March 25, 2015
In 2015, Vanderbilt attempted to match what it accomplished exactly 25 years ago this month by winning a NIT title in 1990. Eddie Fogler was in his first year coaching the Commodores, replacing C.M. Newton, who coached at Vanderbilt for eight years, but resigned to take the Kentucky athletic director’s position.
Vanderbilt finished the 1989-90 regular season with a 16-14 record and a seventh-place tie in the SEC at 7-11. Leading the Commodores that season were senior captains Eric Reid and Derrick Wilcox, with junior guard Scott Draud the squad’s leading scorer at 15.6 points per game. Draud redshirted after his sophomore season (1988-89), seeking more playing time due to a surplus of outstanding guard play that included Wilcox, Barry Booker and Barry Goheen.
The Vanderbilt 1989-90 roster also included Todd Milholland, Morgan Wheat, Steve Grant, Dan Hall, Charles Mayes, Kevin Anglin, Willie Daunic, Alberto Ballestra, Robbie Graham and Kevin Ogilby.
This was the 53rd annual NIT. These are the games that led the Commodores to a championship:
March 16 — The first matchup was played in Memorial Gym against Louisiana Tech. It would take a Memorial Magic night in the Commodores’ 98-90 overtime victory with 6,659 in attendance. Tech, coached by Jerry Lloyd, brought into the game a 20-7 record and led by 13 points at halftime, 40-27. After Louisiana Tech increased its advantage to 15 in the second half, Vanderbilt cut the lead to seven. But Tech went on a stretch that upped the lead to 17 points at the 12:35 mark.
Vanderbilt worked the score to within six points, but, again, Tech pulled away to a 71-58 lead with 7:20 to play. Then the Commodores made their final run. Grant made a basket that was followed by a Reid jumper to knot the game 78-78 with 1:59 remaining. With one minute left, Tech hit a pair of free throws for a two-point lead. With 13 seconds left, Draud sank a jumper to send the game into overtime at 80-80.
Draud recorded the first points in overtime, a 3-pointer, and the Commodores never trailed again. Draud led with 22 points (nine in overtime) with Wilcox and Reid each scoring 17, Wheat 11 and Milholland 10. Reid collected 11 rebounds. Anglin, a freshman, scored five points in the game with two huge baskets in overtime. He also contributed 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
March 19 — Another night of Memorial Magic came against rival Tennessee before 15,087 fans. First-year Vols coach Wade Houston was displeased that the game was not played in spacious Thompson-Boling Arena. Yet another comeback from a 17-point deficit enabled the Commodores to muster an 89-85 victory in the second round. The halftime score was 47-31.
Wilcox scored a career-high 26 points that included 11 of the last 15 Commodore points. Milholland added 18 coming off the bench and a team-high seven rebounds. Anglin collected 11 points while Grant and Reid each recorded 10 points. Draud chipped in nine points.
A Grant dunk opened the second-half scoring that started a 21-4 run for the Commodores. Milholland gave the ‘Dores its first lead since the opening bucket with a 3-pointer (52-51) at the 12:33 mark. Both teams exchanged leads going down to the final minutes. The Commodores took a seven-point lead (60-53), but Carlos Groves put the Vols ahead at 61-60 with two free throws and 9:13 remaining. Wilcox bagged a jumper to put the Commodores on top to stay, 78-77, with 2:22 on the clock and followed with a 3-pointer that iced the contest. Tennessee’s Alan Houston was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points.
March 21 — Round three would bring music blaring in Memorial Gym from the song “New York, New York” after Vanderbilt confirmed its reservations to the Big Apple. This game against New Orleans was much different than the first two where Vanderbilt had to erase 17-point deficits. This time the Commodores rolled to an 88-65 victory in front of 10,646 fans.
Draud scored a team-high 19 points (12-of-14 from the free throw line) with Wilcox 14, Milholland 12 and Grant 11. Vanderbilt controlled the boards 38-18. Privateers coach Tim Floyd collected two technical fouls in the first three minutes of the first half. And midway in the half, Vanderbilt went on a 10-1 run to gain a 37-28 halftime lead. Reid and Milholland each collected eight rebounds. Reid and Wilcox played their final game in Memorial Gym.
