Play this game every year.
In the first six-and-a-half minutes of Vanderbilt vs. Belmont on Tuesday night at Memorial Gymnasium, there were five three-pointers — including one by each team’s center — a breakaway dunk by the Bruins’ Ben Sheppard and a sweet alley-oop from the Commodores’ Scotty Pippen Jr. to Myles Stute. It was end-to-end action with players diving on the floor and bodies flying through the paint.
In the second half, powered by Jordan Wright’s 24 points, Vanderbilt pulled away to win 82-71 in the NIT first-round game. Pippen, who is likely headed to the NBA after the season, was largely held in check by Sheppard and scored only 10 but directed the offense masterfully. Ultimately, Vandy’s strength on the boards — they pulled down a whopping 42 rebounds — overcame Belmont’s late-season shooting woes. The Commodores will play the winner of Toledo vs. Dayton in the second round.
These are the two best programs in the city and they acted like it, engaging in a tense affair that was played within a margin of five points for most of the game. Belmont led by double digits in the first half. Vandy hit free throws down the stretch to seal the game. The defense was tough, the ball screens were tougher, and the hustle was on display for all to see.
But it took the damned NIT to get us here despite the schools being a mile away. Why?
It’s been four seasons since Belmont beat Vanderbilt at the Curb Center in an early-season matchup, the second of two games former coach Bryce Drew scheduled. In the previous 20 years, Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings scheduled the Bruins four times, but only once after they became perennial NCAA Tournament qualifiers. It’s true that Hall of Fame coach Rick Byrd was his close friend, and sure, maybe he didn’t want to lose to him. But scheduling a school close enough to walk to would have helped both teams’ strength of schedule almost every year.
Both coaches were diplomatic in the postgame. VU coach Jerry Stackhouse laid the decision off on Andy Fox, the Commodores’ basketball general manager. Stackhouse said he wants to play highly ranked teams. Belmont coach Casey Alexander seemed eager, but said schedules don’t always work out.
“We’re willing to play, but that implies that they’re not, and that’s not always the case.” Alexander said. “They’ve got a program to run and they need to do things exactly the way they feel they need to be done and we’ll do the same thing. If things align then we’ll play, and if they don’t, then we won’t. But I personally would like to play the game.”
That’s the coach of a Mid-Major program knowing that he can’t say anything to piss off a Power Five program if he ever wants to appear on their schedule again. Alexander can’t make Vandy or any other school play if they don’t want to. Tennessee played them a decade ago and almost lost at home, and then-coach Bruce Pearl remarked, “I will do everything I can to try not to schedule them again.” So they go on the road to LSU, Alabama, Boston College, UCLA or wherever a power school is not too chicken to set a game.
If it’s about creating a strong schedule, though, Vandy should add Belmont. At No. 85 in basketball guru Ken Pomeroy’s rankings this season, Belmont finished higher than a third of the SEC and were 20 slots higher than Vanderbilt for most of the season, before the weight of a mediocre Ohio Valley Conference schedule dragged them down. They consistently ranked between No. 50 and No. 75. Despite their 25 wins, Belmont was never going to sniff an at-large NCAA bid — and that’s one of the many reasons the school is leaving the OVC for the Missouri Valley Conference next season.
No, instead Vandy scheduled the Austin Peay, who finished the year ranked No. 277. Mississippi Valley State (No. 355) and Alabama State (No. 313, and scheduled as a favor to a Stackhouse friend) were so bad they couldn’t even make the SWAC tournament, but they served as early-season punching bags for the Commodores. They’ll host Texas State (No. 138) but not Belmont, who was ranked higher than all but a handful of Vandy’s non-conference opponents.
It’s dumb.
The fact of the matter is that it’s up to Vanderbilt to make it happen. When it doesn’t — and, spoiler alert, it won’t — the blame should fall squarely on them. Which is a shame, because a great atmosphere like the one Tuesday night shouldn’t have to require a second-tier tournament to make it happen.
