REPORT: CAROLINA KEY PLAYER DISCUTION Missing key player Vanderbilt faces Western Carolina
CAROLINA KEY PLAYER DISCUTION Missing key player Vanderbilt faces Western Carolina…
When Vanderbilt (4-6) visits Western Carolina (8-2) in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, it looks to end a two-game losing streak.
According to Monday’s NCAA NET rankings, the Commodores are ranked 302nd. Vanderbilt has lost five straight games after defeating Central Arkansas on November 17. Their lone victory came on December 2 against Alabama A&M.
To make matters worse, during Saturday’s 76-54 loss to home Texas Tech, Vanderbilt lost starting forward Colin Smith, who leads the Commodores in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and scoring (7.1 ppg), to an injury.
Coach Jerry Stackhouse stated on Saturday night, “The early signs—I haven’t gotten complete confirmation from it—but it looks like it’s a significant Achilles injury.”
A defense that is ranked 295th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings would be made even worse by Smith’s absence.
One of the few bright spots for the Commodores has been point guard Ezra Manjon, who leads the team in minutes (29.9), assists (4.0), free-throw percentage (87.0), and scoring (14.9 ppg).
In contrast, the Catamounts enter the contest riding a two-game winning streak. In terms of scoring (21.5), rebounds (11.8), assists (5.2), and minutes (34.4), Vonterius Woolbright is the leader for WCU.
In Saturday’s 70-53 victory against USC Upstate (which Vanderbilt won 74-67 on November 10), Woolbright recorded 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists. This was Woolbright’s eighth double-double of the year and the preseason Southern Conference player of the year.
For WCU, the 53 points given up on Saturday was a season low.
Woolbright declared, “We’re a defensive program,” following the team’s 78-63 victory over UNC Asheville the previous Saturday. “First, defense. Everything else falls into place. Make stops
and leave to shoot hoops.”
Nonetheless, the Catamounts have outperformed their defense (180th) offensively (112th in Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency) because of four players who score in double figures on average: DJ Campbell (11.9), Tre Jackson (11.6), and Russell Jones Jr. (10.9)?
On the road, Western Carolina is 4-2, with a 71-61 victory over Notre Dame on November 11.
—Multimedia Field
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