How Jerry Stackhouse has made Vandy basketball fun again
In his third season with the Vanderbilt Commodores, head coach Jerry Stackhouse has appeared to have finally resuscitated the basketball program on West End. Stackhouse inherited a mess upon his arrival in 2019. His predecessor, Bryce Drew, was fired after three seasons at the helm after accumulating a 40-59 (16-38) record. Drew’s tenure concluded after […]
In his third season with the Vanderbilt Commodores, head coach Jerry Stackhouse has appeared to have finally resuscitated the basketball program on West End.
Stackhouse inherited a mess upon his arrival in 2019. His predecessor, Bryce Drew, was fired after three seasons at the helm after accumulating a 40-59 (16-38) record. Drew’s tenure concluded after a 9-23 season in 2017-18 that saw the ‘Dores finish 0-18 in SEC play.
In fact, heading into the 2021-22 season, Vandy held an embarrassing 6-44 record in the SEC over the past three years. Strikingly different from years past, it was evident that even in losses, Stackhouse’s teams would show fight despite being severely outmatched in the talent department.
Vanderbilt hoops has not always occupied the basement of the SEC like it has for the majority of the previous four seasons. The Commodores made eight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2003-2017, including two appearances in the Sweet 16.
However, when Stackhouse took over, Vanderbilt basketball was at its rock bottom.
By stockpiling talent and taking advantage of the transfer portal, Vandy is currently one of the eight teams remaining in the NIT. While the NIT is a consolation for most power five programs, postseason play is a huge leap forward for the ‘Dores, who have finished under .500 in each of the last four seasons.
“People are like, 'Is it kind of a letdown about the NIT as opposed to NCAA?' Yeah, we feel like we're an NCAA team,” Stackhouse said. “We're playing like it right now. But for us and where we've been over the last couple of years — trying to build and create a foundation — we're excited to play.”
Over the course of Vandy’s struggles, Memorial Gym, which was once considered to be one of the hardest places to play in the country, had effectively been turned into a ghost town. This team’s late-season successes have seen Memorial Gym return back to its old form which was on display in Sunday’s overtime win against Dayton.
“Fans were unbelievable. The energy that they brought today really was a big sixth man for us, got us over the hump,” said Stackhouse after the game. “Just a great day all around. We're excited to win this game and excited to keep playing."
This Vanderbilt team suffered multiple injuries to crucial players through the course of this season. Graduate transfers Liam Robbins and Rodney Chatman made their return midway through SEC play and immediately elevated the Commodores’ level of play on both ends of the court.
Point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. has been the key cog over his three seasons at Vanderbilt. Stackhouse’s first recruit at Vandy has averaged 20+ PPG over his last two seasons and has locked up the scoring title (20.2 PPG) in the SEC this season.
Pippen could have easily transferred away as just about any team in the nation would have welcomed him with open arms, but he chose to stay. Perhaps his crowning achievement – keeping Pippen in house – Stackhouse has not only put together a solid product on the floor, but has put Vandy back on the map in recruiting.
Rivals.com currently has Vanderbilt’s ’22 recruiting class ranked 19th in the country. The class includes three four-stars, who all stand at least 6’8” adding size and athleticism to what has been a thin frontcourt.
Vanderbilt returns to action Tuesday night on the road against Xavier with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line. Tip is at 8pm CT and the game can be viewed on ESPN.
Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports
