Vanderbilt Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Commordores
By Chris Kern
Key Non-Conference Opponents
NC State
NC State is a team that loses a lot from a year ago, but they still fully expect to be back in the NCAA tournament. They return a couple of key players such as Braxton Beverly and Torin Dorn.
This team is going to rely on many new faces. They bring in a lot of quality transfers who have already played Division I basketball, most notably C.J. Bryce, and Blake Harris.
This matchup takes place December 1st in Miami as a part of the Hoophall Invitational. It’s a chance for Vanderbilt to get a big win to start off the tougher portion of their non-conference schedule.
Arizona State
This Arizona State team might not be as talented offensively as they were last season but they have the capability to be much better and more consistent.
Sophomore guard Remy Martin will be ready to play a big role after being in the shadow of some of their talented guards last season. Sophomore forward Romello White gives them a really good young duo to build on for the next couple of seasons.
This will be a home game for Vanderbilt on December 17th but as we saw last season this Sun Devils team can win anywhere when they upset the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas State
Their matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats will likely be their toughest game during the non-conference slate. The Wildcats return almost everybody from last season’s team that made the Elite Eight.
The Kansas State defense will be a really good test for this Vanderbilt team. This would be a huge win for their resume. They will have plenty of opportunities during conference play to get good wins but the committee has shown how much the non-conference matters.
This game will take place in Kansas City, Missouri at the Sprint Center on December 22nd. Getting this neutral site win against one of the best teams in the country would go a long way in regards to building Vanderbilt’s confidence heading into the conference slate.