for their reserves.
Winning those minutes, and Edwards getting back on track, are going to be key to picking up the upset and adding their first resume-defining victory of the season to their ledger.
