Vanderbilt is having a stellar season. They are tied for third in the SEC and have also won five of their last six games. Still, Vanderbilt has been missing two star players as of late. There was hope that Duke Miles and Frankie Collins could return from injury soon.
Now, it is being reported that the duo will miss at least one more game, as they have been declared out of the lineup on Wednesday night against Missouri, according to the SEC availability report.
Miles has been a major producer for Vandy this year, with 16.6 points per game, plus three rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. He has not played since Jan. 24 against Mississippi State, when he had seven steals in the game. Head coach Mark Byington had been optimistic that a return for the guard would be soon.
“Duke’s attacking his rehab. He’s doing workouts and things like that. He’s competitive. He wants to get back as being a great teammate. I think we’ll have him back soon,” Byington said. “It’s hard to give a timetable, but I think within a week or two for sure.”
Meanwhile, Frankie Collins has not played since Dec. 17 against Memphis. He is averaging 7.8 points per game while also having 4.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He has a meniscus injury, which has limited him to nine games this year. After needing surgery, the expectation was to have him back in four to six weeks, but it has now been over eight weeks since Collins has been on the court.
Vanderbilt will have to continue to lean on Tyler Tanner to lead the backcourt. He leads the team playing 31.9 minutes per game, with 18.3 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.5 steals.
While the Dores have been short-staffed, Vanderbilt still has a shot in the SEC. They take to the court Wednesday night against Missouri before facing Tennessee on Sunday.
