McNeese vs Vanderbilt NCAA Tournament Preview

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (KNGT-FM) - All eyes are on the NCAA Tournament as the McNeese Cowboys prepare to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores Thursday in Oklahoma City.

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This is McNeese's third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, but the mindset is a little different this go round...

For the McNeese Cowboys, the “fun” part of the NCAA Tournament is over—now it’s all about business. In year one, just making the tournament was a big step for the program. In year two, the Cowboys broke through and earned the program’s first-ever tournament win. Now, in year three, the focus has shifted to building something bigger and making a deeper run.

“First year, we were just happy to be there. Second year, we wanted to win a game,” said DJ Richards. “This time, we’re not going just to win one game. We don’t like to lose—we’re going down there to compete.”

“We’re excited to be here for the third straight year,” Armstrong said. “But we came here to win games. Our guys have been preparing all week to get ready.”

Now, in his first season leading the program, Bill Armstrong said continuing McNeese’s winning tradition has been the expectation from day one.

“That was the standard when we got here,” he said. “To see it come full circle almost exactly a year later is pretty special. But we’re doing it for the people of Lake Charles and our fans who support us.”

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McNeese will look to lean on its size and physical play against the Commodores. The Cowboys are one of the best defensive teams in the country. Specifically, at forcing turnovers, the Cowboys are taking the ball away on nearly one out of every four possessions.

“Their turnover percentage is one of the best in the country,” Head Coach Mark Byington said. “They’re very active defensively, and offensively they’re tough to guard. They’re a unique team—we haven’t seen many teams quite like them.”

For Vanderbilt, the Commodores are 26-8 and come into the NCAA Tournament as a 5-seed. With Vanderbilt making it to the Championship Game of the SEC Tournament, a 5-seed was a bit surprising for many around the game.

Vanderbilt hasn't won a tournament game since 2012, but this isn't Vandy basketball of old. Second-year Head Coach Mark Byington has led a complete turnaround in Nashville, guiding the Commodores to back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances.

Vanderbilt enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country, playing some of its best basketball at the right time. The Commodores can score in bunches, averaging over 86 points per game. Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner leads the way, averaging over 19 points and 5 assists per game.

Something to keep an eye on will be their depth and ability to avoid foul trouble. Both are major concerns for the Commodores at times.

“They’ve [McNeese] had a really great year,” Byington said. “To win 28 games, that says a lot. They’ve got a talented roster and guys who can make plays for themselves and their teammates.” “We’re not sleeping on them,” he said. “They definitely have our respect.”

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First-year McNeese Head Coach Bill Armstrong was a former longtime assistant coach in the SEC with stops at LSU and Ole Miss. Armstrong says he might have received quite a few scouting reports on the Commodores.

“I may or may not have gotten a few scouting reports,” he said with a smile. “I talked to a lot of friends in the SEC to get a feel for what they like to do. I think we’ll be prepared.”

McNeese/Vanderbilt Projected Starting Lineups

McNeese: Garcia, Johnson, Dual, Archie, Colbert
Vanderbilt: Tanner, Miles, Nickel, Okereke, McGlockton

McNeese will take on Vanderbilt in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, with tip-off slated for 2:15. Fans can catch the game on TRUTV with Brandon Gaudin, Chris Webber, and Andy Katz on the call from Oklahoma City.