Overview
- Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena with streaming on ESPN+, while YouTube TV subscribers currently lack ESPN access due to an unresolved Disney carriage dispute.
- UCF enters 1-0 after an 82-78 win over Hofstra, highlighting late-game execution needs and 22-for-36 free-throw shooting as areas for improvement.
- The Knights are integrating 11 transfers and two freshmen as coach Johnny Dawkins prioritizes chemistry ahead of a demanding Big 12 schedule.
- Vanderbilt opened 105-61 over Lipscomb by hitting 17 of 31 threes, forcing 18 turnovers, and showcasing a deep rotation without a single go-to scorer.
- Forward Mason Nicholson remains sidelined with a return target of about a week, and local previews lean toward Vanderbilt in score predictions.