MBB to Host Georgia Tech Saturday

Nov. 30, 2007

GAME AT A GLANCE

Last Game: Alan Metcalfe scored a career-high 14 points to help Vanderbilt edge past South Alabama 91-88 in a double-overtime. Recap GEORGIA TECH (3-3) AT VANDERBILT (6-0) Saturday, Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. CT Memorial Gym (14,316) Nashville, Tenn. TELEVISION: FSN South/Sun Play-by-Play: Ron Thulin Color: Barry Booker RADIO: 104.5 the Zone Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher; Color: Tim Thompson SIRIUS: Channel 143 SERIES INFORMATION Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 38-31, between the two schools. VU leads 22-4 in Nashville; Georgia Tech leads 23-16 in Atlanta; GT leads 4-0 on neutral floors. LAST MEETING Vanderbilt won 73-64 in Nashville on Dec. 9, 2006. COACHES Kevin Stallings is in his ninth year at Vanderbilt (150-108) and his 15th overall (273-171). Paul Hewitt is in his 8th year with Georgia Tech (130-98), and 11th overall as a head coach (196-125). GEORGIA TECH TIDBIT Tech leads the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (1.14-to-1) and assist average (18.0 per game). The Jackets have assisted on 62.1 percent of their made field goals. Defensively, GT ranks at or near the bottom of the league in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, three-point percentage defense and blocked shots. PLAYER TO WATCH Anthony Morrow, GT’s top returning scorer from 2006-07, currently ranks fourth in the ACC with 18.7 points a game. One of Tech’s best all-time three-point shooters with 195 for his career, Morrow has hit 48.6 percent of his three-point attempts this season, and ranks second in the ACC in three-pointers per game (3.0). He also is rebounding at a 6.2-per-game clip.

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View Game Notes | Read Georgia Tech’s Preview

Upcoming Home Games, Call 322-GOLD for Tickets:
Saturday, Dec. 1, vs. Georgia Tech at 12 p.m. CT
Wednesday, Dec. 5, vs. Wake Forest at 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, Dec. 8, vs. Lipscomb at 8 p.m. CT

NASHVILLE – The Vanderbilt men’s basketball team will host ACC foe Georgia Tech to Memorial Gym for a noon tip off on Saturday afternoon in a game that will be televised around the southeast on FSN South and in Florida on Sun Sports. Ron Thulin and Barry Booker will have the television call and Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson will call the game on the ISP/Vanderbilt Radio Network.

The Commodores, in the midst of a four-game homestand, withstood a feisty South Alabama team Thursday night in double-overtime, 91-88, at Memorial Gym. Senior wing Shan Foster led all scorers on the night with 26 points, making 10-of-21 shot from the floor and 6-of-11 from three on the night. Foster, the SEC’s leading three-point scoring leader (4.3 threes per game), made five of his six trifectas in the second half. Freshman center A.J. Ogilvy scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while senior forward Ross Neltner added 15 points and senior center Alan Metcalfe scored a career-high 14 points.

Vanderbilt continued its hot shooting stroke from the free throw line, making 18-of-22 from the charity stripe. In the last two games, the Commodores are 46-of-53 (86.8%), and pushed its season free throw percentage to 73.6%. VU has two of the SEC’s top-15 free throw shooters in Jermaine Beal (22-25, 88.0%) and A.J. Ogilvy (33-41, 80.5%), with Ogilvy attempting 11 more free throws than any other player in the top 15.

Vanderbilt improved to 55-48 all-time in overtime contests with the win over the Jaguars, including 24-13 in overtime games in Memorial Gym. The Commodores are now 11-4 in double overtime games and have won three straight double overtime contests.

Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech will meet for the 70th time in the all-time series, with the Commodores holding a 38-31 advantage in the series and a 22-4 record in Nashville. VU defeated the then-No. 25 ranked Yellow Jackets, an original SEC member, 73-64 last season at Memorial Gym on December 9 in a game many mention as being the turn around game in the Commodores’ run to the Sweet 16 last season. Shan Foster led all scorers with 25 points, and Derrick Byars added 18 points for Vanderbilt. Saturday’s game with the Wramblin’ Wreck is the last for VU at home in the 2-for-2 series; after playing in Atlanta in the 2005-06 season, the Commodores return to Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta to close out the series next year. The former SEC rivals have played only three times since Georgia Tech left the SEC in 1964.

Georgia Tech is 3-3 in 2007-08, and most recently dropped an 83-79 decision Tuesday night at No. 15 Indiana in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Yellow Jackets are in the midst of a 38-day stretch between home games, their longest since the 1986-87 season. Senior guard Anthony Morrow leads the Yellow Jackets in scoring at 18.7 points per game, which is fourth in the ACC. He is also second in the ACC in three-pointers made per game.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt is in his 8th season with the Yellow Jackets and has compiled a 130-98 record. Overall as a head coach, he is 196-125.

Tip-time is set for noon CT.

GEORGIA TECH’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG Hometown 0 Lewis Clinch G 6’3 195 Jr. 12.2 2.5 3.1 Cordele, Ga. 13 D’Andre Bell G 6’5 210 Jr. 5.3 2.3 2.3 Los Angeles, Calif. 23 Anthony Morrow G 6’5 215 Sr. 18.7 6.2 1.1 Charlotte, N.C. 32 Jeremis Smith F 6’8 236 Sr. 11.8 8.2 3.8 Fort Worth, Texas 44 Alade Aminu F/C 6’10 225 Jr. 12.8 6.7 0.6 Stone Mtn., Ga.