The injury bug strikes Vanderbilt again.

Sophomore forward Colin Smith is set to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season with an achillies injury, Vanderbilt announced on Tuesday morning.

In a season that was speculated by many to be on in which Smith would breakout, the Texas native will finish it with just seven games played. The sophomore also missed time earlier this season with a concussion.

Smith averaged 7.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and a steal per game in those seven contests before going down without contact in the first half of Vanderbilt's matchup with Texas Tech.

The 6-foot-8 forward was Vanderbilt's starting power forward and likely would've been for the remainder of the season had he been healthy.

Smith wouldn't have just been a starter, he would've been someone that could bridge the gap for Vanderbilt as a four man. The Texas native feels like the Vanderbilt player most capable of guarding and rebounding at the four while also stretching the floor from that position.

The sophomore forward shot nearly 38% from 3-point range last season. Although that mark was below 28% this season, Smith was enough of a threat from beyond the arc to give Vanderbilt some of the best spacing out of any high major team.

To continue that trend, Vanderbilt could look at small-ball lineups featuring guys who are generally wings playing out of position at the four in an effort to spread teams out. More likely, bigger lineups with at least two of Tasos Kamateros, Carter Lang and Ven-Allen Lubin on the floor together could be a path of action for Jerry Stackhouse.

It can't be something that writes off Vanderbilt's 4-6 start, but Vanderbilt will not have its entire roster all available at the same time for a single game this season. Tyrin Lawrence, Ezra Manjon, Ven-Allen Lubin and Smith had all previously missed time with injury while sophomore center Lee Dort missed time early with an injury and is currently suspended indefinitely after his arrest.

It's been a rough few weeks for Vanderbilt on the floor and in terms of the way it's caught the injury bug.

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