March 7, 2012
Vanderbilt Gamenotes | 
Tuesday Interviews | 
Stallings on 104.5
The Commodores will travel to New Orleans this weekend to participate in their 51st SEC Tournament when it takes on either Georgia or Mississippi State Friday night at the New Orleans Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network, and the action can be heard live on the Vanderbilt IMG College Radio Network in the middle Tennessee are or online at vucommodores.com.
Vanderbilt, who finished its regular season at 21-10 and 10-6 in league play, has advanced to two consecutive SEC semifinals, but has only made the finals once, and that came in 1951 when the Commodores won their only SEC Tournament championship over Kentucky.
Media Information
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com, XM 199, Sirius 220
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
TV: SEC Network SEC Network Affiliates
TV Talent: Dave Neal (pxp), Kara Lawson (analyst), Shannon Spake (sidelines)
Live Stream: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Vanderbilt And The SEC Tournament
Vanderbilt will be the #3 seed at the 2012 SEC Tournament in New Orleans at the New Orleans Arena. This will be the first time since the league expanded to 12 teams in 1992 that the tournament seeds will not be designated by divisions.
Vanderbilt owns a 32-49 all-time mark at the SEC Tournament. The Commodores won two games and lost one at the 2011 tournament – Vanderbilt knocked off LSU, 62-50, in the first round, and Mississippi State, 87-81, in the quarterfinals before falling to Florida, 77-66, in the semifinals.
Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament record against each opponent follows: Alabama (4-4), Arkansas (0-3), Auburn (2-6), LSU (4-6), Ole Miss (2-3), Mississippi State (8-5), Florida (2-6), Georgia (5-1), Kentucky (3-4), South Carolina (0-0), Tennessee (1-7).
The SEC Tournament In New Orleans
The SEC Tournament returns to New Orleans this week for the third time in tournament history and the first time since 2003. It also is the first tournament in the New Orleans Arena – the two previous tournaments were in the Superdome. Vanderbilt is 1-2 in tournament games played in New Orleans (0-1 in 1996, 1-1 in 2003).
Stallings At The SEC Tournament
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 7-11 all-time at the SEC Tournament, and has advanced to the semifinals three times during his 13-year tenure. The Commodores advanced to the semifinals in 2004 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and in the two last seasons at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville (2010) and the Georgia Dome in 2011.
Vanderbilt As A #3 Seed
The Commodores have been an overall number three seed twice at the SEC Tournament, all before the league expanded to 12 teams in 1991-92, when the SEC determined seeds by division. Vanderbilt was a three seed in the 1979 tournament, and lost to Auburn, 59-53, and split a pair of games as the three seed in 1989, defeating Kentucky, 77-63, and dropping an 83-79 decision to Alabama.
The Georgia Series
(VU Leads 5-1 at the SEC Tourney)
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 86-48 and owns a 53-13 advantage in Nashville. Georgia leads the series 32-28 in Athens. Vanderbilt enjoys a 5-3 lead at neutral sites … Vanderbilt swept the season series, winning 77-66 in Nashville (1/14) and 61-52 in Athens (2/19)… Vanderbilt won the last meeting at the SEC Tournament between the two schools in 2010, 78-66 in a quarterfinal game… Kevin Stallings is 16-10 against Georgia.
The Mississippi State Series
(VU leads 8-5 at SEC Tourney)
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 74-44, including a 44-9 advantage in Nashville and a 8-5 lead at neutral sites. Mississippi State leads 31-22 in Starkville… Mississippi State won an overtime meeting, 78-77, on Jan. 21 at Memorial Gym … Vanderbilt defeated Miss. State in last year’s SEC Quarterfinals, 87-81, in the two teams’ last meeting at the tournament… VU’s Kevin Stallings is 7-9 all-time against Mississippi State.
Jenkins, Taylor Make All-SEC First Team
Junior guard John Jenkins and senior forward Jeffery Taylor were named as first-team All-SEC selections by the league’s coaches, and Taylor was also named to the All-SEC Defensive Team. Jenkins and Taylor’s selections marks the first time Vanderbilt has had two First Team All-SEC picks since Barry Goheen and Frank Kornet in 1989. Overall, it’s the eighth time in school history Vanderbilt has had two first-team All-SEC selections in a year.
The award is Jenkins’ second first-team selection (other was in 2011), and his fourth end-of-the-year honor from the SEC. Jenkins was named to the All-Freshman team in 2010 and was also named the league’s sixth man of the year in 2010. Jenkins is the first player to be selected to the league’s first team in consecutive seasons since Billy McCaffrey in 1993 and 1994.
Taylor’s first-team honor is his first of his Vanderbilt career. The senior forward was named to the All-Freshman team in 2009, and the All-SEC second team in 2010 and 2011. Taylor’s selection to the All-Defensive team is the third time he has been named to the team. He joins Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado as the only player to be named to three teams.
John Jenkins Quick Facts
- Jenkins has made 118 threes this year, which is the second-best single-season total in VU history, behind Shan Foster’s SEC-Best 134 (2008). It now ties for the second-best single season total in SEC history with Tennessee great Chris Lofton, who also made 118 in 2008.
- Jenkins led the SEC in scoring in two consecutive seasons for first time since 1995 and 1996, when LSU’s Ronnie Henderson accomplished the feat.
- If Jenkins’ season ended against Tennessee Saturday, he would have the second-best 3-point FG percentage in SEC history at 44.8%. He only trials former VU great Barry Booker on that list (46.0%).
- Jenkins has scored in double-digits in 64 consecutive games, 83 in his career.
- Jenkins leads the league in all games in scoring (20.0), and threes made (3.9). In league games only, Jenkins finished the year as the league leader in scoring (19.3) and threes made (3.9), and was second in free throw percentage (.875).
- With his three 3FGs against Tennessee, Jenkins has scored at least 3 3FGs in 26 games this season. He has made six or more in three games this year.
Jeffery Taylor Quick Facts
- Jeffery Taylor is third on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list and leads all active scorers in the SEC with 1,847 career points.
- Taylor finished the season second in league games only in 3FG % at 48.8 (39-80)%.
- Jeffery Taylor (191) and John Jenkins (191) lead the league in field goals made for the season.
- Taylor is fourth in the SEC in field-goal percentage (.512) in all games, and finished fifth in league games only with a 49.5%
- Taylor also finished third in the SEC in league games only in threes made (2.4).
- Taylor is the only player in school history to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounds, and steals.
