Vanderbilt vs. Arizona State: 2018-19 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Both Vanderbilt and Arizona State reach one of the final tests of a non-conference season that has been anything but ordinary.

TV schedule: Monday, December 17, 7:00 PM ET, SECN

Location: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee

Saturday’s slate of college basketball games was electric, from Lawrence, Kansas to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The national non-conference schedule is primed to shut down, however, with the holidays and conference play right around the corner.

Vanderbilt and Arizona State are out to prove there’s still some excitement left in the dog days of December.

Both of these power conference programs took winding roads to their combined 14-3 record.

Arizona State entered the season with their lowest expectations in some time. Those expectations were quickly reversed by Canadian freshman Luguentz Dort. The revelation has emerged as one of the best scorers in the country, averaging 22 points per game.

Senior Zylan Cheatham has also been a major factor, leading the team in rebounds (9.6 per game) and assists (5.0 per game) while averaging 12.5 points per contest.

The Sun Devils are 8-1 and ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll (prior to the new one revealed before the Vandy game).

Meanwhile, the Commodores entered the season with their highest expectations in some time, largely due to the arrival of Bryce Drew’s excellent recruiting class.

The team’s 6-2 record is solid, but many Vandy fans will be wondering what could’ve been, largely due to freshman sensation Darius Garland’s season-ending injury.

Fellow freshman Simisola Shittu has stepped up in Garland’s absence, averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He’s also scored at least 15 points in every game since and including the one where Garland went down.

These teams are very evenly matched, averaging within one point scored and one point allowed of one another, so this game will likely come down to some logistical factors.

First, there’s the rest factor. Arizona State is fresh off a 76-74 road win over another SEC team, Georgia, which took place just two days before Monday’s contest. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, hasn’t played since December 5.

Then, there’s the home/road factor. It’s always a nice perk to be playing in your home gym, as the Commodores are on Monday. But due to weird scheduling and a postponement brought on by the California wildfires, the Sun Devils have only played one true road game – the contest against Georgia on Saturday.

For a young team like Arizona State – who have just one freshman on the roster – two straight road games around the holidays can be a challenge.

Expect a close game either way, but ultimately one that tips in favor of Vanderbilt.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 78 – Arizona State 75