Feb. 16, 2008
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16- 12:59 PM
Well, I am parked in my media seat for the start of a big weekend on West End. The men’s basketball team takes on Florida in an hour in a game that could go down as being a difference maker in an Eastern Division that has three teams locked together for second place.
And tomorrow, the women’s basketball faces a Tennessee team that’s coming off a home loss to LSU. We haven’t beaten the Lady Vols since I started working at McGugin in the fall of 2003.. so hopefully we can break that string, so I don’t have to keep blaming myself as being “the curse.” A win tomorrow would tie us up with Tennessee in the conference, so as the hip hop group De La Soul once said… “the stakes is high!”
I think the Commodores need another big performance from junior standout Christina Wirth to have a shot at knocking off the Lady Vols. In four of Vanderbilt’s six losses, Wirth has scored less than double digits in points. If the offense can get going early, they can put some pressure on UT, and I believe Wirth’s ability to create her own shot could be the key against a talented UT defense that ranks third in scoring defense during SEC play.
Coach Balcomb chimed in on the importance of Wirth during the Commodores’ red-hot six game winning streak to push VU to 8-2 in the conference standings.
“I’m seeing somebody that wants the ball. Earlier in the year, she didn’t want to make the tough shot. She didn’t know that was going to be her role. Now she knows that’s her role. She wants the basketball. She can find different ways to score. Tonight you saw her drive. She got to the free throw line because they (Kentucky) took her three point shot away which is what she has done so well. She has been money from 3 and shooting very well. She put it on the floor, and then she also went into the paint and posted. You saw her make post moves with her back to the basket. She has all three things, and it’s nice to have a player that is that complete, especially as a junior. She has other weapons to go through but also want to take and make the big shot.”
Was it a matter of her being too unselfish?
“Definitely,” Balcomb responded. “Christina really enjoys assists. She really enjoys the team getting assists. We were stressing so much ball movement, sharing the basketball, and running the offense. Now she has figured out that she is the best option to take it no matter where the ball is in the offense. She has been more aggressive to get more shots. That was really important early (in the season). She wasn’t aggressive enough. If the shot came to her, she let the game come to her (a little too much). Now she’s going out to get the game.”
Good luck to both the men’s and the women’s teams this weekend – Go ‘Dores!
A couple of other notes…
*I hope you had a chance to read Brett Hait’s article in the Nashville City Paper comparing the TV ratings in Nasvhille on Tuesday between the Preds hockey game with Detroit to our MBB game with Kentucky. I am a firm believer that more fans in Nashville are not only Vanderbilt fans but college basketball fans, when compared to hockey fans. This isn’t a knock on hockey fans, because I enjoy the Predators games, I just think there’s more interest in Vanderbilt (of course, I’m biased).
Sometimes we don’t get the coverage we deserve, so as fans, what can you do to help? I think it means doing more things like flooding radio shows with calls to talk about Commodore sports, contacting the local newspapers and television stations about wanting to see more coverage of the black and gold. Here’s the link to Brett’s story – Click Here.
*We had our first live online chat with Pedro Alvarez yesterday. Thanks to everyone that sent questions in on VUcommodores.com. Junior pitcher Brett Jacobson will be our guest on Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT, so get your questions in now… and make sure you stay updated on the Diamond ‘Dores by visiting our baseball preseason central page.
*Two more “must-watch” basketball video features when you have a couple of minutes:
Fox 17 followed Shan Foster to get a feel fo what it’s like to be him on a regular school day – 
Shan Video … Also, Aussie Hoops America put together a nice piece on freshman sensation A.J. Ogilvy – AJ Video.
*Finally, here’s what the baseball poster looks like this year. Make sure you pick one up at the games!
