Texas Southern's challenge: Slow Vanderbilt's high-powered offense

Field Level Media|published: Thu 20th November, 04:33 2025

NCAA Basketball: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Vanderbilt

Nov 15, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) shoots under the arm of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions forward Milhan Charles (9) during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt will put the nation's fourth-highest scoring offense on display when it hosts Texas Southern in Nashville on Thursday.

The Commodores (4-0) are averaging 101.5 points per game, having reached triple figures in three of their four contests.

Vanderbilt shoots 52.9% from the floor, 40.3% from 3-point range and 74.7% from the line.

Duke Miles (16.3 points per game), Tyler Tanner (15.0), Tyler Harris (14.8), Tyler Nickel (14.0), AK Okereke (12.0), Frankie Collins (9.7) and Devin McGlockton (9.5) are part of a balanced scoring effort.

The Commodores, who check in at No. 24 in the coaches' poll, rank No. 4 according to KenPom.com in adjusted offensive efficiency.

However, the schedule hasn't exactly provided tough tests. Vanderbilt's opponents are 4-14 against Division I teams.

The Commodores' relative weakness so far is interior play. With 6-foot-10 Jacksonville State transfer Mason Nicholson still out, an extra burden has been placed on 6-7 McGlockton, who leads the team in rebounding (7.8 per game).

"In the first half, when he got two fouls, I thought it kind of set us back a little bit. We lost some momentum," Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said after his team's 104-75 home win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.

McGlockton finished the game with 17 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes.

Texas Southern coach Johnny Jones is familiar with Vanderbilt, having faced the Commodores in his playing tenure within the Southeastern Conference at LSU and later while serving as LSU's coach between 2012-17.

Texas Southern struggled in its two games against top-tier opponents, falling 98-43 to Gonzaga in the season opener and 104-70 to Texas A&M.

The Tigers have 13 players on their roster listed as seniors or graduate students. Troy Hupstead (19.7 ppg) and Zaire Hayes (14.0) are among that group, and they lead the Tigers in scoring. Neither played vs. Gonzaga, and Hayes didn't play against A&M.

In Texas Southern's latest outing, Hupstead put up 19 points and Hayes had 17 in a 77-67 road loss to Texas State on Saturday.

--Field Level Media

Latest