Oregon at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has become an NCAA Tournament fixture and there are great expectations this season. The Commodores open the season ranked No. 7 which is their highest preseason ranking in 46 years. It has been well earned with two straight tourney appearances, and the Commodores return all five starters, and look to challenge for the SEC Championship. Oregon finished seventh in the Pac-10 a year ago, and did win the CBI tournament, but it will be a battle for this team to make the NCAA field this season. Vanderbilt’s PG Brad Tinsley played his high school basketball in Oregon and should be primed for a big game here. Oregon has a lot of chemistry building due with the in-flux of three transfers that should help in time, but the talent discrepancy here is overwhelming at this stage of the season, so I'm backing Vanderbilt.