Vanderbilt Hoops host Missouri with Little on the line

Vanderbilt and Missouri are both playing out the string as they prepare for the coming SEC Tournament with neither team having much on the line tonight.

The Vanderbilt Commodores and Missouri Tigers have won a combined six SEC games this season and a combined 22-32 on the year.

Neither team has much to play for in this one but pride, and yet this game appears to be one where a still engaged and hungry Commodores squad could breakthrough with their second conference win of the season.  

The Tigers enter tonight's matchup averaging just 67.4 ppg while allowing 65.8 ppg on the season. 

Junior guard Dru Smith leads the Tigers in four statistical categories, scoring (12.6), assists (4.0), and field goal percentage (42.6), and minutes (32.4) per outing.  

Fellow guards Max Smith (10.9 pp ) and Xavier Pinson (10.4 ppg) are the only other double-figure scorers for coach Counzo Martin's squad.   

Forward Jeremiah Tilmon leads the Tigers inside game, averaging just 8.5 ppg in 20.2 minutes of play per game.  

At least on paper, with Missouri being a guard dominated team, this is a matchup that the Commodores can take advantage of and find a much-needed win. 

For Vanderbilt, this game seems to be more about themselves than their opponent. 

What does that mean? 

It all comes down to which Commodore team shows up tonight. The one capable of hanging 99 on LSU or the one who struggles to hit uncontested shots like against Tennessee. 

This Vanderbilt team has not quite, in fact, I would go as far as to say that they have totally "bought-in" on what head coach Jerry Stackhouse has sold despite all the losses, injuries and distractions from outside noise around this program.    

There's little doubt that Saben Lee, who has stepped to the forefront as the team leader since the injury to Aaron Nesmith will continue to produce at a high level, but who of the remaining Commodores will step forward tonight and help fill the scorebook for this team.

Dylan Disu, Maxwell Evans, Scottie Pippen Jr., and Jordan Wright have all shown flashes and games where they filled the scoring role, but all have been inconsistent, with the exception of Pippen Jr. who has held his average of 11.4 ppg most nights. 

Could tonight be the night that this Commodores team puts things together as a whole and finds scoring from this group rather than one player stepping up with Lee and then falling short at the final buzzer?

We'll find out in a few short hours as tipoff is set for 8 pm and can be seen on the SEC Network.