Vanderbilt looks for its ninth SEC win Tuesday night at Florida. It’s the start of the biggest week of the year for the Commodores.
With three weeks left before Selection Sunday, Vanderbilt still has work to do.
The Commodores are one of the biggest disappointments in the country this season, sitting at just 16-11 despite a top 20 preseason ranking.
The preseason hype may have been unfair for a team that finished just seventh in the SEC a year ago and has never been to the NCAA Tournament, but there was enough experience and talent on this team to expect more.
Much more.
So what happened?
There have been injuries to key players (Luke Kornet, Matthew Fisher-Davis), underperforming contributors (Reilly LaChance), off nights and complete collapses like we saw when Vandy squandered a 17-point second half lead last week in a buzzer-beating loss at Mississippi State.
Losses like that don’t happen to really good teams, and the Commodores were expected to be really good.
Fans have been up in arms since 2012 waiting for Vanderbilt to return to the NCAA Tournament and have now spent the past two months worrying that this team—with two likely first round draft picks—won’t be the one to get them back there.
That frustration has turned up the volume on an ongoing discussion about the state of the Vanderbilt program under Kevin Stallings, now in his 17th year.
Stallings has led the Commodores to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, but if he can’t get them in this year that would be an entire four-year scholarship cycle without Vanderbilt seeing its name pop up on the brackets.
It is fair for fans to expect better than what they’ve seen this season and be worried about the direction of their program.
Despite the preseason ranking, college basketball seasons are ultimately judged by the postseason, maybe more than any other sport.
So as Vanderbilt begins this all important week with games at Florida (no. 33 in RPI) and then against Kentucky (no. 11) Saturday at Memorial Gym, remember that the Commodores are still very much alive.
ESPN’s latest Bracketology report has Vanderbilt in its “First Four Out” group of teams. Think how that could change with a road win Tuesday and season sweep of the Gators. Or with a win over a Kentucky team likely headed for the SEC championship.
Remember Tennessee two years ago? The Vols underachieved all season, but finished strong, snuck into the First Four and won three games to get to the Sweet 16.
If Vanderbilt does that, much of this season's struggles will be forgotten. If it doesn’t, the frustrations of a disappointing season will only grow.
The calendar hasn’t quite flipped to March, but it’s time for Vanderbilt to play like its season is on the line.
