Knowing the Florida Gators Opponent: Vanderbilt Commodores

Gainesville, Fla. — Following an embarrassing defeat to the Tennessee Volunteers this past weekend, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team will need to rebound quickly, as they welcome in the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday.
There are no nights off in the SEC, even in home games. The conference is deep this season, and the Gators know this.
This is a team that was just recently in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2015.
With that being said, let’s take a look at who the Commodores are.
Big-Time Wins in January
Vanderbilt is 16-5 on the season and has been a thorn in many teams' sides. In the non-conference portion of their schedule, they took down Virginia Tech and TCU.
Then, in the month of January, they thwarted Kentucky and in-state rivals Tennessee, which is what helped push them into the top 25. With these two added to their win column, they sit at 16-5 overall and 4-4 in the conference.
Strong Offseason Additions
Like most teams nowadays, Vanderbilt raided the transfer portal over the summer to provide an instant spark to their team.
And it looks like their work in this department has paid off.
North Texas transfer guard Jason Edwards has been great for the Commodores through 21 games this season. He’s averaging 17.5 points per game and is shooting 37.5 percent from three.
In addition to Edwards, there are three others averaging 10.0 or more points. Former Boston College big Devin McGlockton is second in scoring, averaging 11.4 points, while also leading the team in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per game. The other two are former Michigan State guard Ashton Hoggard with 10.7 points and former Virginia Tech guard/forward Tyler Nickel with 10.2 points.
Winning the turnover battle will be crucial
The Gators have lost the turnover battle in all three of their losses this season. It’s clear that when this team is careless in possession, it’s never good for them.
And it won’t get any easier on Tuesday.
This is because Vanderbilt is No. 8 in the country when it comes to steals per game, averaging 9.9 steals. Furthermore, in their upset win over Kentucky, they forced 10 steals.
If the Gators can’t limit their turnovers, especially live ball turnovers, it could provide their opponents a way to win this game.
This matchup between Florida and Vanderbilt will be broadcast on SEC Network at 7 pm on Tuesday.