The season has taken a flip for the more severe for Vanderbilt.
The No. 15 Commodores (16-3, 3-3 Southeastern Convention) received their first 16 video games earlier than shedding their final three, together with a season-worst 93-68 setback at No. 20 Arkansas on Tuesday evening. Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington known as that loss “embarrassing.”
The Commodores will attempt to finish the shedding streak after they face Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Miss.
Byington stated he tried two totally different types of man-to-man protection and a zone towards the Razorbacks, however the foe nonetheless shot 57.8% from the ground, 40.9% on 3-pointers, and had a scoring benefit of 50-22 within the paint.
“There was nothing we may do to cease them,” Byington stated. “We had been simply on our heels and did not compete on protection. (We had been) backing up the entire time and not likely stepping into anyone and enjoying aggressive protection.”
It was the second consecutive sport during which Vanderbilt gave up greater than 90 factors, following a 98-94 residence loss towards then-No. 19 Florida on Saturday. However it’s not simply defensive slippage that has Byington involved.
The shedding streak started when the Commodores scored a season-low 64 factors in a 16-point loss at Texas on Jan. 14.
Byington blamed himself for not doing a adequate job of “prepping” his staff for the Arkansas sport.
“We got here into the sport with the mistaken mentality, and that is the primary time this yr I felt like we did not compete and we weren’t robust,” he stated. “We have got to get again to work, put our finger on precisely the issues that went mistaken. That is the kind of efficiency the place you need to make adjustments as a coach. We’ll determine what we have to do.”
Mississippi State (10-9, 2-4) has plenty of determine itself, having misplaced 4 straight video games after profitable six in a row general — together with its first two convention video games.
The Bulldogs are coming off an 88-68 defeat to Texas A&M on Wednesday, however Mississippi State coach Chris Jans stated he promised his gamers, “I am not going to get discouraged by (the shedding streak).”
“It is a problem,” he added. “What I simply talked about with them is I’ll do what I do and attempt to do the most effective job I can for them individually and positively as a staff, to place them in the most effective place to win the subsequent sport — similar to we have achieved since we arrived.”
Jans stated the efficiency towards the Aggies shocked him as a result of the gamers had labored laborious and practiced effectively in preparation for the sport.
“I’ll preserve my nostril to the grindstone and preserve making an attempt to tinker with this and that,” Jans stated. “I say this rather a lot, I get it: The underside line is profitable, shedding. I perceive that greater than anyone. However I instructed them the expectation could be the identical for them on a person foundation and as a program (to proceed working laborious and working towards effectively).”
Mississippi State’s slide has coincided with a droop by main scorer Josh Hubbard, who averages 21.7 factors per sport. He has shot 33.9 p.c from the ground in the course of the shedding streak and has simply 12 and 13 factors, respectively, within the final two video games.
Tyler Tanner averages a team-high 17.1 factors per sport for Vanderbilt, and Duke Miles contributes 16.6.
–Area Stage Media
