Vanderbilt Basketball: Key games in 2022-23 non-conference schedule

Vanderbilt Basketball has a rather tough upcoming non-conference schedule for the 2022-23 campaign. What are the key games to watch?

Last season, Vanderbilt Basketball finished 19-17 overall and didn’t make a postseason appearance. In the non-conference, they went 8-4 overall, including wins over BYU and Pittsburgh, and actually had momentum heading into SEC play, going 2-0 in the Diamond Classic. Unfortunately, the title game matchup versus Stanford was canceled due to covid issues.

The Commodores also lost games to mid-major programs, VCU and Loyola-Chicago, and SMU and Temple in the AAC. They’re hoping for a better result with this season’s 13-game slate but there are some formidable foes to look out for. Here are some key matchups for Vanderbilt.

Memphis – Nov 7th

It’s going to be a tough first game of the season for the Commordores, taking on a Memphis squad that keeps on landing players. They recently added 18 ppg transfer Damaria Franklin from Illinois-Chicago. Former AAC Player of the Year Kendric Davis runs the offense but there aren’t a bunch of five-star freshmen running around for the Tigers. That’s a good and bad thing because they aren’t as talented overall but is much more prepared to play early on in the season.

Wooden Legacy Classic – Nov 23-24th (Saint Mary’s, Fresno State/Washington State)

It’s just a four-team tournament for the west coast event, one that is winnable for the Commodores. Saint Mary’s lost its two best players in Tommy Kuhse and Matthias Tass but still brings back from of its roster. If they win, Vandy likely would play a Washington State squad that also lost of ton of production from the season prior and has a new-look backcourt. If the Commodores are a good team, they should find a way to go 2-0.

at VCU – Nov 30th

Last season, Vandy scored just 37 points at home in an embarrassing loss to the Rams. This time around, they’ll be on the road and the A-10 program is just as good defensively, led by guards Ace Baldwin and Jayden Nunn. If the Commodores don’t take away the lessons from last year, they’ll suffer the same fate in 2022.

Pittsburgh – Dec 7th

In one of the best moments of last season, Vandy went on the road and beat the ACC program by 16 points. They also held Pitt’s best player John Hugley to just one point on 0/6 shooting from the field. But the Panthers added seven newcomers to the roster, including top-50 freshman guard Dior Johnson and Colgate transfer PG Nelly Cummings. The game will be at home so that should be in the Commodores favor but the Panthers should be more competitive this season.

NC State (Neutral) – Dec 17th

The Wolfpack were awful last season but did return one of its two elite scorers in Terquavion Smith, who averaged 16.3 ppg as a freshman. The roster has been revamped around him, including transfer forwards, DJ Burns and Dušan Mahorčič.

There’s more depth overall compared to last season but their success in the Vanderbilt game and throughout the season will come down to the consistency of rising star Smith.