April 29, 2007
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NASHVILLE — The players and coaches whose efforts helped Vanderbilt reach the Sweet 16 of the 2007 NCAA Tournament were recognized Sunday during the Commodore men’s basketball banquet at the University Club on Vanderbilt’s campus.
Six Commodore players received accolades and Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings was honored for his selection as the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.
The Vanderbilt coaching staff handed out 10 awards to well-deserving players and contributors to the program:
* Senior Dan Cage was acknowledged four times, earning the Leadership award and the Coaches’ award while sharing the Most Improved Player award and the Captains award. The Indianapolis native displayed outstanding leadership and toughness throughout the season, averaging 11.2 points and tying for second place in the SEC for 3-point shooting at 44.2 percent. His 87.5 percent shooting from the foul line led all Commodores.
* Juniors Shan Foster and Alex Gordon earned two honors each. Foster was recognized as the Defensive Player of the Year and shared the Captains award with Cage. Foster, mostly has been known for his amazing scoring abilities – finishing eighth in the SEC with 15.6 points per game, also often was assigned defensive responsibilities for the opponent’s top scorer.
Gordon received the Assists award and shared the Most Improved Player award with Cage. Gordon displayed a noteworthy ability to handle and distribute the basketball. He finished the season fourth in the SEC with a 2.22-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and was especially steady against ranked opponents with 38 assists and only 14 turnovers in 10 such contests.
* Senior Derrick Byars earned the Most Valuable Player award, averaging a team-high 17.0 points. Voted as the SEC Player of the Year, Byars ranked among the conference leaders in nine statistical categories – most of any player in the league. Byars also led the Commodores in scoring in 14 of their final 20 games of the year.
* Junior Ross Neltner’s efforts on the backboards earned him the Rebounder award. He averaged a team-high 5.7 rebounds this season – most among SEC newcomers.
* Redshirt sophomore George Drake received the Scholar-Athlete award for his efforts in the classroom.
* Also honored at the banquet was Mike Meyer, the team’s athletic trainer who received the Ken Hudgens award for his dedication and spirit for the Vanderbilt men’s basketball program.
Vanderbilt finished the 2006-07 season with a 22-12 overall record while advancing to its second Sweet 16 in four seasons. The Commodores finished with the second-most league victories in the SEC behind only national champion Florida. During the season, Vanderbilt defeated No. 1 Florida in Nashville and swept Kentucky for the second consecutive year.
The Commodores’ season concluded with a 66-65 setback to eventual Final Four participant Georgetown at the East regional semifinal in East Rutherford, N.J. on March 23.