Jan. 14, 2011
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Coach Stallings Interview
The Vanderbilt Commodores travel to Knoxville to take on Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in an ESPN Gameday appearance on Saturday afternoon. The game tips off at 11 a.m. CT, and can be heard on the Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College and vucommodores.com.
The game will also be televised to a national television audience on ESPN, with Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale handling the play-by-play and color duties, and Doris Burke manning the sidelines.
Series Info: Tennessee leads the all-time series, 108-69, and leads the series, 66-17, in games played in Knoxville.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee, 90-71, on February 9, 2010, at Memorial Gym.
Head Coaches: Kevin Stallings is in his 12th year at Vanderbilt (225-140) and his 18th overall (347-203). Bruce Pearl is in his sixth year at Tennessee (136-52) and 19th year overall (453-136).
Radio: Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College (WRQQ – 97.1 FM); vucommodores.com
Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher (13th year); Color: Tim Thompson (10th year)
TV: ESPN Play-by-Play: Dan Shulman; Color: Dick Vitale
Sidelines: Doris Burke
About Tennessee
Tennessee enters the game on Saturday afternoon with a 10-6 overall record, and an 0-2 mark in SEC competition. The Volunteers will be without the services of head coach Bruce Pearl, who is serving an SEC-mandated eight-game suspension for the team’s first eight SEC contests.
Junior guard Scotty Hopson leads three Volunteer players in double figures with 16.5 points per game. Tobias Harris averages 15.7 points a game, while Cameron Tatum chips in 10.4 per contest.
The Tennessee Series
Vanderbilt and Tennessee will meet for the 178th time on Saturday afternoon, with the Volunteers owning a 108-69 advantage in the series, and a 66-17 edge in games played in Knoxville. Vanderbilt owns a 51-36 advantage in games played in Nashville, and Tennessee leads 6-1 in neutral site matchups.
The last meeting between the two schools came at Memorial Gym on February 9 at Memorial Gym, a game Vanderbilt won, 90-71. The Commodores swept the season series from the Volunteers last season, the first time since 2004-05 that has happened.
Stallings Versus Tennessee
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 10-12 in games played against Tennessee, and is 4-7 against the Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Stallings in SEC Play
Entering his 12th season of SEC play at the helm of the Commodores, Kevin Stallings has an 85-93 record in SEC play. In 2009-10, Stallings posted his best SEC record as a coach with a 12-4 mark.
Stallings In Non-Conference Play
Kevin Stallings is 140-47 in non-confernce games and an astounding 103-8 in home non-conference games. Vanderbilt Vs. The SEC Vanderbilt has a 629-626 record against teams that currently comprise the SEC.
Road Free Throws
Everyone knows getting to the free-throw line helps your chances in hostile road environments, and the Commodores have done a good job with that heading into their fourth true road game of the season. In their previous three (at Missouri, Middle Tennessee State, South Carolina), Vanderbilt has made more free throws than their opponents have attempted. In the three games, VU is 53-82 (.646), while opponents are 30-48 (.625).
Last Five Game Trends
– John Jenkins leads four players in double figures with 18.5 points per game. Jeffery Taylor (17.6), Festus Ezeli (12.8), and Brad Tinsley (10.4) have also averaged double figures.
– The Commodores are 106-145 from the charity stripe (.731), compared to 36-59 (.610) for its opponents. – Opponents are outrebounding the Commodores with a margin of 2.4.
– Vanderbilt has held its opponents to under 29% from three (28.8%).
– As a team, VU has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
More Tidbits
– Last season, Vanderbilt swept both Florida and Tennessee in the regular season, the first time since 1966 the Commodores have been unbeaten against the two teams in the same season.
– The Commodores were 6-2 in SEC road contests in 2009-10, which set a Stallings-era best for league road wins, and tied for the most since divisional play began in the SEC. VU also had six road wins in 1992-93.
Vanderbilt-Georgia Notes
Sophomore guard John Jenkins and junior big man Festus Ezeli each scored 18 points to lead the Commodores to their first SEC victory Wednesday night over Georgia, 73-66, at Memorial Gym. Ezeli also added 10 rebounds to tally his third career double-double, with all of those happening this season. Jeffery Taylor also added 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists in the win.
– The Commodores have won the opening tip 12 out of 15 times this season, and are now 11-1 when doing so.
– Vanderbilt moved to 9-0 when playing in Memorial Gym this season.
– The Vanderbilt starters accounted for 68 of the 73 points.
– The Commodores were 25-of-35 from the free throw line – it marked the fourth time this year Vanderbilt as attempted 35 or more free throws. The Commodores are second in the SEC in free throw attempts per game (26.1 per game).
– Vanderbilt moved to 47-12 in SEC home openers at Memorial Gym.
– The Commodores never trailed against Georgia, and led by as many as 11 in the game (6:09 mark of first half).
– Georgia outscored Vanderbilt, 34-26, in the paint, 20-9 in second-chance points, and 7-5 in bench points. Both teams scored 16 points off of turnovers, and Vanderbilt held a 4-2 advantage in fast-break points.
– For the second consecutive game, Vanderbilt’s opponents have outrebounded the Commodores in the second half. In each contest, VU has led the rebounding battle at the half, but in the last two games, the Commodores’ opponents have outrebounded VU, 50-32 in the second half, and 25-8 on the offensive glass.
– For the fourth time this season, Vanderbilt had a season-high eight steals.
– The Commodores had a season-low eight assists.
Player Notes vs. Georgia
– Festus Ezeli recorded his third-career double-double by scoring 18 points and grabbing eight boards. All three double-doubles have come this season.
– Ezeli matched a career-high in steals with four with the last time coming against Belmont on December 4, 2010.
– Lance Goulbourne’s 10 rebounds marked the third time in his career and second-consecutive game he has had double-digit rebounds.
– John Jenkins has scored in double-digits in all 14 games he has played in this season.