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7/28/2006 Basketball seasons may come and go in Nashville, but one thing remains the same at Vanderbilt: the Commodores can shoot. Ranking among the top shooting teams in the Southeastern Conference each of the past three seasons, Vanderbilt once again features one of the league’s top scoring duos in Shan Foster and Derrick Byars who headline a talented collection of Commodores. Read more about the 2006-07 team below. WING PLAYERS Shan Foster (Jr., G/F, 6-6, 200) and Derrick Byars (Sr., G/F, 6-7, 221) helped Vanderbilt rank among the league leaders in 3-point shooting (tied for second at 38.7 percent) and field goal shooting (tied for fourth at 46 percent) during the 2005-06 campaign. The SEC’s third-leading returning scorer entering the 2006-07 campaign, Foster earned his first team All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches last season averaging 15.9 points. The native of Kenner, La., ranked second in 3-pointers per game (3.00), fourth in 3-point shooting (41.5 percent) and ninth in field goal shooting (45.1 percent). Making a habit of knocking down the long-range jumper, Foster connected on 90 3-pointers during the season — fourth most in school history. Along the way, Foster reached double figures in scoring in 25 games, leading the Commodores in points on 15 occasions. “He is an outstanding player,” Stallings said. “He’s had two very good years for us and is getting ready to take another significant jump. He continues to get better and better. The older he gets, the stronger he becomes and the more complete his game becomes. “Shan’s best characteristic is his work ethic,” Stallings said. “He’s a guy that really enjoys playing and working at his game. He takes constructive criticism very well. He takes to it heart and makes Byars made a strong first impression on Commodore fans last season as a junior transfer. One of the SEC’s top newcomers, the former Virginia Cavalier ranked second in the league in 3-point shooting at 44.1 percent. Vanderbilt’s second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, Byars earned player of the week honors from the conference in December after posting 20 points against Oregon and hitting five 3-pointers and collecting a season-high 25 points against Cincinnati. But it was Byars’ steady play near season’s end that has the Vanderbilt faithful anticipating a strong senior campaign from the Memphis native. He led the Commodores in scoring in each their final three games. He shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from beyond the arc and 56.5 percent from the field while averaging 19 points in two SEC Tournament contests. “Derrick is a very complete performer. He is an experienced player, a gifted shooter, and a very good ball handler who can also play the point,” Stallings said of Byars who led the Commodores in assists (3.2 per contest). “He was our best perimeter defender and one of our best passers.” And a further increase in offensive production for Byars may not be considered wishful thinking. “He has the body and the ability to be more physical,” Stallings said. “He can take advantage of that by doing a better job of attacking the basket. If he does that and gets to the foul line more this season, he’s going to be a lot better.” Dan Cage (Sr., G, 6-5, 214) and George Drake (R-Fr., G, 6-4, 210) also will play vital roles from the wing positions. Cage regained his shooting eye from the perimeter last season, hitting 46.1 percent of his 3-point attempts (35-of-76). He also converted on 32 of his 34 free throw attempts (94.1 percent). Cage tallied a career-high 18 points thanks in part to four 3-pointers against Alabama A&M in December. The junior co-captain also keyed a Commodore road win at South Carolina in February, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers inside the game’s final five minutes while posting a team-high 13 points. “Dan took a big step forward last year over his sophomore year,” Stallings said. “We’d like to see him take another big step this year. I don’t see any reason why that won’t happen. Dan is another guy that understands his role on the team and has done a good job with it. We need him to be a good senior and build on the things he did last year.” Drake sat out last year as a redshirt after compiling an impressive high school resume at Alabama’s Calera High School. Drake helped lead the 2A power to four consecutive appearances in the state title game while earning player of the year honors three times. As a senior with the Eagles he averaged 22.6 points and 8.5 rebounds. “He is going to be a player who will be hard to keep off the floor because of how hard he works,” Stallings said of the perimeter shooter. “He really loves to play and work on his game. When you’re a great worker and you’ve got that body and his athleticism to go with it you have a very good chance for success. “George’s fearless attacking style will be something our fans will really enjoy. He is going to have a great career here.” POINT GUARDS Alex Gordon (Jr., G, 5-11, 170) and Jermaine Beal (Fr., G, 6-3, 200) will direct the Commodores from the point position. Gordon took positive strides toward becoming a talented floor leader a year ago. He directed the Commodore attack as a starter in four of Vanderbilt’s six road wins, including victories at Georgetown, Georgia, South Carolina and Ole Miss. The cat-quick Florida native ranked second on the squad in both assists (2.6 per game) and steals (1.0 per game) while averaging 5.7 points. He notched his first career double-double against Furman with 16 points and a career-high 10 assists. “Alex wants this team to succeed and he’ll do what we need him to do in order to make it succeed,” Stallings said. “Hopefully, as Alex has matured with experience he now can instinctively use his skills and abilities to lead our team.” Beal comes to Vanderbilt after a standout high school career in DeSoto, Texas. Beal became DeSoto’s all-time leading scorer last season, averaging 21.5 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds for the Eagles. The charismatic Beal is one of the taller point guards of the Stallings era at Vanderbilt and his abilities to distribute the basketball and defend will help the Commodores succeed. “Jermaine does so many things well but he is a pass first, defensive-minded point guard,” Stallings said. “His size and strength are a real benefit to that position. He has really good feet and an ability to guard.” POST PLAYERS Ross Neltner (Jr.-Tr., F/C, 6-9, 242), Ted Skuchas (Sr., C, 6-11, 250), Alan Metcalfe (Jr., F/C, 6-9, 260) and JeJuan Brown (Fr., F, 6-7, 225) headline the post for the Commodores. The multi-talented Neltner should help the Commodores in the interior immediately after sitting out last season as a transfer from LSU. The hard-nosed post player saw limited action with the Tigers (2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds) splitting time with 2005 SEC Player of Year Brandon Bass and SEC Freshman of the Year Glen Davis. He shot 44.1 percent from the field (30-of-68) and 42.9 percent from 3-point range (9-of-21) as a sophomore in Baton Rouge. “Ross is pretty complete in his skill set,” Stallings said. “I don’t necessarily think he will dominate games like Shan might, but he will be a real factor for us because he can score around the basket and can shoot from the perimeter. Plus, he’s a rugged, physical player who will be an excellent rebounder and defender.” Similar to Neltner, Brown has a variety of skills on the post and will contribute this season. The Biloxi native averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks at Biloxi High School. Named the Sun Herald Gulf Coast Player of the Year, Brown garnered All-State honors and helped his squad to four District 8 titles. “JeJuan can shoot, pass, handle, defend and rebound,” Stallings said. “He will really help us as he gets more experience.” Skuchas and Metcalfe will anchor the center position for the Commodores. Skuchas started a career-high 16 games at the position last year, with his top performances early in the campaign. The hard-nosed, physical big man registered his first career double-double against Furman in November with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Metcalfe showed a glimpse of his potential near the end of season, including a nine-point and three-rebound showing at Ole Miss in early March. “Ted will help us most if he can be consistent and productive from start to finish,” Stalling said. “Alan has all of the tools, it’s just a matter of him getting more comfortable on the floor and letting that show through his play.” |
