July 29, 2015
2015-16 Non-Conference Schedule | 2015-16 Non-Conference Schedule 
The Vanderbilt men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the upcoming season has been completed with what promises to be an exciting and challenging slate for a Commodores’ team that returns four starters from a 2014-15 team that won 21 games and seven out of their last nine and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals.
Head coach Kevin Stallings, entering his 17th season at Vanderbilt, has 11 letterwinners returning to the fold this year, including junior center Damian Jones, who was a first-team All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive team a year ago, and a pair of guards, Wade Baldwin IV and Riley LaChance, who were named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2014-15.
The Commodores, who will begin their season on November 13 against Austin Peay at Memorial Gym, will face off against at least five opponents that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, and could face more at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational November 23-25. Other teams that advanced to the 2015 postseason include Gardner Webb, who advanced to the CBI last season, and Stony Brook and Western Michigan, who each made the CIT in 2015.
“We’re excited to release our non-conference schedule, which is one of the more challenging schedules that we’ve put together since I’ve been here,” said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings. “Our schedule really does have it all – home-and-home games with NCAA Tournament teams, a trip to Maui for three games against some of college basketball’s best teams, and home games against teams that had record-breaking seasons a year ago. Our guys are up to the challenge, and we’re ready for an exciting 2015-16 season.”
Austin Peay
Date: November 13
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads 14-1.
Last meeting: A 58-56 Vanderbilt win on December 17, 2013. The Commodores have won 11 consecutive games in the series, with the first meeting coming in the 1937-38 campaign.
2014-15 Record: 8-22, 3-13 in Ohio Valley Conference
Notes on Austin Peay: Senior Chris Horton is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder after averaging 13.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game…Horton is also APSU’s all-time shot block leader and with his 262 career blocks he is now second in OVC history behind Tennessee Tech’s Lorenzo Coleman (439, 1993-97)…Horton will be one of three Governors starters returning in 2015-16, joining rising sophomore guard Josh Robinson (9.9 ppg, 12.1 ppg OVC), who scored in double figures in 12 of 16 league games, and rising senior guard Khalil Davis (9.8 ppg), who led APSU in assists in six of the final seven games…The game with the Governors will be a part of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational…Former Director of Video Operations and Commodore great Julian Terrell joined the Governors as an assistant coach in July of 2015.
Gardner Webb
Date: November 16
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: First Career Meeting
2014-15 Record: 20-15, 10-8 in Big South Conference
Notes on Gardner Webb: Junior center Tyrell Nelson returns after averaging 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds a year ago…The Bulldogs played in the College Basketball Invitational last season, and lost their first round matchup with Colorado in Boulder, 78-87, on March 18…The Runnin’ Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Tournament for the second time in program history this season, upsetting second-seeded High Point in the quarterfinal round before falling to eventual champion Coastal Carolina.
Stony Brook
Date: November 19
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: First Career Meeting
2014-15 Record: 23-12, 12-4 America East
Notes on Stony Brook: Senior forward Jameel Warney is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 16.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game…Senior guard Carson Puriefoy also returns after averaging 14.4 points and 3.4 assists per game a year ago…Dropped a 51-50 decision to Albany in the America East Championship game, and accepted a bid to the College Basketball Insider Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Mercer, 72-70…Warney, led the country with 24 double doubles in 2014-15, and was the only player in the country to lead his conference in points, rebounds and blocks. The last player to lead his conference in the same categories was Bucknell’s Mike Muscala in 2012-13…Warney was the third player in the history of the America East to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (Tommy Brenton, 2012-13; Marqus Blakely – 2007-08).
Maui Jim Maui Invitational
St. John’s
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: St. John’s leads the all-time series, 5-1.
Last Meeting: St. John’s won a 59-54 decision on November 29, 1977, at Memorial Gym.
2014-15 Record: 21-12, 10-8 Big East
Notes on St. John’s: St. John’s advanced to the 2015 NCAA Tournament and lost their second round match up with San Diego State, 76-64, in Charlotte…Chris Mullin is in his first season as head coach of St. John’s, taking over for Steve Lavin…Junior guard Rysheed Jordan is the team’s leading returning scorer from 2014-15, when he averaged 14.1 points per game.
Indiana
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Indiana leads the all-time series, 6-3.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt won, 67-60, at Assembly Hall on March 16, 2005 in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.
2014-15 Record: 20-14, 9-9 Big Ten
Notes on Indiana: The Hoosiers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, where they lost to Wichita State, 81-76, in Omaha in the second round…Guard Yogi Ferrell returns for his senior season after averaging a team-leading 16.3 points per game…Two other Hoosiers who averaged double figures in 2014-15, sophomore guard James Blackmon Jr. (15.7) and junior forward Troy Williams (13.0) also return…Ferrell was a first-team All-Big Ten member, while Blackmon Jr. was an honorable mention selection.
Wake Forest
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 5-4.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt won, 83-80, on December 5, 2007.
2014-15 Record: 13-19, 5-13 ACC
Notes on Wake Forest: Senior guard Codi Miller-McIntyre is the Demon Deacon’s leading returning scorer from 2014-15 – he averaged 14.5 points per contest a season ago…Senior forward Devin Thomas, who averaged 12.0 points per game a year ago, also returns…Head coach Danny Manning is in his second season at Wake Forest…The two teams have never met on a neutral floor.
UCLA
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt won, 75-71, on November 22, 1995, at the Maui Invitational in the only meeting between the two schools.
