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Vanderbilt 2025

Even they tightened up at the end, 7-5 seems a little pessimistic. When they run UConn’s offense they have to keep moving. Ball got stuck in Blakely’s hands forcing tough passes.
 
YoDore said:
The final 12 games on the Vanderbilt schedule include nine against Top-25 teams, and five of those nine are in the Top 10. The nastiness begins with a neutral site game against 8th ranked Michigan today in New Jersey. It’s a nationally televised (Fox) homecoming for Mikayla Blakes and Justine Pissott. Then, the SEC grind begins for real, including:

at #2 South Carolina
at #16 Ole Miss
at #7 Kentucky
home vs. #13 Oklahoma
home vs.. #4 Texas
home vs. #7 Kentucky
home vs. #21 Alabama
at #20 Tennessee

Mixed in with those games are three against non-ranked teams Auburn and Florida in Nashville and at Georgia.

There are toss-ups galore in that final 12-game stretch, and it’s hard to get a grip on what the likely record will be. I’m going to guess 7-5 with this caveat: A decent team could lose all nine of those Top-25 showdowns. I think we’re better than decent. A good team could go 4-5, and that’s where I have it, but with yet another caveat: We might be better than just good, and, if so, we could sneak out with another win or two.

For the record, I think our five most likely losses are at South Carolina, at Ole Miss, at Kentucky and at Tennessee. The only home loss I foresee is Texas. So, if we go 4-5 against the ranked teams and beat the three remaining unranked teams, that puts us at 7-5 over that last 12-game stretch and a 25-5 regular-season.

I have little faith in those guesses. For instance, I have us losing in Knoxville even though I truly feel we are the better team. I think we can beat Michigan, but it’s going to be a barn burner. Can we really beat Oklahoma and Regan Beers at home? I think so, but Beers can dominate games with her size.

I could go on and on. In fact, I already have. Let’s just say it’s going to be a wild ride.
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I think you are underestimating your team...I see 2 losses...South Carolina and Texas!
 
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Centerstream said:
Interesting comment from Mitchell. I'm not taking anything away from Mikala but today she didn't score like her potential POY self. But that's fine...they got another big win!!!
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Mitchell was always one of the voters in the AP Poll who either voted for UCLA, Texas or SC when they were receiving votes. I have often railed against those who see "conspiracies everywhere" but in this case, I do think Mitch wants "anyone but UConn". NO WAY watching that game and then seeing UConn decimate ND led by Sarah could you even remotely think Blakes belongs in the same conversation. She doesn't. Happy for Shea as she has them playing above their individual talent but come on Mitch, seriously?
 
DefenseBB said:
Mitchell was always one of the voters in the AP Poll who either voted for UCLA, Texas or SC when they were receiving votes. I have often railed against those who see "conspiracies everywhere" but in this case, I do think Mitch wants "anyone but UConn". NO WAY watching that game and then seeing UConn decimate ND led by Sarah could you even remotely think Blakes belongs in the same conversation. She doesn't. Happy for Shea as she has them playing above their individual talent but come on Mitch, seriously?
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I don’t enjoy his work. Can be quite negative on Twitter and was tough to listen to as a a guest on the HerHoopStats podcast recently.
 
DefenseBB said:
Mitchell was always one of the voters in the AP Poll who either voted for UCLA, Texas or SC when they were receiving votes. I have often railed against those who see "conspiracies everywhere" but in this case, I do think Mitch wants "anyone but UConn". NO WAY watching that game and then seeing UConn decimate ND led by Sarah could you even remotely think Blakes belongs in the same conversation. She doesn't. Happy for Shea as she has them playing above their individual talent but come on Mitch, seriously?
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Yup, Mitchell works in the Raleigh area and is definitely an ACC and SEC homer. Not sure why he also favors UCLA though.
 
At 19-0 and from #19 to #5, don’t think anyone at Vandy is looking backward, but I do wonder what they’d look like with Pierre still there or if she regrets it. The other forwards have done a good job by committee though.
 
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I can appreciate the sentiments about Northam's opinion on Blake and NPOY, but I took his point literally. Blake "could" have a case, especially considering where Vanderbilt is and the roster that's in place. I don't see it taking anything away from Strong is doing or a "anyone but UConn" attitude.
 
GoChips20 said:
At 19-0 and from #19 to #5, don’t think anyone at Vandy is looking backward, but I do wonder what they’d look like with Pierre still there or if she regrets it. The other forwards have done a good job by committee though.
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Mwenentanda was a great portal pickup, plus Sacha Washington back healthy and Pissott’s increased productivity has Vanderbilt rolling.

I usually only watch big SEC matchups, but I try to catch Vandy whenever I can.
 
