Scouting Report: Vanderbilt Commodores

It has been a long season for Coach Jerry Stackhouse and the Vanderbilt Commodores. In 2022-2023, it seemed like things might be heading in the right direction. The Commodores won 22 games, finished 11-7 in the Southeastern Conference, and had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the final two seasons of Coach Kevin Stallings’ tenure. For his efforts, Coach Stackhouse earned SEC Coach of the Year. However, it all came crashing down in the off-season despite having the best season in Nashville in nearly a decade. There was a mass transfer exodus and the talent pool simply was not refilled. That has led to an 8-21 overall record and 3-13 mark in SEC play.

Big Blue Nation does not have fond recent memories of facing Vanderbilt in the month of March. The Commodores came into Rupp Arena on senior night last season and beat the Wildcats. Then, they turned around and won again on Friday of the SEC Tournament. Kentucky cannot afford a slip up in the same spot on Wednesday night. Despite sprinkling in a few wins, including their first win away from Memorial Gymnasium last Tuesday at Arkansas, the Commodores still rank as one of the worst power conference teams in the country. They currently sit outside of the Top 200 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. DePaul is the only other power six program who holds that embarrassing distinction. Quite simply, the ‘Cats must take care of the ‘Dores on Wednesday.

As always, we have prepared a full, in-depth scouting report for Kentucky’s next opponent. We will take a deep dive into the Commodores’ personnel, break down their offensive and defensive schemes, and highlight the keys to the game for the ‘Cats. Let’s dive in and get to know more about the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Vanderbilt Commodores Personnel

Starters

#5 Ezra Manjon: 6’0″ 170 lbs, Fifth Year Senior Point Guard

14.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg

Primary ball handler. Most aggressive offensive player. Much better and more aggressive as a right hand driver than he is as a shooter. 14-42 from 3 on the season. Right hand driver. NO RIGHT HAND DRIVES!!! You should give him a step or two on the perimeter at all times to stay between him and the basket. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout short. Go UNDER the ballscreens and handoffs. Everything you do defensively while guarding him should be with the idea of staying between him and the basket and cutting off the right hand drives. He likes to use the shot fake at the end of his drives. Always coming back right to finish. Stay down, wall up, and make him score over you. Make him score non-paint 2’s. No right hand drives. No layups for him.

#10 Jordan Williams: 6’2″ 205 lbs, Sophomore Guard

1.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.5 apg

Strong, stocky guard. Very willing shooter. 32 of 45 shots have been 3’s, but shooting just 25%. You need to be there to contest the obvious catch-and-shoot 3’s. He is primarily hunting catch-and-shoot 3’s, but not very aggressive overall. If you are there to put a hand up you will take him away. Then, bounce back and guard against the right hand drive. You can hop underneath the ballscreens and handoffs. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout with high hands and choppy feet. Do not over help when he drives. We are not worried about him finishing contested 2’s. Tighten up to your man as he drives it. Not really looking to score. He is primarily in there to defend and provide some physicality on the perimeter. No catch-and-shoot 3’s.

#0 Tyrin Lawrence: 6’4″ 200 lbs, Senior Guard

13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 apg

Left-handed. Aggressive, athletic guard. Much better and more aggressive as a left hand driver than he is as a shooter. Left hand driver. NO LEFT HAND DRIVES!!! 25-95 (26.3%) from 3. You should give him a step or two on the perimeter at all times to stay between him and the basket. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout short. Go UNDER the ballscreens and handoffs. Everything you do defensively while guarding him should be with the idea of staying between him and the basket and cutting off the left hand drives. Stay down on the shot fakes. He uses the shot fake on the perimeter to drive it left. Likes to shoot the pull-up or floater when driving it right. Get your hands up and make him finish over you. 36 assists, 50 turnovers. No left hand drives. No layups for him.

#12 Evan Taylor: 6’6″ 205 lbs, Graduate Student Guard/Forward

8.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.2 apg

Left-handed. Plays the role of a face-up, pick-and-pop 4-man. Very willing shooter. 139 of 233 shots have been 3s. Shooting 31.7% from 3. You need to be tight enough to give a hard contest to his catch-and-shoot 3’s. He is primarily hunting catch-and-shoot 3’s. Closeout aggressively on the pick-and-pop. Be very willing to switch when he ballscreens to take him away on the pick-and-pop. You can get up and pressure him on the perimeter. He is not super comfortable handling it. 7 assists, 13 turnovers. When he does put it on the floor he is going to look to drive it left. We want to make him finish contested 2’s. Stay down, wall up, and make him score over you. Good offensive rebounder. Make contact and be physical when the shot goes up. No pick-and-pop or catch-and-shoot 3’s for him.

#2 Ven-Allen Lubin: 6’8″ 230 lbs, Sophomore Forward

11.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.5 apg

Undersized 5-man. He will face-up some out on the perimeter. Just throw a hand up to contest if he shoots from beyond the arc, but pretty good out to 15-18 feet. You need to contest the mid-range jump shots. He likes to drive it right when he faces up on the perimeter. No right hand drives!!! You shouldn’t be so far out that you allow him to drive by you. Give him a step in order to stay between him and the basket. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Do your work early and get him off of the block. His percentages will go down the further off of the block you make him catch it. Stay down, wall up, and make him score over you. 11 assists, 28 turnovers. You can go take it off of him. Very good offensive rebounder. Box out! No right hand drives.

