Coming into this season, it was fairly widely accepted that Kevin Stalling’s Vanderbilt squad was going to be the most formidable that he’s had in a number of years. Through six games, we may have even underestimated how formidable.
It’s not that their schedule has been especially tough, with only one quality opponent played thus far–Kansas, who beat Vandy 70-63. But the crisp offensive execution they’ve displayed this early on in the season has been, to say the least, impressive.
At this point, it’s time to wonder whether or not the Commodores are actually the top challenger to Kentucky in the SEC.
The improvement of sophomore Wade Baldwin IV has been the most noticeable, but increased contributions from Luke Kornet and Jeff Roberson, as well, have taken a lot of pressure off of Damian Jones and Riley LaChance. As the season goes on, this kind of balance will only make their offense more lethal.
Defensively, though, this is a different team than in years passed. Yes, Jones and Kornet are altering shots at the rim per usual, but they’re doing at a clip of 4.5 blocks per game combined. On the perimeter, dribble penetration has been curtailed and when it does happen, Vandy is finally rotating with authority to shooters and swing men. As a team, they’re top 20 in points allowed per game at just 60.1, a serious improvement from a year ago.
None of this is to say that Vandy has shown no reason to doubt a deep, deep NCAA Tournament run, as non-conference dates with Baylor, Dayton, and Purdue still loom. But early on, these Commodores look for real.
