Vanderbilt wants to carry win streak into tourney
Vanderbilt could take its hottest team in more than two decades into the SEC Tournament next week, but only if it knocks off Ole Miss on Saturday.
The Commodores have won four straight and seven of their past nine. No Vanderbilt team has carried a winning streak of at least five games into the SEC Tournament since the 1992-93 squad rode an eight-game winning streak into the postseason.
Vanderbilt (18-12, 8-9 SEC) has that chance as it faces Ole Miss (20-10, 11-6) at 8 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) in the final game at the Tad Smith Coliseum.
“There would definitely be positives for us (winning) because Ole Miss is near the top of the league, and it’s going to be a raucous environment, senior night, the last game at the Tad Pad and all the things with it,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. “It would be just another step in the right direction if we could pull it off. We wanted to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year, and I think we are.”
Vanderbilt players said a win at Ole Miss would further legitimize their winning streak, which has not included a victory over an opponent from the top half of the league.
The Commodores are tied with Florida for seventh in the SEC standings. They have a 0-6 record against the top six teams and an 8-3 mark versus the bottom seven teams.
Ole Miss, which is tied with Texas A&M for third, has not played Vanderbilt this season.
“This game is very important because all season we have talked about wanting to play our best ball at the end of the season,” freshman forward Jeff Roberson said. “To finish with a win would give us a lot of momentum going into the SEC Tournament. This will be a good chance to get a win over a team from the top half of the league.”
Freshman guard Riley LaChance said it is “extremely important” that the Commodores pull off one more win, and arguably their biggest victory, before jumping into the SEC Tournament, which begins at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday.
Vanderbilt has already clinched a first-round bye, but its seed and opponent for Thursday’s tournament game have not been determined.
A win over Ole Miss would give Vanderbilt the SEC’s second-longest current winning streak, behind only No. 1 Kentucky (30-0).
“We want to go in on a high note, a positive note,” LaChance said. “But I don’t think we have anything to prove to ourselves or anything like that. We know we are capable.”
Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.
NEXT GAME
VANDERBILT (18-12, 8-9 SEC) at OLE MISS (20-11, 11-6)
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
TV/radio: SEC Network/1510-AM