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NASHVILLE — Mark Byington understands the sting that Bellarmine coach Doug Davenport felt as he left Memorial Gymnasium on Monday night and boarded a bus for the long ride back to Louisville. Byington has been on the receiving end of such lopsided defeats, having scheduled buy games during his tenure at Georgia Southern.
"I've been on the other side of these where I've gotten beaten pretty bad," Byington said. "The schools got to make money and everything else. But, with us and with our team, the whole focus was we just got to learn our team and get better."
Vanderbilt learned plenty early as Bellarmine kept the game close, but the lessons became fewer as the game wore on. Midway through the first half, the Knights could do little to challenge the Commodores, and what Vanderbilt did to them felt almost cruel. Byington sympathizes with Davenport, but his job is now to deliver such beatings—and to position his team for a high NET ranking and favorable NCAA Tournament consideration.
Byington constructed his roster for that purpose. He insisted he wasn't trying to run up the score, even keeping his key players in deep into the second half to avoid burnout, but his team naturally pulled away. After the first few minutes, Monday's game resembled varsity versus junior varsity.
Byington's team could never be mistaken for a mid-major, which it might have been a season ago when it had average-sized guards, often played a natural small forward at power forward, and lacked depth at the five. Not this year.
Vanderbilt didn't lose a buy game in Byington's first two years, but that was often due to superior talent rather than complete domination. Monday, it was both. The Commodores entered with a 99.7% chance to win, according to KenPom, but a total demoralization of Bellarmine wasn't guaranteed. Perhaps it should have been.
After Vanderbilt adjusted defensively and started playing Bellarmine straight up, the Knights struggled to even get shots off, shooting just 37.0% from the field. The game was tied 14-14 before Vanderbilt exploded.
Once Bellarmine's early energy faded and Byington's team shifted into high gear, the Commodores went on a 45-5 run—at one point 41-3, and later 50-7. "The last time I was part of something like that was third grade," Vanderbilt forward Sebastian Williams-Adams said. "We were running a trap and didn't let them get across halfcourt."
Bellarmine turned the ball over 23 times and recorded just eight assists. Vanderbilt dominated the boards, 38-20 overall and 11-6 on the offensive glass, despite missing seven fewer shots. The Commodores held Bellarmine to 47 points on 23.8% 3-point shooting, forced four shot-clock violations, and scored 37 points off turnovers to Bellarmine's five. They also dominated the paint, 52-20.
Byington clearly sacrificed some perimeter shooting and up-tempo play by allocating more resources to the frontcourt and defense, and the results were evident on Monday. "They were running offense near half court," Byington said. "That was a team that last year led the country in field-goal percentage, twos mainly, and had a couple good 3-point shooters. I thought our guys did a good job of not only being excited to play, but sticking to the gameplan."
What Vanderbilt did Monday wasn't merely because of Bellarmine; it was because of how Byington built the roster. This can happen regardless of the opponent. It could happen to Wake Forest on Thursday when the Demon Deacons visit for Vanderbilt's first real test. It could happen to an SEC team.
Byington was borderline giddy on Friday when discussing a practice lineup featuring five players 6-foot-5 or taller. Vanderbilt has four rotational players 6-foot-10 or taller and five other scholarship players 6-foot-5 or taller. The only scholarship players under 6-foot-5 are Tanner, Ace Glass, and Ant Brown.
That's how a historically solid mid-major program like Bellarmine can look like a group of guys Davenport picked up off the street hours before the game. It says as much about Vanderbilt's ability to overwhelm as it does about Bellarmine's rebuilding project.
"We definitely have the talent to," Williams-Adams said of that ability. "Now, it's more about the want to."
Key Analysis
Vanderbilt's season-opening victory showcased the overwhelming potential of Mark Byington's rebuilt roster. With unprecedented size and defensive intensity, the Commodores appear poised to compete in the SEC. The 45-5 run demonstrated their ability to impose their will on opponents, a trait that could make them a formidable force in conference play and beyond.
Originally reported by headtopics.