Show Me My Opponent, 2022-23: Vanderbilt (#2)

make shots

Rebirth Week or Rebound Week or Something That Appropriately Describes That Last Week Wasn’t Very Good But Is Very Far From a Season-Ender Week begins with a road trip to Nashville to play at the stupidest gym in America. Well, not really, because the Kohl Center exists, but if you’re of a certain age you remember how scary it used to be to play at Vanderbilt. Memorial Magic was a real deal there for a hot minute.

But that minute has passed and it is 2023. #6 AP/#4 Massey/#2 KenPom Tennessee is going for a series-record 12 wins in a row over NR/NR/NR Vanderbilt, who is 16-33 at home in the SEC since 2018. The Commodores have one very good win (97-84 over Arkansas) but are 4-11 against Quadrants 1 + 2 with a scoring margin of -124. 57 points of that is because they got absolutely annihilated by Alabama last week in a game where Vandy completely quit, but still.

This is a Vanderbilt team playing for nothing more than respect versus a Tennessee team desperate to show everyone it’s different in a good way this time. Say what you’d like about a rivalry or lack thereof; it absolutely matters to the guys on the court on both sides.

BELOW THE LINE ($): there have been more successful benevolent dictatorships