No. 11 Vanderbilt looks to cement SEC status vs. No.13 Alabama
No. 11 Vanderbilt prepares for its conference home opener as it faces 13th-ranked Alabama at Nashville, Tenn. on Wednesday evening.
The Commodores (14-0, 1-0 SEC) won their conference road opener 83-71 at South Carolina on Saturday. Point guard Tyler Tanner scored 19 points and tied a single-game school record with 14 assists.
The Crimson Tide (11-3, 1-0) will be playing their first SEC road game. They beat Kentucky 89-74 on Saturday after receiving 26 points from Aden Holloway and 17 from Labaron Philon Jr.
Alabama was productive from 3-point range by going 15 of 38 (39.5%) against the Wildcats, one game after making 22 of 54 (40.7%) from distance in a 102-78 win over Yale.
Both teams play fast and score from all over the floor.
Alabama averages 75.8 possessions per game and is tied for 12th in the country in adjusted tempo per KenPom, scoring 94.1 points per game and connecting on 36.1% of its 513 three-pointers.
Vanderbilt averages 73.2 possessions (44th), 93.4 points and has hit 37.9% of its 406 three-pointers.
Health is a concern for both teams.
Vanderbilt played Tanner for 37 minutes Saturday as the Commodores' other two primary ball-handlers -- leading scorer Duke Miles (17.1 points per game, 4.7 assists, 2.8 steals) and Frankie Collins (7.8, 4.7, 2.4) have missed multiple games.
Miles missed a victory over New Haven on Dec. 29 with an illness before being held out Saturday with a leg injury. Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington planned for Miles to practice on Tuesday in hopes of playing Wednesday. Collins, who has missed the past three games with a meniscus injury, is expected to return later this month.
"It's difficult, be honest with you," Byington said. "It's multiple guys, and then obviously, it puts more on some guys that might have been playing a whole lot three weeks ago, and now they got major roles on the team. ... I thought everybody who came in played well, and it contributed in some way, whether their stats show it or not."
Alabama was without two members of its rotation against Kentucky in Taylor Bol Bowen (9.5 points), who has back spasms, and Davion Hannah (3.3 points), whose injury is undisclosed.
The Crimson Tide saw the return of London Jemison (7.3 points), who missed the previous two games with a minor knee injury. He logged 11 minutes and scored three points.
However, Aiden Sherrill (8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds) exited the Kentucky game after nine minutes with an injury and didn't return.
"We just didn't wanna risk it," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "He's gonna get tests (Sunday). It's his knee, but they don't think it's anything serious. We're thinking he's gonna be able to play against Vandy, but we want to make sure he got more tests ... before we make a decision on his availability moving forward."
Amari Allen (10.6 points) also sprained an ankle against Kentucky but is expected to play.
Alabama beat St. John's in its only true road game on Nov. 8, although it also beat Illinois at Chicago and UNLV at Las Vegas but not on campus.
Vanderbilt is 7-0 at home, with all seven victories by double digits..