Dec. 28, 2010
Stallings previews Marquette game
The Vanderbilt Commodores will take on their second Big East foe of the 2010-11 campaign when they welcome Marquette to Memorial Gym on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. CT tip-off. The game can be heard on the Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College and vucommodores.com.
ESPN2 will have the television broadcast of the game, with Clay Matvick and Mark Gottfried on the call.
Series Info: Marquette leads the all-time series, 3-1. Marquette leads 1-0 in games played in Nashville; Series is tied 1-1 in games played at Marquette; Marquette leads 1-0 in game played on a neutral floor.
Last Meeting: Marquette defeated Vanderbilt, 69-61, on March 14, 1974, in the first round of the NCAA Mideast Regionals in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Head Coaches: Kevin Stallings is in his 12th year at Vanderbilt (222-139) and his 18th overall (344-202). Buzz Williams in his third year at Marquette (56-23) and third year overall.
Radio: Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College (WRQQ – 97.1 FM); vucommodores.com; Sirius 121; XM 141
Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher (13th year); Color: Tim Thompson (10th year)
TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
Play-by-Play: Clay Matvick; Color: Mark Gottfried
Vanderbilt in AP Top 25
The Commodores entered the 2010-11 AP Top 25 for the first time this week at #24. The Commodores were last ranked by the Associated Press at the end of last season (March 15th, 2010), when the Commodores were ranked 21st before the 2010 NCAA Tournament. VU is receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Walker, Goulbourne Status
Junior forward Andre Walker, who has missed the last three games because of a bout with mononucleosis, has practiced since the Christmas break and should see time against Marquette. There is still no word from the NCAA on fellow junior Lance Goulbourne, who missed the MTSU game for accepting an extra benefit. Goulbourne, from Brooklyn, N.Y., also had trouble returning to Nashville after the Blizzard of 2010 hampered most travel out of the New York City area.
About Marquette
Marquette is 9-3 on the 2010-11 season after defeating Mississippi Valley State on December 21 at home.
Jimmy Butler leads the Golden Eagles in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. Darius Johnson-Odom (14.2), Jae Crowder (11.8), and Vander Blue (10.3) also average double figures for Marquette. Butler also leads the team in rebounding with 6.5 per game.
The Marquette Series
The December 29th meeting with Marquette will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Golden Eagles holding a 3-1 series advantage. The last meeting between the two schools came in the 1974 NCAA Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a game Marquette won, 69-61. The last meeting in Nashville came in the 1920-21 campaign – Marquette claimed that meeting, 29-6.
Wednesday’s game with Marquette is the first game of a home-and-home series with the Golden Eagles. Vanderbilt will play in Milwaukee next season.
Stallings Versus Marquette
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings will face Marquette for the first time as a head coach.
Stallings In Non-Conference
Play Entering his 12th season at the helm of the Commodores, Kevin Stallings is 138-47 in non-confernce games and an astounding 101-8 in home non-conference games.
Vanderbilt Vs. The Big East
Vanderbilt is 24-38 all-time against members of the Big East Conference…VU is 0-1 against the league in 2010-11 – West Virginia knocked off the Commodores in the semifinals of the Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Nov. 19, 74-71…The Commodores’ last home game against a Big East opponent came against DePaul on December 5, 2009 – VU won that game, 67-54.
VU Wins 700 At Memorial Gym
The Commodores got their 700th win at Memorial Gym with the win over Belmont on December 4. VU has posted a 701-188 (.788) all-time record at the 59-year old facility. Memorial Gym is the oldest basketball building in use in the Southeastern Conference.
Vanderbilt has won 18 consecutive non-conference games at Memorial, with its last loss coming against UIC on December 3, 2008.
Vanderbilt-Middle Tennessee State Tidbits
Junior forward Jeffery Taylor led four Vanderbilt players in double-figures with 18 points in a 72-53 road win over Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro on December 21. John Jenkins (16), Festus Ezeli (15), and Brad Tinsley (10) also added double-figures, and the Commodores had another stellar defensivie effort, holding the Blue Raiders to 37.0% from the floor.
– With the win, Vanderbilt is now 28-4 all-time against MTSU and 13-4 in games played in Murfreesboro.
– The Commodores improved to 1-1 in true road contests. Tuesday night’s game was Vanderbilt’s last non-conference road trip of the 2010-11 season. VU next ventures on the road in their SEC opener against South Carolina on January 8.
– Four players scored in double-figures, with junior forward Jeffery Taylor leading the way with 18 points. John Jenkins scored 16, Festus Ezeli 15, and Brad Tinsley 10.
– Vanderbilt’s streak of five consecutive games of 50% or better from the floor was snapped against the Blue Raiders. Vanderbilt shot 43.5% from the floor against MTSU.
– The Commodores held MTSU to only 37.1% from the floor, the eighth opponent to shoot 40% or worse from the field. – The 19-point winning margin was the team’s largest on the road since a 30-point win over UMass (78-48) in Amherst on January 3, 2009.
– Vanderbilt was 24-for-36 from the free throw line, the Commodores fourth game of the season with 30 or more free throw attempts.
– VU outrebounded MTSU 36-34 on the night, the eighth time this season Vanderbilt has outrebounded its opponent. The Commodores are 8-0 in those contests.
– Vanderbilt was 8-for-23 from three on the night, compared to 5-for-15 for MTSU. VU has made more threes than all but one of their 2010-11 opponents (Belmont).
– Jeffery Taylor made a three-point basket at the 19:01 mark of the first half, which extended Vanderbilt’s consecutive games streak with a three-pointer to 773 games.
– Ties: 1; Lead changes: 1 – VU largest lead: 25 (2nd half, 2:46).
– VU outscored MTSU 20-18 in the paint, 15-6 off of turnovers, 12-6 in second chance points, and 4-0 in fast break points. MTSU’s bench outscored Vanderbilt’s, 18-10.
Player notes:
– Jeffery Taylor led all Vanderbilt scorers with 18 points, his 54th career double-figure scoring game.
– John Jenkins added 16 points, tied a career-high with two blocks, and set a new career high with three steals.
– Festus Ezeli scored in double-figures for the eighth time this season with 15 points in only 16 minutes of action.
– Joe Duffy tied his career-high in rebounds with five.
– Brad Tinsley scored 10 points and had a new career-high in blocks with two. He also added two assists and two steals.
