Vanderbilt faces lowly New Orleans in final tuneup for SEC

Vanderbilt aims to conclude its nonconference schedule with a sixth straight win when it hosts New Orleans on Monday in Nashville, Tenn.

Since losing to Drake 81-70 in the Charleston Classic title game on Nov. 24, the Commodores (11-1) have jumped to 37th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking. They have won their last five games by a combined 138 points, with 52 of those in a 105-53 rout of The Citadel on Dec. 18.

New Orleans (2-10) has a NET ranking of 334 and enters on a six-game skid, two of those coming losses to Southeastern Conference members Texas (98-62) and LSU (86-70).

First-year coach Stacy Hollowell's squad fell 86-61 on Saturday at McNeese State, which dropped the Privateers to 0-2 in the Southland Conference.

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington, who is also in his first season, has done an impressive job in overhauling a roster within a program that went 9-23 last year.

Byington hit the transfer portal hard and found both star power in Jason Edwards, scoring balance in Devin McGlockton, AJ Hoggard and Tyler Nickel and additional depth via nine newcomers who average at least 15 minutes.

Edwards is the SEC's third-leading scorer at 18.9 points per game, while McGlockton (11.8 ppg) Hoggard (10.3) and Nickel (10.0) round out the Commodores' double-digit scorers.

Vanderbilt is shooting just 32.7 percent this season from 3-point range but has canned 20 of 41 attempts (48.8 percent) over its last two games.

"After practice, a lot of guys continue to get 50 makes in or more after practice, so the reps are just going to show we can all shoot the ball pretty good," guard MJ Collins said.

New Orleans has a star of its own in guard James White, who leads the Southland in scoring (19.2) and rebounding (7.9). The Privateers' upset hopes ride on him and freshman MJ Thomas (8.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg), who has averaged 11.4 points in the last five games.

White has totaled 12 minutes over two appearances against Vanderbilt in 2022 and 2023 while at Ole Miss.

"(White is) a rangy, athletic player with all-conference potential," Hollowell told Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook this summer.

This will be New Orleans's ninth straight road game. The Privateers have played just once at home (a Nov. 9 loss to Troy), but will host their next three games after Monday.

--Field Level Media