March 11, 2015
Vanderbilt Gamenotes
| Tennessee Gamenotes
Vanderbilt opens the 2015 SEC Tournament this Thursday night at the Bridgestone Arena when the Commodores take on Tennessee in the second round. The game tips off at 6 p.m. CT, and will be televised on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Vanderbilt IMG College Radio Network throughout Middle Tennessee.
Vanderbilt, the number seven seed in this week’s tournament, and Tennessee, the ten seed, will meet for the third time this season, with each team winning on the other team’s home floor. Tennessee won a 76-73 overtime decision on Feb. 11 in Nashville, and Vanderbilt won 73-65 in Knoxville on Feb. 26.
Vanderbilt has now won five consecutive games and out of their last 10 after knocking off Ole Miss, 86-77, Saturday night in Oxford. Vanderbilt blistered the nets in Oxford, making 54.5% of its shots from the field and 56.5% of their shots from three. On the night, the Commodores tied a season high with 13 threes. Vanderbilt is now 10-1 in games in which they shoot 50% or better, and Saturday’s game was their second consecutive game shooting 50% and their third in the last four games.
During the five-game winning streak, the Commodores have had five players average double figures (Wade Baldwin IV – 13.4; Riley LaChance – 11.8; Luke Kornet – 11.6; Damian Jones – 11.4; Matthew Fisher-Davis – 11.0). The Commodores are shooting 50.8% in that stretch from the floor and 50.9% from three (55-108). Vanderbilt’s five-game winning streak heading into the SEC Tournament is the program’s longest since 1993, when the Commodores were regular season champions.
Game 32/Vanderbilt (19-12, 9-9 SEC) vs. Tennessee (15-15, 7-11 SEC)
Nashville, Tenn. – Bridgestone Arena – 6 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
TV Talent: Dave Neal (pxp), Darrin Horn (analyst), Kaylee Hartung (sidelines)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 93, XM 190
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Series Information
Series Record: Tennessee leads, 115-72.
Last Meeting: VU win, 73-65, on 3/7/15 in Knoxville.
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads, 53-39.
Record at UT: UT leads, 70-18.
Record at Neutral Site: UT leads, 6-1.
Coach Stallings vs. UT: Coach Stallings is 14-19 vs. Tennessee.
About Tennessee
Tennessee enters the game with a 15-15 overall record and as the number 10 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Josh Richardson leads the Volunteers in scoring with 15.6 points per contest. Armani Moore (10.8) and Kevin Punter (10.2) are also averaging double figures. Richardson was named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches earlier this week.
The two teams have met seven times in the SEC Tournament, with Tennessee holding a 6-1 advantage in the tournament. The Volunteers won the last meeting in the tournament on March 5, 1987, in Atlanta, 75-57.
Vanderbilt and the SEC Tournament
Vanderbilt will be the #7 seed at the 2015 SEC Tournament in Bridgestone Arena. It is the fifth time Vanderbilt has been the seven seed (4-5 record), but the first time since the league went away from divisions in 2012.
Vanderbilt owns a 37-51 all-time mark at the SEC Tournament. The Commodores won their first SEC Tournament crown in 2012 for the first time since 1951 in a 71-64 win over #1-ranked Kentucky in New Orleans.
In all, Vanderbilt is making its 54th appearance in the SEC Tournament. VU has reached the semifinals 13 times, including four of the last five years, and the finals twice. VU’s two trips to the finals have both resulted in SEC Tournament Titles, which came in 1951 with a 61-57 win over Kentucky and in 2012 in a 71-64 win over the Wildcats.
Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament record against each opponent follows: Alabama (4-4), Arkansas (1-3), Auburn (2-6), LSU (4-6), Ole Miss (3-4), Mississippi State (8-6), Missouri (0-0), Florida (2-6), Georgia (6-1), Kentucky (5-4), South Carolina (0-0), Tennessee (1-6), Texas A&M (0-0).
The SEC Tournament in Nashville
The SEC Tournament returns to Nashville this week for the seventh time in tournament history and the first time since 2013. The Commodores have hosted the tournament at Memorial Gym twice in 1984 (1-1) and 1991 (0-1), and the event has been held at the now-Bridgestone Arena in 2001 (0-1), 2006 (1-1), 2010 (1-1), and 2013 (2-1). All-time in games played in Nashville, the Commodores in 5-6.
