Feb. 20, 2007
| COMMODORE GAMEDAY |
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 VUON THE SCENE The Vanderbilt men’s basketball team returned to the national rankings Monday following its 83-70 home victory over previously top-ranked Florida over the weekend. The Commodores (18-8, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) are listed at No. 17 in the latest Associated Press poll and No. 21 in the ESPN-USA Today Coaches poll. It’s the highest ranking for Vanderbilt in the AP poll since it received a No. 8 listing in the final poll of the 1993 campaign. GETTING DEFENSIVE GAMEDAY CENTRAL |
Listen to Joe Fisher’s Game Preview courtesy of 104.5 the Zone
FREE Video & Audio from Saturday’s Win over #1 Florida
Next Home Game: Feb. 25 vs. Kentucky
Byars Earns Second SEC Player of the Week
Stallings a Finalist for Coach of the Year; Byars Earns More Awards
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The 17th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (18-8, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) can secure their first winning record in SEC play since 1997 with a victory Wednesday at Mississippi State. The contest starts at 7 p.m. CT and will not be televised.
The Commodores moved into sole possession of second place in the SEC Eastern Division with an 8-4 league mark following their 83-70 home win over top-ranked Florida on Saturday. Vanderbilt’s wing duo of Derrick Byars and Shan Foster scored 24 points apiece and post player Ross Neltner contributed 15 points and a team-high six rebounds. Byars was 11-of-19 from the field with a game-high eight assists and team-best five steals. Foster was 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
Byars was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time since the start of league play on Monday. Combined with his career-high 32-point effort against South Carolina on Feb. 14, he shot an amazing 64.7 percent from the field (22-of-34), 46.1 percent from 3-point range (6-of-13) and averaged 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 steals for the week.
Mississippi State (15-10, 6-6 SEC) has climbed into a three-way tie for first place in the SEC West after winning 56-50 at LSU on Saturday. Charles Rhodes and Jamont Gordon combined for 15 points each. The Bulldogs have won four of their last five games.
Vanderbilt leads 70-40 in the all-time series with Mississippi State. However, the Bulldogs enjoy a 28-22 advantage in Starkville. The Commodores won last year’s meeting 80-52 in Nashville on Jan. 21, 2006.