2016 NCAA Tournament Preview: Vanderbilt vs. Wichita State

By Trevor Lowry

Entering the 2015-16 college basketball season, the Vanderbilt Commodores and Wichita State Shockers received a good amount of hype. Both teams were ranked in the top 25 to start the college hoops season, after all.

Things haven’t necessarily gone according to plan, but both teams will be playing in the dance regardless, which is the only thing that matter this time of year.

The only problem? They will take the court against one another in a play-in game.

What to Watch For

This is not Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet‘s first rodeo — not even close. The two seniors are capable of doing some serious damage in the Big Dance, and the rest of the tournament field will surely take note.

Meanwhile, the Commodores have two players who are averaging 14 or more points per game, and those players go by the names of Wade Baldwin IV and Damian Jones.

Prediction

The Arizona Wildcats will play the winner of this clash, which will be yet another must-watch game — because that’s what the tournament is all about.

A couple of quick notes: (1) Vanderbilt is riding a two-game losing streak into the dance. (2) Wichita State went down in its last contest. (3) The Shockers were once 2-4 on the season, and are now 24-8.

In terms of the on paper issue, some folks are claiming that this could be the best play-in game in the history of, well, play-in games. If that is in fact the case, fans from me to you should be in store for quite the treat — and fans must remember that so, so, so much basketball still needs to be played.

Let the March Madness games begin.

Vanderbilt 69, Wichita State 73

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like