Coach Stallings at the SEC Tournament
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 12-13 all-time at the SEC Tournament, and has advanced to the semifinals five times and the finals once during his previous 15 trips. The Commodores advanced to the semifinals in 2004 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and four of the last five seasons at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville (2010, 2013), the Georgia Dome in 2011, and the New Orleans Arena in 2012. His Commodore team made the finals and won the tournament championship in 2012.
Three-Point Barrage
In Vanderbilt’s last five victories, the Commodores have combined to make 55-108 from beyond-the-arc (50.9%). Matthew Fisher-Davis has made 15 (15-36, 41.7%), Luke Kornet 14 (14-21, 66.7%), Wade Baldwin IV 13 (13-19, 68.4%), Riley LaChance 10 (10-23, 43.5%), Jeff Roberson 2 (2-3, 66.7%), and James Siakam one (1-1, 100%). LaChance is sixth in the SEC in three’s made (2.0), while Fisher-Davis is seventh (1.9).
More Three News
Wade Baldwin IV, Matthew Fisher-Davis, Luke Kornet, and Jeff Roberson are all shooting over 40% from three for the season (10 makes or more), making 2014-15 only the third year since the inception of the three-point line VU has had 4+ players above the 40% mark. Riley LaChance is barely off the pace at 39.7%. In 1987-88, five Commodores – Barry Goheen, Barry Booker, Charles Mayes, Scott Draud, and Derrick Wilcox shot above 40%, the most in program history.
All-SEC
Vanderbilt sophomore center Damian Jones was named to the All-SEC 1st Team and the All-Defensive Team, while freshmen Wade Baldwin IV and Riley LaChance were honored on the All-Freshman Team in an announcement made by the SEC Office on Tuesday.
The trio become the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th selections, respectively, to be honored as an All-SEC team member of the Kevin Stallings’ era, while Jones’ first-team honor is the program’s 56th selection since 1949 and the first since 2012 when John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor were named to the team. Baldwin IV and LaChance became Vanderbilt’s 13th and 14th selections on the All-Freshman team.
Baldwin and LaChance’s selection to the All-Freshman Team marks the first time Vanderbilt has had two players on the team in the same season.
Halftime Deficits
The Commodores have trailed at the half in its last three games, and have come back to win all three games. In those three games, VU has outscored opponents 134-83 (+51) in the process in the 2nd half. Vanderbilt is 7-7 in games in which they have trailed at the half, and the seven wins is the most by a Commodores team when trailing at the half since the 2010-11 team won eight games.
Stallings Now Has 311 Vanderbilt Wins, Moves Past Tubby Smith For Sixth On Wins List
Head Coach Kevin Stallings, the school’s all-time winningest coach, is in his 16th season with the Commodores and 21st overall as a head coach. Stallings has 311 career wins at Vanderbilt and 434 overall as a head coach. He has seven 20-win seasons in the last 10 seasons, with six NCAA tournament appearances and two Sweet 16’s (2004 and 2007). He is also one of five SEC coaches to win 300 or more games at one institution, joining Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, Florida’s Billy Donovan, and LSU’s Dale Brown and Harry Rabenhorst, and is now in 6th place all-time on the SEC wins list after surpassing Tubby Smith after the Alabama win at Memorial Gym.
Close Losses
The Commodores’ largest margin of defeat in league play was a 12-point decision at Arkansas. Two of the losses have come in overtime (LSU, Tennessee), and three others have come by three points or less (Georgia, at Miss. State, at Florida). Vanderbilt is six points away from a 10-game win streak (OT loss vs. Tenn., 76-73; 50-47 loss at Florida).
Current 10-Game Stretch Ties a Stallings-Best
This year’s record over final 10 games ties for the best mark under Coach Stallings. The Commodores were also 8-2 in 07-08.
