Memphis basketball vs. Vanderbilt: Scouting report, score prediction
Year 5 of the Penny Hardaway era kicks off in earnest at Vanderbilt on Monday (7 p.m., SEC Network+).
Memphis basketball, fresh off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014, will square off against the Commodores at the historic, 70-year-old Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. It's the first game of a home-and-home deal between the in-state programs, Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse said last week.
Here is what you need to know:
Replacing Scotty Pippen Jr.
Vanderbilt’s leading scorer last season, Scotty Pippen Jr., was far more than that for Stackhouse.
He was single-handedly responsible for nearly one-third of the Commodores’ offense, accounting for 28.9% of the team’s points, and he was on the floor 82.3% of the time. Pippen’s 34.6% usage rate ranked seventh in the nation. Replacing those sorts of things could be a chore for Stackhouse.
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But Vandy has a plan. First and foremost, UC Davis transfer Ezra Manjon is in line to take over point guard duties. Reports out of Nashville earlier this week made it seem questionable whether his backup, Paul Lewis (concussion protocol), would be available for the opener, so Manjon may be tested out of the gate.
Manjon is a career 1,000-point scorer and averaged 3.6 assists a game in three seasons at UC Davis.
Vandy’s biggest threat?
Hardaway is high on the Tigers’ defense. Two seasons ago, it ranked No. 1 in the nation in overall efficiency. Last season, it took some steps back and finished 33rd.
While Manjon will be a handful for Memphis’ backcourt (Kendric Davis, Alex Lomax and others), how the team defends Vandy wing Jordan Wright could be what ultimately decides the game. Wright, like Pippen, played a ton of minutes last season and was the Commodores’ second-leading scorer (12.3 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.4 rpg). In the team's recent "super secret scrimmage" win over Xavier, Stadium's Jeff Goodman reported Wright was far and away Stackhouse's best player on the floor.
Keonte Kennedy and/or Elijah McCadden seem the most likely to draw the coverage assignment against the 6-foot-6 Wright. Johnathan Lawson, a redshirt freshman, or his brother, Chandler Lawson, could also see time head-up against Wright. Staying fresh and out of foul trouble will be key.
KenPom preseason breakdown
The Tigers landed at No. 34 in KenPom’s preseason ranking. Meanwhile, the Commodores are 66th.
Both teams are reasonably evenly matched on the offensive side, where KenPom’s formula predicts Memphis has the 59th-most efficient group and Vandy ranks 76th. The separation on defense, according to KenPom’s algorithm, is a little greater. The Tigers are 15th, while the Commodores are 63rd.
KenPom also forecasts a 72-71 Memphis victory.
Prediction
Memphis 63, Vanderbilt 60: Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams are just about as dynamic and wily a 1-2 punch as you'll find in college basketball this season. The Tigers get the edge in what will be a defensive slugfest.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball vs. Vanderbilt: Scouting report, score prediction
