March 9, 2007
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Band Together: Wear White During Post-Season Play
[E2] Vanderbilt (20-10) vs. [W3] Arkansas (19-12)
GAME PREVIEW
Vanderbilt battles Arkansas in quarterfinal round action of the 2007 Southeastern Conference Tournament Friday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Tip off is set for approximately 2:15 p.m. CT.
Vanderbilt received a first-round bye for the first time since 1993 and hasn’t been a No. 2 seed in the league tournament since the SEC expanded to 12 teams prior to the 1992 campaign.
Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 82-67 in the regular season finale, March 3 at Memorial Gymnasium. Razorback guard Gary Ervin scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Patrick Beverly contributed a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss snapped Vanderbilt’s 13-game home win streak, including a seven consecutive victories against SEC visitors.
Derrick Byars led Vanderbilt with 19 points. Dan Cage added 15 points, including 9-of-9 shooting from the foul line.
Vanderbilt and Arkansas have only one prior meeting at the SEC Tournament. Arkansas claimed a 79-65 quarterfinal victory in the 1995 league event (March 10). Arkansas leads the overall series 12-7, including a 7-1 advantage in Fayetteville. Vanderbilt leads 6-4 in Nashville.
BYARS AT THE SEC TOURNAMENT
Senior wing player Derrick Byars, the SEC coaches’ pick for 2007 league player of the year, played well last year in his first appearance at the SEC Tournament. The Memphis native and University of Virginia transfer shot 62.5 percent from 3-point range (10-of-16) and 56.5 percent from the field (12-of-23) while averaging 19.0 points in tournament games last season as a junior Commodore. He scored 21 points with five 3-pointeres in a 76-71 Vanderbilt win over Auburn on March 9. He followed with 17 points and five 3-pointers in a 92-73 setback against LSU in the quarterfinals.
BYARS HONORS
– SEC Player of the Year (Coaches Selection)
– Unanimous First Team All-SEC (Coaches Selection)
– Associated Press First Team All-SEC
– NABC All-District 7
– USBWA All-District 4
STALLINGS HONORS
– SEC Coach of the Year (Coaches Selection)
– NABC District 7 Coach of the Year
– CollegeInsider.com SEC Coach of the Year
– National Coach of the Year Finalist
TIP-INS FROM THE TOURNAMENT
– Vanderbilt ended the regular season playing Arkansas on March 3. Six days later the two teams are meeting again in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. It marks only the second time in the modern era of Vanderbilt basketball that the Commodores have played the same team in back-to-back games. The same scenario occurred in 1984 when Vanderbilt defeated Ole Miss 70-60 at Memorial Gymnasium on March 3 before facing the Rebels four days later in the first round of the SEC Tournament at Memorial Gymnasium. Vanderbilt won the second meeting as well, posting a 77-57 victory.
– Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 5-7 all-time at the SEC Tournament.