Bench

#23 Jason Rivera-Torres: 6’6″ 180 lbs, Freshman Guard/Forward

6.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.6 apg

Backup wing. Willing shooter, but just 24.4%. Be there to contest the obvious catch-and-shoot 3’s. Once you take away the initial catch-and-shoot 3’s you need to bounce back and guard against the right hand drive. No right hand drives! He is looking to get all of the way to the rim when driving it right or will shoot the pull-up going left. Give a hard contest to the mid-range, pull-up jump shots. You can bring some help when he is driving it right. Not really thinking about passing. 18 assists, 27 turnovers. If you come help you have to do so aggressively with the mindset of either stealing the ball or fouling. Crashes the offensive glass from the perimeter. Make contact and box him out. No uncontested catch-and-shoot 3s. No right hand drives.

#3 Paul Lewis: 6’2″ 175 lbs, Sophomore Point Guard

4.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.4 apg

Backup point guard. Very quick with the ball in his hands. Willing shooter. 80 of 134 shots have been 3’s, but shooting just 23.8% from beyond the arc. We are more concerned about him as a right hand driver and playmaker. No right hand drives! Just be there to throw a hand up if he shoots from the perimeter. You can help off of him and then closeout short to stay between him and the basket. Go UNDER the ballscreens and handoffs. Do not over help when he drives it, especially when he drives it left. He is typically driving it to pass. Tighten up to your man as it is driven towards you. Everything you do defensively while guarding him should be with the idea of staying between him and the basket. Get the ball stopped in transition. No right hand drives. No layups for him.

#21 Tasos Kamateros: 6’8″ 240 lbs, Graduate Student Forward

4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.2 apg

Backup forward. SHOOTER!!! NO 3’s!!! 77 of 91 shots have been 3’s. He is only in there to space the floor and shoot catch-and-shoot 3’s. You have to be tight to him on the perimeter and take away the catch-and-shoot 3’s. Get all of the way out to him on the perimeter. Tighten up to him as the ball is driven towards you. Absolutely no help off of him. You need to get up and pressure him when he has the ball on the perimeter. If he isn’t dribbling you aren’t close enough. Not very comfortable handling it. 4 assists, 9 turnovers. He only wants to catch-and-shoot. Be very willing to switch when he ballscreen stop take him away on the pick-and-pop. Absolutely no catch-and-shoot 3’s for him!

#4 Isaiah West: 6’2″ 190 lbs, Freshman Guard

3.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.8 apg

Backup guard. Shooter! No 3’s! Over half of his shots have been 3’s. Shooting 32.1% from 3 on the season. You need to be tight enough to him on the perimeter to take away his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts. Tighten up to him as the ball is driven towards you. Get OVER the ballscreens and handoffs. CHASE off of downscreens and get OVER the flares. Once you take away the initial catch-and-shoot 3’s he is going to look to drive it right. We would rather make him score contested 2’s. Get up and pressure him on the perimeter. He is more comfortable catching-and-shooting than driving it. You don’t need to over help when he drives, but if you do go you must do so aggressively. Either steal it or foul. No catch-and-shoot 3’s for him!

#13 Malik Presley: 6’6″ 200 lbs, Freshman Guard/Forward

1.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.4 apg

Left-handed. Much more dangerous and aggressive as a left-hand driver than he is as a shooter. NO LEFT HAND DRIVES!!! He is just 1-10 from 3 on the season. You should give him a step or two on the perimeter at all times to stay between him and the basket. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout short. Go UNDER the ballscreens and handoffs. Everything you do defensively while guarding him should be with the idea of staying between him and the basket and cutting off the left hand drives. Stay down on the shot fakes. He uses the shot fake on the perimeter to drive it left. Likes to shoot the pull-up or floater when driving it right. Get your hands up and make him finish over you. No left hand drives. No layups for him.

#24 JaQualon Roberts: 6’8″ 220 lbs, Freshman Forward

1.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.4 apg

Backup forward. Long and athletic. Willing shooter, 16 of his 29 shots have been 3’s, but he has only made 2. Much more dangerous as a right hand driver. No right hand drives!!!You can closeout short to him on the perimeter and guard against the right hand drive. He is better at attacking closeouts than shooting from the perimeter. Stay between him and the basket. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. He is looking to turn the corner and use his quickness to finish around you. Stay down, wall up, and make him score over you. Very good offensive rebounder. Will crash the glass hard. You have to make contact and be physical when the shot goes up. Box out. No right hand drives!

Vanderbilt Commodores Offense

The numbers have been ugly for the Vanderbilt Commodores offensively. They rank 212th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, 345th in effective field goal percentage (45.1%), and 355th in three-point percentage (28.1%). Despite their struggles to make shots from beyond the arc, the Commodores are not shy about letting them fly. That is how you end up with such an inefficient offense. As always, Coach Stackhouse runs some of the best set plays in the Southeastern Conference. However, he simply doesn’t have the talent to execute this season. Kentucky’s defense has reverted to some bad habits in the last couple of games, but playing the Commodores could be just what the doctor ordered. They are scoring just 66.6 points per game overall and 65.1 points per game in SEC play. This should be a “feel good” night for the ‘Cats.

