It is a bit trite to dub any league game as a must-win, but maybe not this time.
While still in possession of third place in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division, Vanderbilt is just a game up on the sizzling Tennessee Volunteers and merely a half-game up on the Georgia Bulldogs.
“We think every game is a must-win,” said junior forward Ross Neltner. “That’s how we approach every game.”
No longer ranked, Vanderbilt (16-8, 6-4 SEC) host South Carolina (12-11, 2-8 SEC) tonight at 7 p.m. CT.
While South Carolina has struggled mightily in league play, its overall winning record is both a testament to its solid play and the quality of the SEC.
“South Carolina, like any team in the SEC, can’t be overlooked,” Neltner said. “Their record is a little misleading; they’ve been in some really close games.”
Remember also that the Gamecocks upset the Commodores 66-64 in overtime in Nashville last season. At the time, Vandy was 11-3 and 2-1 in league play and had just won at Rupp. After the loss, the Commodores dropped four of their next five games.
“South Carolina and Georgia have both been a thorn in Vanderbilt’s side the past few years, kind of disrupting our momentum as a team so we definitely understand that going in,” Neltner said.
The Gamecocks feature one of the league’s best guards, Tre Kelley. Kelley leads the team with 17.8 points per game to go along with 5.1 assists, including a recent 36-point explosion at Kentucky.
“Tre Kelley is as good a guard as there is in the SEC right now,” said Vandy coach Kevin Stallings.
Neltner will have his hands full with the Gamecocks’ Brandon Wallace who averages nearly a double-double (10.6 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game). Wallace is also known for his shot-blocking ability as he leads the Gamecocks with 2.8 per game.
Even though Wallace and Kelly are the only Gamecocks to reach double figures in scoring, the Dominique Archie, Dwayne Day and Bryce Sheldon trio produce nearly 24 points per game collectively.
South Carolina’s Achilles heal has been its ability to rebound, which is why the Commodores will look to use their considerable size advantage to attack the offensive glass, gain more possessions and take better shots. Offensively, Vanderbilt will also look to rediscover its shooting touch.
With No. 1 Florida coming to town Saturday, Vanderbilt simply cannot afford to look past South Carolina. South Carolina coach Dave Odom doesn’t think it will.
“They're coming off a tough loss at Tennessee and that's not good news for us,” Odom said. “They're not gonna want to lose two games in a row.”
