He must leave: Memphis Tigers fans are upset with the head coach for adding inexperienced player to the squad.

He must leave: Memphis Tigers fans are upset with the head coach for adding inexperienced player to the squad.

The men’s basketball team of Vanderbilt University will play their return game against the Memphis Tigers on Monday at 7 p.m. Central Time (CST), 229 days after losing to Xavier in the NIT tournament quarterfinals.

These two teams appear to be very different from one another from the previous season. After star guard Scotty Pippen Jr. left for the Los Angeles Lakers, the ‘Dores added two transfers to their freshman class, which now numbers seven players. Conversely, seven out of the Tigers’ nine top scorers from the previous season were lost.

Memphis is favored by 2.5 points going into Memorial Gymnasium. KenPom projects a 72-71 loss for the 66th-ranked Commodores, giving them a 47% chance to upset the 34th-ranked Tigers. The Commodores concluded the previous season ranked No. 64 on Kenpom, ranking 40th in the country for adjusted defensive efficiency. As one of just 14 teams with a top 40 offense and defense in terms of adjusted efficiency, the Tigers were ranked 24th in the country.

This is the first coaching encounter between Penny Hardaway of the Tigers and Jerry Stackhouse, who was recently extended. During their peak, both coaches were prolific NBA guards who made six all-star appearances combined. Both Stackhouse and Hardaway, who were hired in 2019 and 2018, respectively, have significantly improved these schools’ recruiting classes and created real momentum toward winning their respective conferences.

That has been confirmed recently, as Hardaway recently made public obtained commitments for the 2023–24 campaign from four-star forward JJ Taylor and guard Mikey Williams. However, Hardaway’s new additions—among them the notable recent transfer Emoni Bates—have a terrible habit of falling short of expectations.

The incoming freshman class, led by three four-star recruits (Lee Dort, Noah Shelby, and Colin Smith), is ranked 24th nationally. Stackhouse has also begun to assemble respectable recruiting classes.

The main game to watch on the court will feature a battle between Memphis’ Kendric Davis and Vanderbilt’s Ezra Manjon, two transfer point guards.

In his first game with the Black and Gold, Manjon, a transfer from the University of California-Davis, is anticipated to be handed the offensive reins. The senior’s 15-point average points per game for UC-Davis last season, which was sufficient to get him a first team All-Big West nomination. His quickness and explosiveness to pressure opposing backcourts on both ends of the ball have been praised by Coach Stackhouse.

He will square off against Davis, the reigning player of the year in the American Athletic Conference. Davis transferred to Memphis following a season in which he averaged 19 points per game for the SMU Mustangs. Despite not being particularly tall at 6’0,” he is incredibly agile and capable of scoring large baskets, as demonstrated by the 21 points he scored to help the Mustangs defeat the Commodores in December of last year. Davis is a significant component of what, but Stackhouse has made it abundantly evident that Memphis is going to make an effort; the Commodores are getting ready to play as a team, not just one player.

“We’re going to get ready for the Memphis Tigers, not just one guy,” Stackhouse declared. “I’m pretty sure we’ll give his unique talents extra attention, but Vanderbilt is playing Memphis.”

Star wing Jordan Wright is most likely to be the focal point of the Commodore offense. Playing with Scotty Pippen Jr., the senior had a breakout season the previous year. Against Kentucky in the SEC tournament quarterfinals, he scored 27 points on 12 shots, almost pulling off the upset despite Pippen having an unusually bad game. Wright has good midrange and behind-the-arc shooting ability.

Wright might need to fill in as a point guard if Manjon takes a break while Paul Lewis, a rookie guard, goes through the concussion protocol.

Keonte Kennedy, a UTEP transfer and guard for Memphis, will present a formidable defensive challenge for him. Kennedy had committed to transfer to Vanderbilt in the offseason, but he never made it to the locker room before deciding to return to Memphis for unknown reasons.

Kennedy is one of 11 Tigers who are seniors or older, which could be problematic for the young Commodores squad, which will probably start their freshmen for large chunks of playing time. Although Colin Smith won’t be physically superior to the forward, he could find it difficult to overcome the experience gap in his first collegiate game. Smith is expected to play a significant amount of minutes off the bench.

In the same way, point guard Noah takes a break while Paul Lewis, a rookie guard, goes through the concussion protocol.

Keonte Kennedy, a UTEP transfer and guard for Memphis, will present a formidable defensive challenge for him. Kennedy had committed to transfer to Vanderbilt in the offseason, but he never made it to the locker room before deciding to return to Memphis for unknown reasons.

Kennedy is one of 11 Tigers who are seniors or older, which could be problematic for the young Commodores squad, which will probably start their freshmen for large chunks of playing time.

Although Colin Smith won’t be physically superior to the forward, he could find it difficult to overcome the experience gap in his first collegiate game. Smith is expected to play a significant amount of minutes off the bench.

In the same way, point guard Noah Observing how he defends the 250-pound Robbins could be interesting. To counter A-Ehiogu’s inside presence, Stackhouse would be well advised to disperse his team of sharpshooters, including long-range sniper Myles Stute.

With just five players returning from the squad that almost upset Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament’s second round last year, A-Ehiogu is one of many transfers.

DeAndre Williams, a forward who was the team’s second-leading scorer and was named to the All-AAC Second team, is the main returning player for the Tigers.

In the NCAA tournament the previous year, he averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds, demonstrating his strong postseason play. It is likely that he will face the previously mentioned Stute, who finished the season with the best 3-point percentage (.432) in the SEC and will be a vital outside player.

These two teams are developing cultures. There are many new players on these two teams. Vanderbilt makes up for their lack of experience and seniority with Memphis’ lack of playing together.

It might be difficult for coach Hardaway to control all of these disparate skill sets and egos early in the season for a team that has so many transfers who were all elite players on their previous teams.

Having said that, these men are still seasoned veterans, very different from the several freshmen who will be experiencing their first Monday’s college action will be the first ever. Soon, we’ll find out if Stackhouse has prepared his team to defeat the Tigers or if Memphis’ star power will be too much for Vanderbilt’s depth.