Here's a look at Vanderbilt's non-conference basketball opponents as well as potential opponents.

Today, we start with the teams that have a chance to make either the NCAA tournament or NIT. Teams are ranked in order from toughest to easiest according to Ken Pomeroy's preseason ratings.

Loyola-Chicago, Dec. 10 (26-5, 16-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference last year)

KenPom preseason No. 32

MVC predictions (11 teams): 1st (Lindy's), 2nd (Blue Ribbon, league poll), 3rd (Athlon)

Last year's coach Porter Moser is now at Oklahoma, leaving four-year Rambler assistant Drew Valentine to take over after four-straight 20-win seasons and a Final Four appearance four seasons ago. MVC Player of the Year Cameron Krutwig is also gone.

The Ramblers have eight returning players, led by last year's MVC Defensive Player of the Year in guard Lucas Williamson (8.8 ppg). Point guard Braden Norris (8.5 ppg, 3.2 apg) and guard Keith Clemons (7.5 ppg) hit 41 and 44% of their 3-pointers, respectively. Loyola also added a pair of double-digit scoring transfers in forwards Ryan Schweiger (10.7 ppg at Princeton) and Chris Knight (14.8 ppg at Dartmouth).

Joe Lunardi has the Ramblers as an 11-seed in his latest Bracketology.

vs. BYU, possible opponent in Hawaii on Dec. 23 (20-7, 1-3 in the West Coast Conference)

KenPom preseason No. 38

WCC predictions (10 teams): 2nd (Ath, BR, league), 3rd (Lin)

Former Kentucky player Mark Pope's had a great two years at BYU, leading the team to a 44-15 mark and an NCAA tournament bid last season.

All-WCC guard Alex Barcello (16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.0 spg) was BYU's best player, and he's back. He's a career 48.2% 3-point shooter in two years at BYU after leaving Arizona. He'll have returnees Caleb Lohner (7.0 ppg) and Trevin Knell (6.1 ppg) and 6-11 Richard Harward (6.1 ppg) returning alongside him. The Cougars also added two impact transfers in point guard Te'Jon Lucas (14.9 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.6 rpg at Milwaukee) and Seneca Knight (17.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg at San Jose St.).

Athlon has BYU as a 10-seed for the NCAA tournament, while Lunardi places BYU as a 12-seed.

at SMU, Dec. 4 (11-6, 7-4 in the American Athletic Conference)

KenPom preseason No. 60

AAC predictions (11 teams): 3rd (Ath, BR, league), 4th (Lin)

Former Vanderbilt assistant Tim Jankovich has done a nice job in Dallas, going 101-55 in six years despite NCAA sanctions in the midst of his tenure. The Mustangs lost seven of their 10 rotation players from a year ago.

However, the two returnees are big ones. All-AAC guard Kendric Davis (19.0 ppg, 7.6 apg, 4.2 rpg) led the country in assist rate (46.4%) a season ago and had five double-doubles while Emmanuel Bandoumel (10.2 ppg) can get to the basket and make clutch shots. Six-foot-10 center Isaiah Jasey (3.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg) also returns. SMU also landed the nation's No. 36 recruiting class as well as several impact transfers, including former Southland Conference Player of the Year Zach Nutall (19.3 ppg at Sam Houston St.), second-team All-A10 forward Marcus Weathers (15.3 ppg at Duquesne), Michael Weathers (16.5 ppg at Texas Southern) and Tristan Clark (4.0 ppg at Baylor).

vs. South Florida, possible opponent in Hawaii on Dec. 23 (9-13, 4-10 in the American Athletic Conference)

KenPom preseason No. 61

AAC predictions: 7th (BR), 9th (Ath, league)

Coach Brian Gregory is a respectable 57-66 in four years at USF, including a 24-14 mark with a CBI title in 2018-19. However, five key players from last year's team have transferred.

However, Gregory brought in seven transfers in return, including three double-figure scorers in Jake Boggs (10.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg at UNC-Wilmington), Javon Greene (11.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg at George Mason) and Sam Hines (10.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg at Denver), in addition to Corey Walker Jr., a former four-star recruit at Tennessee. Second-year guard Caleb Murphy (8.3 ppg, 2.9 apg) is the top returning player, though he spent some of last year injured.

vs. Stanford, possible opponent in Hawaii on Dec. 24 (14-13, 10-10 in the Pac-10)

KenPom preseason No. 68

Pac-12 (12 teams): 8th (Lin), 9th (Ath, league), 10th (BR)

Coach Jerrod Haase is 82-74 in five years at Stanford at a program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2014.

Forward Jaden Dearie (12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg) is the best returnee; the 6-foot-9 senior was voted the Pac 12's Most Improved Player last season. Spencer Jones (8.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), who led the team with 28.3 minutes per game, is also back. The Cardinal also return their point guard, sophomore Michael O'Connell (6.7 ppg, 2.8 apg), who handed out 68 assists to 37 turnovers. Stanford also adds the country's No. 23 recruiting class, led by five-star Harrison Ingram.

Liberty, possible opponent in Hawaii on Dec. 24 (23-6, 11-2 in the Atlantic Sun Conference)

KenPom preseason No. 97

A-Sun predictions (12 teams): Unanimous first-place

Coach Ritchie McKay is one of the country's best mid-major coaches, where he's won at least 20 games in six of his past seven seasons in Lynchburg. That included a 30-4 season in 2019-20 and an NCAA tournament bid last season.

Guard Darius McGhee (15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg), who has a 48-inch vertical leap, is the returning A-Sun Player of the Year. Starters Blake Preston (9.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Kyle Rode (7.4 ppg) are back, as is sixth-man Keegan McDowell (6.8 ppg). The Flames also have high hopes for second-year guard Drake Dobbs (3.9 ppg). Liberty runs the pack line defense, which always makes the Flames a tough matchup.

Liberty is picked as a 13-seed in the NCAA tournament by both Athlon and Lunardi.

VCU, Nov. 17 (19-7, 10-4 in the Atlantic 10)

KenPom preseason No. 98

A10 predictions: 3rd (Ath, BR, Lin), 4th (league)

Coach Mike Rhodes is 80-41 since taking over for Shaka Smart. The Rams earned a 10-seed in last year's NCAA tournament, but couldn't play due to positive COVID-19 tests within the team.

The Rams will probably be without point guard Ace Baldwin (6.7 ppg, 4.4 apg), who ruptured his Achilles' tendon in the offseason and didn't play in the Rams' exhibition win over Virginia State. But third-team All-A10 guard Vince Williams (10.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is back, as is Levi Stockard III (6.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Hason Ward (6.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg). VCU also added a pair of key transfers in Marcus Tsohinis (10.4 ppg at Washington) and Jimmy Hichols Jr. (6.1 ppg at Providence).