Vanderbilt has played an ambitious non-conference schedule to go 5-5.

Vanderbilt and NC State will play at 10:30 p.m. ET in Chicago on Saturday, with the game on CBS College Sports.

The one common opponent is Pittsburgh, who NC State lost to, but the Commodores defeated 75-74 on Dec. 7. Vanderbilt also has wins over Wofford, Temple, Fresno State and Morehead State.

The Commodores are coached by former UNC and NBA star Jerry Stackhouse of Kinston, N.C. He is 44-59 overall while in his fourth year with Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt is led by junior combo forward Myles Stute and well traveled center Liam Robbins, who is the nephew of former NC State assistant coach Ed Conroy.

Junior wing Tyrin Lawrence, senior point guard Ezra Manjon and senior post player Quentin Millora-Brown round out the starting lineup. However, the healthy return of senior forward Jordan Wright could reshuffle things.

Rankings

Vanderbilt is No. 134 in the NET rankings, and NC State is No. 54.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Commodores ranked No. 95 overall, and the Wolfpack are No. 45.

KenPom.com has Vanderbilt at No. 96, and NCSU checks in at No. 53.

RealtimeRPI.com has Vanderbilt ranked No. 180 in the country, and NC State is No. 79.

Shooting

Vanderbilt is averaging 67.9 points per game, and are shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 34.5 percent on three-pointers and 65.4 percent at the free-throw line.

Stute is shooting an impressive 51.6 percent from three-point land, but no one else is above 33.3 percent from the regulars. Stute is 33 of 64 on three-pointers.

Rebounding

The Commodores are averaging 36.4 rebounds per game, and have a plus-2.0 rebounding margin.

Stute is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game, and Robbins is right behind him at 5.2. Millora-Brown has a team-best 18 offensive rebounds.

Defense

Vanderbilt is allowing 67.0 points per game, with opposing teams shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 31.1 percent on three-pointers.

Robbins is averaging 2.9 blocks per game and Manjon had a team-best 1.4 steals a contest.

Depth

Vanderbilt rotates freshman power forward Colin Smith, junior guard Trey Thomas and senior wing Emmanuel Ansong of the bench.

If senior forward Jordan Wright, who is 6-6 and 220 pounds, returns from injury, he could end up starting and pushing someone to the bench. Wright is averaging 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in eight games this season.

The 6-foot, 160-pound Thomas is averaging 7.5 points and 2.0 assists in 23.2 minutes a contest.

The 6-8, 215-pound Smith is averaging 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game. The 6-4 Ansong has played in all 10 games and averages 1.9 points and 9.2 minutes per game.

Vanderbilt junior combo forward Myles Stute is eighth in the country at 51.6 percent from three-point land.

Stute has gotten better each season and is averaging 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and shooting 45.1 percent from the field. The 6-foot-7, 215-pounder has made at least three three-pointers in seven games this season.

Stute exploded by going 7 of 10 on three-pointers en route to a season-high 21 points in the 89-87 overtime win at Temple on Nov. 15. He also had 20 points and shot 6 of 9 on three-pointers in a 70-65 loss at Virginia Commonwealth.

Stute had 19 points and shot 4 of 7 on three-pointers against South Carolina on Jan. 8, 2022 last year. He shot 43.2 percent on three-pointers last year to lead the SEC.

Stute was a Rivals.com three-star prospect in the class of 2020, and he played for prep powerhouse Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga. He was also part of Team Takeover traveling team. Stute picked Vanderbilt over Clemson, Florida, Marquette, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech.

NC State

PG — 1 Jarkel Joiner (6-1, 180, R-Sr., 17.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 165, Soph., 18.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.9 spg)

G — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, R-Jr., 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.4 spg)

PF — 5 Jack Clark (6-8, 200, R-Jr., 9.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 2.2 spg)

C — 30 D.J. Burns (6-9, 275, R-Jr., 8.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Vanderbilt

PG — 5 Ezra Manjon (6-0, 170, Sr., 6.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg)

SG — 0 Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 200, Jr., 11.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg)

PF — 42 Quentin Miller-Brown (6-10, 245, Sr., 4.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.8 apg)

SF — 10 Myles Stute (6-7, 215, Jr., 12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.4 apg)

C — 21 Liam Robbins (7-0, 250, Sr., 12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.9 bpg)

3 Years averaging in double figures for points for senior point guard Ezra Manjon, who played UC-Davis. He averaged 15.0 points per game last year.

255 Career blocks for senior center Liam Robbins, which ranks fourth among active Division I players.

16,409 Career NBA points for Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse, who played in the league from 1995-2013.

Senior center Liam Dobbins started his career at Drake and then transferred to Minnesota and Vanderbilt.

The 7-0, 250-pounder blossomed during his sophomore year at Drake, averaging 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

Dobbins’ uncle is current The Citadel coach Ed Conroy, who was an assistant coach at NC State from 1990-93. Conroy was at Minnesota under Richard Pitino, and Dobbins joined him there. After Pitino was fired, Conroy landed at Vanderbilt and Dobbins transferred there.

Robbins struggled with the Commodores last year, but is now averaging 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per contest this season. He’s shooting 57.7 percent from the field.

Dobbins had 20 points in the overtime loss at Temple, and he has 20 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks in the 67-59 win over Fresno State on Nov. 24. He has had at least three blocks in five games this season.

NC State redshirt junior center D.J. Burns is averaging 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game this season. The former Tennessee and Winthrop player has scored in double figures in five games this season. He’s coming off getting benched in the second half against Furman last Tuesday.

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