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Anytime #5 Manjon is handling the ball you should be thinking about him driving it at you. Everything you do defensively should be predicated on staying between him and the basket. Back up, stay in a stance, and pack it in off of the ball to help get him corralled. #4 Davis for Arkansas even raised his hand to indicate he had the ball, but he never was actually prepared to guard Manjon. He is too quick and aggressive to be this lackadaisical defensively. Stay between him and the basket!

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The Vanderbilt Commodores play two very talented, explosive guards in #5 Manjon and #0 Lawrence. However, they are a combined 28.5% from three with just 39 makes. Everything you do defensively when guarding them should be in the name of staying between them and the basket. In this clip you see the possession begin with a Horns ballscreen which is pretty common. We want to play underneath all ballscreens set for Manjon. Then, at the end of this possession, there is simply no reason to run at him in this manner on the perimeter. He has made 14 three-point attempts. Closeout short!!! He WANTS to drive it.

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In our first meeting with the Vanderbilt Commodores down in Nashville, we allowed #5 Manjon to score 14 points and dish out 9 assists. That means he was allowed to get into the paint far too often. Right off of the bat, Rob Dillingham is guarding him too far away from the basket. There is no reason to be guarding him out at the half court circle! Being that far out kept Dillingham from going under the screen, even worse ran right into it, and that allowed Manjon to essentially attack Ugonna Onyenso one-on-one. Then, Adou Thiero stayed to help on the drive and gave up a wide open three to one of their two most dangerous catch-and-shoot threats. Thiero should have stayed with #12 Taylor as he lifted but this breakdown ultimately started with Dillingham.

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Percentage wise, #0 Lawrence is an even worse shooter than #5 Manjon. That means you need to BACK UP and stay between him and the basket. There is no reason to have your feet out beyond the three-point arc guarding him. If you get beat off of the dribble because you are guarding him out beyond the perimeter it means you are not concentrating at a high enough level to help us beat the Vanderbilt Commodores.

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Coach Stackhouse calls a ton of set plays throughout the game. Several of them feature a lot of movement and some unique entries into their actions. Here you see #5 Manjon coming off a staggered double zoom action, but the Arkansas defender smartly goes up through the screens and meets Manjon on the other side. That is how we would want to guard this action. However, we also don’t want to give up a straight line drive to #2 Lubin. He is much more dangerous as a driver than he is as a shooter. You need to back up, give him a step, and be ready to guard against the drive.

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Discipline, awareness, and know your personnel. The Vanderbilt Commodores aren’t good enough to win the game unless you have consistent defensive breakdowns. You must have the awareness to recognize the personnel and who you are guarding, and then the discipline to execute the game plan. Being willing to switch and keeping a guy on a guy is always a good defensive strategy. There is no reason why Zvonimir Ivisic can’t back up and bother #5 Manjon for a possession. However, what we can’t have, is Jordan Burks flying off of a catch-and-shoot threat for no reason. We had a 7’2″ rim protector on a 5’10” guard. There was no reason to help! The poor decision by Burks gave #21 Kamateros a wide open catch-and-shoot three.

Vanderbilt Commodores Defense

A lot of the Vanderbilt Commodores’ defensive deficiencies should play right into our hands. Due to a relative lack of resistance, Vanderbilt’s defensive possessions are the 16th shortest in college basketball at an average of 16.5 seconds. That means we should see a fast pace and a lot of possessions on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. Furthermore, the Commodores are one of the worst in the country at defending the three-point line. Opponents shoot 37.5% from deep. We were able to hang 109 points on them in Nashville and shot 15-26 from three-point range. The mindset should be to replicate that performance in the last home game of the season. Be aggressive, be confident, and go put up 100 points on these guys.

In terms of scheme, Coach Stackhouse primarily deploys a man-to-man defense. The Commodores are very undersized so they will switch a lot defensively and look to be aggressive at times by hard hedging the ballscreens. You can expect them to mix in some possessions of 2-3 zone, but it’ll just be used as a change of pace from their man-to-man. Regardless of what they are in, we should be scoring on them consistently. Vanderbilt allows 0.973 points per possession which is 338th nationally, per Synergy.

Keys to the Game

• Contain #5 Manjon and #0 Lawrence off of the dribble. These two played major roles in the Commodores winning two of three matchups last season. They also combined for 24 points and 11 assists in our first meeting this year. That is too much production. We must stay between them and the basket and hold them below their respective averages.
• Win the three-point battle. Three-point shooting is the great equalizer between those with more and less talent. The Vanderbilt Commodores are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country and also one of the worst at guarding the three. We need to make at least three more three-point shots than them. In Nashville we accomplished this by make 15 ourselves, but we shouldn’t give up 11 again.
• Control the glass. We should be able to dominate the glass against these guys. 77% or better on the defensive end. 30% or better on the offensive end.
• Shoot 75% or better at the free throw line.