Vanderbilt Commodores Key Player Needs to Get Healthy for Offense to Prosper
The Vanderbilt Commodores were facing their toughest opponent thus far this season when they hosted the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Memorial Gymnasium for their SEC home opener.
It was a chance for the Commodores, who entered the game 13-1, to prove that their hot start was not a fluke. After going on the road and defeating the LSU Tigers in their first conference game, moving to 2-0 would have been an incredible accomplishment.
Unfortunately, they were not able to get the job done.
A very slow first half in which they scored only 28 points and trailed by 11 heading into the locker room proved too much to overcome. The Bulldogs would eventually win the game 76-64.
There are certainly some people who will wonder whether or not things would have been different had Jason Edwards been fully healthy for the contest.
Vanderbilt’s leading scorer was listed on the injury report as a game-time decision as he dealt with a thigh injury. It was suffered while playing against the Tigers when he collided with an opponent who was moving while setting a screen.
It was encouraging to see Edwards in the lineup and gutting it out, but he wasn’t able to offer anything positive to the team on the court.
He played only 11 minutes, missing all eight of his shot attempts, including 0-for-5 from long distance, while turning the ball over three times. It was the first time this campaign that he failed to score in double-figures, as his scoring average dropped to 17.1 points per contest.
An explosive scorer, his points per game are down from last season when he played with the North Texas Mean Green, but his efficiency is up across the board despite an 0-for-8 showing following up a 2-for-9 performance in the SEC opener.
Some of those struggles can almost certainly be blamed on the thigh injury he was working through.
But, if the Commodores want to remain competitive during conference play, they need him to get healthy and quick.
He is integral to the team’s offensive game plan, despite coming off the bench for the last eight games.
Edwards has had some huge scoring performances already, pouring in 30 against the TCU Horned Frogs and 26 against the Drake Bulldogs. That kind of output is going to be needed to keep pace with some of the elite squads they will face off against in the SEC.
Getting him healthy and back on track is their No. 1 priority.
If he cannot put the ball in the basket, Vanderbilt is going to struggle to consistently score against tougher defensive squads.
Edwards takes a lot of pressure off of his teammates with his scoring prowess.
Without it, things can be a struggle as they don’t have another microwave scorer like that on the roster.