Said Fogler, a native New Yorker, “The NIT is a great tournament and New York is special to me. It probably means a little more to me than to the rest of the people in our dressing room. They (New Orleans) play aggressively and get in your pants. They’re a scrappy team, hard to play. I dreaded playing that style. We continue to play well. We’re a confident team and we’re on a roll right now.”
March 26 — Vanderbilt played Penn State (24-8) in the opening round of the NIT Final Four. Penn State had beaten Marquette (57-54), Maryland (80-78) and Rutgers (58-55). The Nittany Lions were coached by Bruce Parkhill. The usual starting line-up for the Commodores was Draud and Wilcox at guards, guard/forward Anglin, Grant at forward and Reid holding down the center position. Milholland, Mayes and Wheat were the top subs off the bench.
Larry Woody, writer for the Tennessean wrote “Vanderbilt last night swapped the magic of Memorial Gym for the mystique of Madison Square Garden and never missed a beat. The Commodores calmly continued the most remarkable march in the school’s basketball history with a 75-62 victory over Penn State in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals.”
The game was played before 9,204 fans and this was Vanderbilt’s first visit to the historic arena in 41 years. Vanderbilt jumped off to a great start with Wilcox and Draud collecting five 3-pointers in the first six minutes. The Commodores held a 17-9 advantage, but lost the lead, as Penn State jumped in front 24-23 with 6:49 remaining. Wheat was fouled on a made lay-up and converted the free throw and Vandy never trailed again. VU held a halftime lead at 38-31.
In the second half the Commodores pushed the lead to 19 points (62-43) with 7:30 remaining. From that point, Vanderbilt did not record a field goal,with their final 13 points coming from the free-throw line. Draud was the game’s top scorer with 20. Wheat and Milholland each collected 13 and 11 points respectively, while Wilcox added 10. Grant had a game-high 11 rebounds.
“It’s certainly a thrill for our team and our university,” said Fogler. “Playing in the finals is something special. Doing it here in New York makes it even better.”
Added Draud: “Getting a chance to play for a national championship is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We want to take advantage of it.”
March 28 — The Commodores are the 1990 NIT champions! When it was all over the Commodores were the victors, 74-72 over St. Louis with 12,198 in attendance. The Commodores were up 31-28 at halftime, but allowed a 17-point lead to dissolve midway in the second half after the 10:30 mark. The Billikens used a barrage of 3-pointers to cut their opponent’s lead to 64-62 with 3:48 remaining. With Vanderbilt up 67-65 with 57 seconds on the clock, St. Louis missed a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Wheat connected on a pair of free throws to widen the Commodores’ lead 71-66 with 38 seconds left. But a quick Billikens’ 3-pointer cut the lead to 71-69. The game finished with Anglin hitting two free throws, a St. Louis turnover, and one free throw by Wilcox that iced the game, 74-69. A Billikens’ trey at the buzzer accounted for the final score, 74-72.
Draud totaled 15 points and was named the tournament’s MVP. Wilcox was the Commodores’ top scorer (16) as Wheat registered 13 and Milholland added nine. The Commodores were 21-of-27 from the free throw line and 9-of-17 from beyond the 3-point arc. St. Louis was 8-of-12 in 3-pointers to hang around.
Vanderbilt finished the season 21-14 and won eight of its last nine games including seven in postseason (two in the SEC Tournament and five in the NIT). St. Louis defeated New Mexico (80-73) for third place.
“What a thrill–a national championship,” declared Wilcox.
“We just never gave up–that’s the story of this season,” said Wheat.
“Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable,” shouted Draud.
“That’s the difference in our team now and a month ago,” exclaimed Anglin. “A month ago we wouldn’t have hung in and won it.”
“We got here by coming back twice from 17-point deficits (against Louisiana Tech and Tennessee), then we get here and led by 17 and almost give it away,” Fogler said. “It would’ve been kind of ironic, wouldn’t it?”
Traughber’s Tidbit: Vanderbilt is currently making its 12th appearance in the NIT. Other appearances have come in 1983, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006. The Commodores have a 20-11 overall record (including victories over St. Mary’s and South Dakota State this year, and a season-ending loss to Stanford on Tuesday) in the tournament while capturing the 1990 title and runner-up in 1994.
If you have any comments or suggestions contact Bill Traughber via email WLTraughber@aol.com.
