Feb. 24, 2012
Dores get another crack at UK | 
Stallings Interview | Ezeli | Tinsley
Vanderbilt, the winner of three straight games, takes their winning streak into one of college basketball’s toughest environments Saturday when the Commodores travel to Rupp Arena to play number one Kentucky. Tip off is at 11 a.m. CT, and the action can be seen live on CBS, who will show the game nationally, and can be heard on the Vanderbilt IMG College Radio Network in middle Tennessee and online at vucommodores.com.
The Commodores are fresh off of a 59-48 win over South Carolina on Wednesday night at Memorial Gym. John Jenkins led all scorers with 21 points, with Festus Ezeli adding 14 points and Lance Goulbourne chipping in 12 points. With the win over the Gamecocks, Vanderbilt reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in the last nine years. It was Coach Stallings’ seventh 20-win season, the most among any Vanderbilt coach. The winningest coach in Vanderbilt history, Roy Skinner, posted six 20-win seasons.
Vanderbilt and Kentucky met two weeks ago at Memorial Gym on February 11 in a game the Wildcats won, 69-63. The Commodores, who lost by two points last season at Rupp Arena, 68-66, have not won at Kentucky since the 2007 campaign.
Series Information
Series Record: Kentucky leads the all-time series, 135-44.
Last Meeting: Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt, 69-63, on Feb. 11, 2012.
Record at Vanderbilt: UK leads 49-26.
Record at UK: UK leads 78-14.
Record at Neutral Site: UK leads 6-3.
Coach Stallings vs. UK: Coach Stallings is 9-17 vs. Kentucky.
Media Information
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com, XM 199
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
TV: CBS
TV Talent: Ian Eagle (pxp), Jim Spanarkel (analyst)
Live Stream: CBSSports.com
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
More On The Kentucky Series
- Saturday’s meeting will be the 180th in the overall series between the two schools. Kentucky leads the overall series, 135-44.
- The first meeting between the two schools came in the 1911-12 season.
- Kentucky leads the all-time series, 78-14, in Lexington. Vanderbilt has not won at Rupp Arena since January 20, 2007 (72-67).
- Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins and Kentucky’s Darius Miller each represented Team USA in the World University Games in the summer of 2011.
- The Commodores have two players from the state of Kentucky – senior Aaron Noll (Fort Mitchell) and redshirt junior Jordan Smart (Lexington, Ky.)
- Coach Stallings is 9-17 all-time against the Wildcats has a 2-11 record against Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
More On Kentucky
Kentucky enters the game Saturday with a 27-1 overall record and a perfect 13-0 mark in the SEC. Anthony Davis leads the team in scoring (13.8), rebounding (9.8), and blocks (4.8). Marquis Teague is the team’s leader in assists with 4.7 per contest.
Quick Hitters
- Vanderbilt is now 10-4 in games with their preseason initial starting lineup of Jenkins, Taylor, Lance Goulbourne, Festus Ezeli, and Brad Tinsley.
- The Commodores sport the leading scorer in all games and in SEC games only in John Jenkins at 20.1 and 19.2 ppg, respectively, and the league’s third-leading scorer in all games (17.3) and second in SEC games only in Jeffery Taylor (17.1). Jenkins also paces the league and nation in threes made at 3.9 per game.
- Jenkins won the SEC player of the Week for his exploits last week against Ole Miss and Georgia. The junior guard averaged 27.0 points per game, and was 81.3 percent from the floor for the week (13-16), 83.3 percent from three (10-12), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (18-21).
- In fact, Jenkins missed more free throws (3) than threes (2) last week.
- Jenkins has scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games, and is averaging 25.0 ppg in that span.
- With the win over the Gamecocks, Vanderbilt reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in the last nine years. It was Coach Stallings’ seventh 20-win season, the most among any Vanderbilt coach. The winningest coach in Vanderbilt history, Roy Skinner, posted six 20-win seasons.
- With the win over South Carolina, the Commodores clinched their third straight winning SEC record for first time since having five straight from 1972-1976.
- In his playing and coaching career, Stallings now has 24 20-win campaigns.
- Jenkins has scored in double-digits in 61 consecutive games, 80 in his career.
- Taylor paces the SEC in league games only in 3FG % at 52.5 (32-61)%.
- Jenkins is trying to lead the SEC in scoring in consecutive seasons for first time since 1995 and 1996, when LSU’s Ronnie Henderson accomplished the feat.
- Taylor is fourth in the SEC in field-goal percentage (.524), and has made more field goals than any other player in the SEC (174).
- Jeffery Taylor (174) and John Jenkins (173) lead the league in field goals made for the season.
- VU’s starting five has amassed 416 career starts.
- Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC that sports three 1,000-point scorers in John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor, and Brad Tinsley.
- Jenkins leads the league in all games in scoring (20.1), free throw percentage (.852) and threes made (3.9). In league games only, Jenkins leads in scoring (19.2), threes made (3.8) and free throw percentage (.885).
- In league games only, Tinsley is second in the league in assists (4.9) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6).
- Taylor won SEC POTW honors for his play against UT and MTSU two weeks ago (20 ppg, 7.5 rpg).
- Jeffery Taylor is third on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list and leads all active scorers in the SEC with 1,800 career points.
- With his three 3FGs against South Carolina, Jenkins has scored at least 3 3FGs in 23 games this season.
- Rupp Arena is the only arena Vanderbilt’s senior class has not won in.
Record Against Kentucky When Wildcats Are #1
The Commodores have faced Kentucky 15 times when the Wildcats were number one, and have a 4-11 record against UK in those games. VU is 3-5 in games played at Memorial, 1-0 in neutral site games, and 0-6 in games played in Lexington.
Coach Stallings Wins 20 Games For Seventh Time In Nine Years
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings won his 20th game against South Carolina on February 22, marking the seventh time in the last nine years he has accomplished the feat. Stallings is now Vanderbilt’s all-time leader in 20-win seasons. The Commodore mentor is in his 13th season and is Vanderbilt’s second winningest coach in Commodore history with 256 career victories. Overall, Stallings is in his 18th season and has a career record of 379-219.
20-Win Seasons And The SEC
The Commodores’ seven 20-win seasons in the last nine years is only third to Florida, who has had nine, and Kentucky, who has had eight. Other school totals: Miss. St. (6), Tennessee (5), Ole Miss (4), S. Carolina (4), LSU (3), Alabama (3), Arkansas (3), Auburn (1), Georgia (1).
