Vanderbilt vs McNeese: NCAA Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 18, Vanderbilt basketball heads into the NCAA tournament as a 12-seed, facing off against McNeese in the first round, right here in, Oklahoma City. The Commodores are looking to kick off a strong run, but they know McNeese comes in hungry and ready to pull off an upset. McNeese thrives on forcing turnovers, ranking number one nationally on defense for that, and number two on offense. They also prefer a slower pace, which ranks them around 246th in tempo, making them a tough matchup for teams that get sloppy. Players like Vanderbilt's Jalen Washington have acknowledged the challenge, noting that every opponent from here on out plays hard and fast with heavy pressure. No more easy games in this stage. To win, Vanderbilt needs to protect the ball, avoid letting pace dictate the game, and force McNeese to rely on outside shooting where they're weak. Ranking near 300th in 3-point attempts. Just play steady like they did in the SEC tournament, leaning on their superior talent in athleticism.

1:01Expect Vanderbilt to pull ahead 78-69 if they stay disciplined on defense and handle the ball cleanly, setting up a potential. Wheat 16 push made in AI.