Jan. 18, 2012
Vanderbilt Gamenotes 
| Alabama Gamenotes
Vanderbilt travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on the Crimson Tide Thursday evening at Coleman Coliseum in a nationally televised broadcast on ESPN2. The game tips off at 6 p.m. CT, and also can be heard live on the Vanderbilt IMG College Radio Network in middle Tennessee and online at vucommodores.com.
The Crimson Tide, at 13-4 and 2-1 in the SEC, lead the league in total defense in all games and are giving up only 55.7 points per contest. The Commodores lead the league in SEC games only in scoring defense, allowing only 52.7 points per game in league play.
Fans attending the game at Coleman Coliseum have a history of good games in the last few years between the two teams – the last three meetings in Tuscaloosa have been settled by three points (Alabama win, 77-74, 2006), five points (overtime Alabama win, 78-73, 2008), and one point (Vanderbilt win, 65-64, 2010), respectively.
Series Information
Series Record: Alabama leads the all-time series, 65-64.
Last Meeting: VU won the last meeting, 81-77, on 2/10/2011, at Memorial Gym.
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads 40-18.
Record at Alabama: Ala. leads 43-19.
Record at Neutral Site: VU leads 5-4.
Coach Stallings vs. Ala.: Coach Stallings is 9-6 against Alabama.
Media Information
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com, XM 199
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Rece Davis (pxp), Hubert Davis (analyst)
Live Stream: ESPN3
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
More On The Alabama Series
- Thursday’s meeting with the Crimson Tide will be the 130th in the all-time series, with Alabama holding a 65-64 advantage in the series.
- The first meeting between the two schools came in the 1923-24 season in Tuscaloosa (Alabama win, 26-25).
- Vanderbilt has won the last two games in the series, winning 65-64 in Tuscaloosa on January 13, 2010, and in Nashville last season, 81-77, on February 10, 2011.
- Coach Stallings is 9-6 all-time against the Crimson Tide and 2-4 against Alabama at Coleman Coliseum.
- Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins and Alabama’s JaMychal Green each played on the World University games team this summer in China.
More On Alabama
The Crimson Tide, under third-year head coach Anthony Grant, is one of the stingiest defensive clubs in the nation, allowing only 55.7 points per game in all games and opponents to shoot only 36.8% from the floor. Tony Mitchell leads the team in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.5), with JaMychal Green (14.2) and Trevor Releford (12.5) also averaging double-figures.
Vanderbilt Quick Hitters
- Vanderbilt won their seventh consecutive game with a 77-66 victory over Georgia Saturday at Memorial Gym. John Jenkins led a balanced Commodore attack with 18 points, with Jeffery Taylor adding 16 points, and Lance Goulbourne chipping in 13 points.
- The Commodores moved to 3-0 in the SEC for the second time in the Kevin Stallings’ era – the Commodores started 5-0 in league play to begin the 2009-10 campaign.
- In the seven-game win streak, Vanderbilt is only allowing 58.0 points per game, a 39.1% opponent field goal percentage, and opponents to shoot 33.1% from three. Vanderbilt also has a rebounding margin of +5.6 in the last seven games. The current starting five – Tinsley, Jenkins, Taylor, Goulbourne, and Ezeli, are shooting a combined 55% from the field (143-260).
- In the last five games, Vanderbilt is outscoring opponents by an average of 15.0 points and shooting 48.5% from the floor and 46.2% from three.
- VU shot 51.2% from the floor, sixth time this season the Commodores have shot 50% or better in a game. The Commodores are 6-0 in those contests.
- Four of Vanderbilt’s starters are hovering around 50% from the floor – Jenkins (48.4%), Taylor (54.0%), Tinsley (50.0%), and Goulbourne (51.3%).
- The Commodores sport the leading scorer in all games (John Jenkins, 19.8 ppg) and the third-leading scorer (Jeffery Taylor, 16.9 ppg) in the SEC. Jenkins also paces the league and nation in three’s made at 3.9 per game.
- John Jenkins was 3 for 11 (27.3%) from beyond-the-arc against Georgia. It’s his seventh consecutive game making 3 or more 3FG, his 12th this season, and 43rd in his career.
- Jenkins has scored in double-digit figures in 49 consecutive games, 68 in his career.
- Taylor scored in double figures for the 16th time this season against Georgia, and the 88th time in his career. Goulbourne reached double digits for the eighth time this season.
- Taylor is fourth in the SEC in field goal percentage (.536), and has made more field goals per game than any other player (6.4).
- Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC that sports three 1,000-point scorers in John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor, and Brad Tinsley.
- In SEC play, the Commodores rank first in scoring defense (52.7), scoring margin (+17.0), field goal percentage (.508), field goal percentage defense (.358), 3-point field goal percentage (.470), and threes made (10.33).
- Vanderbilt was 30-44 from the free throw line in the game against Georgia, the most makes and attempts at the free throw line since a win over Belmont on December 4, 2010, when the Commodores were 35-45 from the free throw line.
Original Starting Lineup
The Commodores used their preseason-projected starting lineup for the third time of the season against Georgia Saturday – Brad Tinsley, John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor, Lance Goulbourne, and Festus Ezeli. Here are some quick career notes on the five.
Brad Tinsley – SEC assist leader in 2010-11, 56 career double-figure scoring games, 34 5+ assist gms, leads the SEC in league games in assists with 6.3 per game, 7th on VU’s all-time assist list.
John Jenkins – All-time VU sophomore leading scorer (624 pts), made 235 career threes, 43.9% shooter for his career from three.
Jeffery Taylor – SEC active leading scorer (1,604 pts), 87 career double-figure games, 15 20+ games, ninth on VU’s all-time scoring list.
Lance Goulbourne – Averaging 7.5 rebounds this season, 13 double-digit rebound games, 5 double-doubles
Festus Ezeli – All-time blocks leader (162), 28 double-digit scoring games, 21 20+ pt gms, 27 3+ block games.
Jenkins Leads SEC in Scoring, Nation in Threes Made
Junior guard John Jenkins leads the SEC in scoring in all games with 19.8 points per game, and in three pointers made with 3.9 per game. Jenkins’ four threes made per game also leads the nation.
Taylor Is Active SEC Leading Scorer
Taylor is the active scoring leader in the SEC with 1,604 career points. Taylor is also the SEC’s second-leading active rebounder with 647.