VandySports: Vanderbilt basketball falls short in opening night contest
Vanderbilt Hustler: Vanderbilt Commodores drop season opener for first time since 2016, lose to Memphis, 76-67
I hate to try to take too much away from the first game of the season, particularly when you’re playing a real opponent. As of this writing, Memphis ranks 28th in KenPom and I won’t be surprised if they’re better than that; and, in particular, defense has never been an issue for them since Penny Hardaway took over.
Still, there’s a reason why a lot of coaches elect to play a few warmup games before getting into the meat of the schedule instead of jumping right in and playing what might be a top 15 team in the country.