2014-15 Record: 22-14, 11-7 Pac 12
Notes on UCLA: The Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2015 before losing to Gonzaga, 74-62…Junior Bryce Alford is the team’s leading returning scorer with 15.4 points per game…The Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in 10 seasons in 2015 … UCLA earned back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances for the first time since making three straight trips to the Final Four in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Kansas
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Series is tied at two.
Last Meeting: Kansas defeated the Commodores, 89-82, in the opening round of the Rainbow Classic on December 29, 1997.
2014-15 Record: 27-9, 13-5 Big 12
Notes on Kansas: The Jayhawks captured their 11th consecutive Big 12 Championship in 2015…Perry Ellis is the team’s leading returning scorer at 13.8 points per game…Coach Stallings was an assistant on Roy Williams’ staff at Kansas from 1988-1993, where he helped lead the Jayhawks to Final Fours in 1991 and 1993…Finished the 2014-15 regular season ranked 10th in the Associated Press.
Chaminade
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 3-0.
Last Meeting: The Commodores knocked off the Silverswords, 68-41, on November 24, 2009, at the Maui Invitational.
2014-15 Record: 12-24, 9-10 PacWest
Notes on Chaminade: The Silverswords, a Division II school, play in the Maui Invitational every season…All three meetings between the two schools have occurred in Maui…Kuany Kuany, a rising junior, is the team’s leading returning scorer with 15.3 points per game.
UNLV
Location: Maui Jim Maui Invitational
All-Time Series Record: Two schools have never met.
2014-15 Record: 18-15, 8-10 Mountain West
Notes on UNLV: Sophomore guard Patrick McCaw is the Running Rebels’ leading returning scorer from 2014-15 when he averaged 9.6 points per game…The Rebels lost their two leading returning scorers, Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood, to the NBA Draft…Head coach Dave Rice is entering his fifth season.
Detroit
Date: December 2
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: First series meeting
2014-15 Record: 15-18, 7-9 Horizon League
Notes on Detroit: Sophomore Paris Bass is the Titans’ leading returning scorer and rebounder from 2014-15 when he averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game…Bass was the Horizon League’s Freshman of the Year last season.
Baylor
Date: December 6
Location: Waco, Texas
All-Time Series Record: 8-2
Last Meeting: Baylor won a meeting between the two schools on December 4, 2014, 66-63, as a part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Memorial Gym.
2014-15 Record: 24-10, 11-7 Big 12
Notes on Baylor: The Bears advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and lost their second-round matchup to Georgia State, 57-56, in Jacksonville, Fla…This year’s meeting marks the beginning of a home-and-home series – Baylor will visit Memorial Gym in the 2016-17 season…Taurean Prince is the Bear’s leading returning scorer after averaging 12.3 points per game…The Bears made back-to-back tournament appearances in 2014 and 2015 for the first time in the history of the program.
Dayton
Date: December 9
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 4-0.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt knocked off the Flyers, 63-60, on December 30, 2005.
2014-15 Record: 27-9, 13-5 Atlantic 10
Notes on Dayton: The December 9th meeting will be the first of a home-and-home series – Vanderbilt will return the game next season in Dayton…The Flyers advanced to at least the Sweet 16 last season for the second consecutive season…In 2014, Dayton advanced to the Elite Eight…Senior Dyshawn Pierre and junior Kendall Pollard are the team’s leading returning scorers, with each averaging 12.5 points per game in 2014-15.
Wofford
Date: December 19
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 4-0.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt defeated the Terriers, 90-59, on December 20, 2003.
2014-15 Record: 28-7, 16-2 Southern Conference
Notes on Wofford: The Terriers had their most successful season in program history a year ago and captured the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles…Wofford was a #12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the second round to Arkansas, 56-53…Rising senior guard Spencer Collins is the team’s leading returning scorer at 11.8 points per game…Wofford finished 49th in the final NCAA RPI.
Purdue
Date: December 22
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 2-1.
Last Meeting: The Commodores won a meeting at Memorial Gym on December 13, 2014, 81-71.
2014-15 Record: 21-13, 12-6 Big Ten
Notes on Purdue: The Boilermakers advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and dropped a 66-65 overtime decision to Cincinnati in the second round…The meeting in West Lafayette is the back end of a home-and-home agreement between the two schools…Coach Stallings is returning to his alma mater – Stallings played for Coach Gene Keady from 1980-82 and was an assistant under Keady from 1983-1988.
Western Michigan
Date: December 30
Location: Memorial Gym
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: The Commodores defeated the Broncos, 71-58, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
2014-15 Record: 20-14, 10-8 MAC
Notes on Western Michigan: Advanced to the CollegeInsiders Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Cleveland State, 86-57…Rising senior forward Connar Tava is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 12.3 points per game…Tava was named as a All-MAC Honorable Mention selection…Bronco head coach Steve Hawkins is in his 13th season with Western Michigan and is the MAC’s most tenured coach…Hawkins has led the Broncos to seven MAC West titles and six 20-win campaigns in his time in Kalamazoo.
Texas
Date: January 30
Location: Austin, Texas
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 4-3.
Last Meeting: Texas defeated the Commodores, 70-64, on December 2, 2013, in Austin, Texas, as a part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
2014-15 Record: 20-14, 8-10 Big 12
Notes on Texas: The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, where they lost, 56-48, to Butler in the second round…Junior Isaiah Taylor is the Longhorns’ leading returning scorer after averaging 13.1 points per game in 2014-15…The matchup with the Longhorns is the second time in three years Vanderbilt has faced Texas in Austin as a part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge…Former Commodore assistant coach David Cason is now an assistant at Texas under new head coach Shaka Smart.
