The Vanderbilt Commodores were facing their first real test of the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season over the weekend when they went on the road to play the LSU Tigers.
They passed a test with flying colors, winning 80-72 to get their SEC schedule off on the right foot. It was good to see their positive momentum created during non-conference play carry over in their first contest, as any win is a good win in the SEC.
Playing teams on the road that are ranked in the top 75 of the NET Ranking are Quad 1 matchups. That means there will be ample opportunities to bolster their resume in the coming weeks.
This is Vanderbilt’s (13-1, 1-0 in SEC) first Quad 1 victory of the season and has them moving in the right direction. Their opponent’s average NET Ranking went from 314 to 278 in this matchup, as that number will steadily drop with every SEC team currently inside the top 92.
What is going to keep the Commodores on this path to success?
A well-balanced offense.
Running the score up against lower-echelon teams, as they did during the non-conference schedule, is one thing. They reached triple digits three times, a feat they hadn’t accomplished against a Division I team in nearly a decade.
While they were below their season average of points per game against the Tigers, it was how they scored that was so encouraging.
Five different players scored in double-figures, as several who don’t normally offer that kind of offensive impact stepped up.
Jaylen Carey, who averages 7.4 points per game on the year, poured in 14 off the bench, stepping up for Devin McGlockton, who battled foul trouble at points in the game and scored only seven.
MJ Collins, who averages 8.1, also had 14 points as he went 5-of-6 from the field.
That more than made up for an off-shooting night for the team’s leading scorer, Jason Edwards, who had only 12 points on 2-of-9 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3-point range. What saved his night was a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line as the rest of the team shot 9-of-17.
The leading scorer was guard AJ Hoggard, who brings with him plenty of big-game experience from his time with the Michigan State Spartans. He knocked down big 3-pointers down the stretch to help his team hold on for the win and finished the game with 17 points.
Another impressive part of their performance was how well they took care of the ball.
Vanderbilt turned the ball over only nine times leading to only nine points for LSU. They also pulled down 17 offensive rebounds, creating second opportunities to wear down their opponent and break their spirit.
It will be interesting to see if they can continue this kind of effort against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in their next game. They are hosting the ranked foes on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
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