Basketball Finishes in the Regular Season
2014-2015: won 8 of last 10 games
2013-2014: won 3 of last 10 games
2012-2013: won 6 of last 10 games
2011-2012: won 5 of last 10 games
2010-2011: won 6 of last 10 games
2009-2010: won 7 of last 10 games
2008-2009: won 7 of last 10 games
2007-2008: won 8 of last 10 games
2006-2007: won 6 of last 10 games
2005-2006: won 4 of last 10 games
2004-2005: won 6 of last 10 games
2003-2004: won 6 of last 10 games
2002-2003: won 1 of last 10 games
2001-2002: won 3 of last 10 games
2000-2001: won 2 of last 10 games
1999-2000: won 5 of last 10 games
Baldwin Playing Well
Wade Baldwin leads all SEC freshmen in assists, and is 5th in the SEC in assists (4.4) in all games, finished 4th in SEC games only (4.4) and 3rd in A/TO ratio (2.2) in all games. He is also 6th in steals in all games (1.4) and finished fifth in SEC games only (1.7). Baldwin already has more steals (45) than last year’s season leader, and as of late, has been scoring the ball. In his last five games, Baldwin is averaging 13.4 ppg. Vanderbilt is 11-2 in games in which he scores in double figures.
Damian Jones leads Commodores
Sophomore post player Damian Jones is having a stellar sophomore campaign, averaging 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. Jones, recently named to the All-SEC first team, has scored 20+ points in six games this year and is second in the SEC in field goal percentage (.548), 3rd in blocks (2.0), and 10th in scoring.
LaChance leads all SEC Freshmen
Freshman Riley LaChance, recently named to the All-Freshman team, is the leading freshman scorer in the SEC at 12.5points per game in all games. He also leads all SEC freshmen in three’s made per contest at 2.0 per game, which is sixth in the conference overall. LaChance has won four SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his play this season, which is a new program record. Earlier this year, he poured in two consecutive 26-point games against Purdue and Western Carolina, and has three 20+ point games this season. In all, he has scored in double figures in 22 contests.
Siakam one of SEC’s most effective
There are 65 players in the SEC who have played in 650 minutes or more, and James Siakam is at the top of the list for the league’s most efficient player. Siakam’s offensive efficiency rating is currently 63.3% (FGM + .5 (3FG)/FGA), with most of his makes coming around the basket and on offensive putbacks. Against Mississippi State Wednesday, the senior had more offensive rebounds (5) than the entire Bulldog team, and also made the first three of his career. Siakam has 14 double-digit point games and three double-doubles this season.
Baldwin now Vanderbilt Freshman Single-Season Assist Leader
Baldwin IV is now Vanderbilt’s all-time freshman single-season assist leader with 137, surpassing Atiba Prater, who had the all-time freshman single-season assist record with 103 in 1997. Shelton Mitchell is 8th on the list with 89. Baldwin is five assists away from cracking VU’s single-season top 10 list.
Dores 2015 Recruiting Class Ranked 20th by ESPN
Head Coach Kevin Stallings recently signed four players to National Letters of Intent for next season – Djery Baptiste, a 6’11 center from Plano, Texas, Camron Justice, a 6’2 guard from Hindman, Kentucky, Samir Sehic, a 6’9 forward from Cypress, Texas, and Joseph Toye, a 6’7 wing from Chicago, each signed with the Commodores on the first day of the signing period on November 12. The quartet was recently named the 20th-best class in the nation according to ESPN.com.
SEC’s Youngest Backcourt
The Commodores’ freshman backcourt is the youngest in the SEC. In fact, Vanderbilt is the only school in the league to start three freshmen at the three guard spots.
Young Commodores
According to KenPom.com, Vanderbilt is number 347 out of 351 Division I playing schools in terms of experience at 0.72 years. The average years of experience across the 351 schools is 1.67 years.
Three-Point Streak Still Intact
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 927 consecutive games, a streak which began at the inception of the 3-point line in 1986-87. The Commodores rank second only to UNLV for the longest streak in Division I basketball. Vanderbilt, UNLV and Princeton are the only three schools in college basketball to have made at least one 3-pointer in every game played since the 3-point line was implemented.
Frontcourt Height
Vanderbilt’s starting frontline of 7-0, 6-10 & 6-6 is the second tallest in the SEC in terms of average height. Kentucky – 82.3 inches; Vanderbilt – 81.3 inches; LSU – 81.3 inches.