Blakes had 38 points and seven assists at Mississippi State (14 points vs. Michigan), and Galvan had the 20-point game against Michigan.

 
Could be the best press conference I’ve seen from Shea, at least in terms of the questions asked of both her and the players.

 
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Vandy at home tonight against Auburn. Another probable win.

Sunday at South Carolina? Strong possibility of a cancellation with snow projected to begin in Nashville at 6:00 am Saturday and snow/ice expected in Columbia on Sunday. Southern airports don’t handle snow well.

Vandy could probably use a weekend off . Can it be rescheduled before the SEC tournament if postponed?
 
www.espn.com

Inside the emerging superstardom of Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes

From underrated to perhaps the best hoops player in the country, Mikayla Blakes is just getting started.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

"We have a saying in our household," says Monroe Blakes, who works in marketing. "Be a good person. Be a good student. Be a good athlete. In that order. That's why we always put our children in situations that offered high academics and high athletics."​
​
Coming out of high school, Blakes was recruited by several major programs across the country. Vanderbilt, which has invested more than $300 million since 2021 to upgrade its athletic facilities and performance, stood apart because it offered first-class resources and a warmth Blakes said she felt immediately.​
​
She also wanted to help build a champion from the ground up and was unmoved by the idea of joining perennial powerhouses such as South Carolina and UConn, both of which were engaged with her early in the recruiting process.​
​
"Those are great programs, but for me I just want to be somewhere where I could build a legacy," Blakes says. "And I think we're on the cusp here."​
 
visitingcock said:
Vandy at home tonight against Auburn. Another probable win.

Sunday at South Carolina? Strong possibility of a cancellation with snow projected to begin in Nashville at 6:00 am Saturday and snow/ice expected in Columbia on Sunday. Southern airports don’t handle snow well.

Vandy could probably use a weekend off . Can it be rescheduled before the SEC tournament if postponed?
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Still a big question whether Vandy can get to Columbia for Sunday’s game against Scar. I guess we’ll know from tomorrows cancellation of flights out of Nashville.

I woul think Vandy wants to catch us while we may still be down after last night’s horrible play by us.
 
visitingcock said:
Still a big question whether Vandy can get to Columbia for Sunday’s game against Scar. I guess we’ll know from tomorrows cancellation of flights out of Nashville.

I woul think Vandy wants to catch us while we may still be down after last night’s horrible play by us.
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Historically, we have responded with emphatic wins after losses like this. If anything, I think the delay will favor Vandy. Also, Vandy doesn't have a Beers. I think we'll be more successful on the boards / feeding the post if things get ugly.
 
Vandy has a real chance to get some room up top vs the favorites in a one game showdown.
 
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This is going to be a great weekend of basketball. It is -15 here in Minneapolis, we might crack -2 tomorrow, I ain't doing nothing but watching some basketball and staying warm. Vandy, if they win against South Carolina, is going to cause a nice little ripple in the basketball universe. It is going to be a nice matchup.
 
JellyBean said:
This is going to be a great weekend of basketball. It is -15 here in Minneapolis, we might crack -2 tomorrow, I ain't doing nothing but watching some basketball and staying warm. Vandy, if they win against South Carolina, is going to cause a nice little ripple in the basketball universe. It is going to be a nice matchup.
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Same with the exception of clearing my driveway from time to time because we're expected to get another foot or more of snow this weekend.
Snow Day Dog GIF by WUFFI
 
GoChips20 said:
At 19-0 and from #19 to #5, don’t think anyone at Vandy is looking backward, but I do wonder what they’d look like with Pierre still there or if she regrets it. The other forwards have done a good job by committee though.
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There’d be significantly less production for Pissott/Mwenentanda, both of whom bring more intensity and energy to the court than Pierre even if Pierre is the more skilled player. Chemistry wise I think this team has lightning in a bottle right now and I don’t know if that exists if Pierre is added to the mix.
 
YoDore said:
Blakes had 38 points and seven assists at Mississippi State (14 points vs. Michigan), and Galvan had the 20-point game against Michigan.

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We have Vandy had some great portal pick ups, but Galvin really solidifies the back court and the team.
 
Tough loss today, I feel like the SC game was destined to go this way after South Carolina played horribly against Oklahoma. They were ready for a bounce back game and Vandy was the unfortunate victim of the beat down. This was South Carolina's best game of the season, by far.

I'd still rank Vanderbilt 6 after this week, though. LSU probably jumps them and go to 5th, but #7 Michigan lost head to head vs Vanderbilt this week, #8 Louisville hasn't done anything to warrant being ahead of Vandy and #9 TCU lost to Ohio State.
 
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