Feb. 15, 2011
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Vanderbilt Gamenotes | Georgia Gamenotes
After a successful three-game homestand, the #18/18 Vanderbilt Commodores hit the road to take on SEC East division rival Georgia Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT in Athens, Ga. The game will be televised on ESPNU, and the contest can be heard live on the Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College and vucommodores.com.
Beginning with its trip to Stegeman Coliseum on Wednesday night, Vanderbilt will play four of its last six games on the road.
Series Info: The Commodores lead the all-time series, 84-48; Georgia leads the all-time series, 32-26, in games played in Athens.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt defeated Georgia at Memorial Gym, 73-66, on January 12.
Head Coaches: Kevin Stallings is in his 12th year at Vanderbilt (231-143) and his 18th overall (354-206). Mark Fox is in his second year at Georgia (31-24) and sixth year overall (154-67).
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: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Carter Blackburn; Color: LaPhonso Ellis
About Georgia
Georgia enters the game with a 17-7 overall record and a 6-4 mark in SEC play after knocking off South Carolina in Columbia, 60-56, on Saturday.
Trey Thompkins leads all Bulldog players in scoring and rebounding with 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Travis Leslie (14.2) and Gerald Robinson (12.9) also averaged double-digits for Georgia.
The Georgia Series
Vanderbilt will meet for the 133rd time Wednesday night, with Vanderbilt holding an 84-48 advantage in the series. The last meeting between the two schools came on January 12 in Nashville in a game the Commodores won, 73-66.
Georgia leads the series 32-26 in Athens, and the Commodores enjoy a 6-3 lead at neutral sites. Vanderbilt owns a 52-13 advantage in Nashville.
Stallings Versus Georgia
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 14-10 in games played against Georgia, and a 3-8 mark against the Bulldogs in Athens.
Stallings In SEC Play
In his 12th season of SEC play at the helm of the Commodores, Kevin Stallings has an 90-96 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 141-47 in non-conference games and an astounding 104-8 in home non-conference games.
Vanderbilt Vs. The SEC
Vanderbilt has a 634-629 record against teams that currently comprise the SEC.
Vanderbilt-Georgia Connections
The Bulldogs’ Gerald Robinson is from Nashville, graduated from Martin Luther King High School, and played at Tennessee State before transferring to Georgia. Robinson played against the Commodores as a freshman in 2007-08 while at Tennessee State, and scored 24 points for the Tigers in a game VU won at Memorial Gym, 83-74, on December 22. Robinson scored 20 points in the Bulldogs’ first appearance in Nashville.
Jenkins Wins SEC POTW For The Second Time This Season
Sophomore John Jenkins claimed his second SEC Player of the Week honor after averaging 26.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in two Vanderbilt wins over Alabama and Kentucky. Jenkins and Tennessee’s Scotty Hopson are the only two players who have won the award twice this season. Four of Jenkins’ teammates – Festus Ezeli, Lance Goulbourne, and Brad Tinsley – have also claimed the honor this year.
Free Throws
The Commodores lead the SEC in free throw attempts per game in all games (26.0), and in SEC games only (25.9).
On the road in six games thus far, Vanderbilt has made more free throws than their opponents have attempted. In the six games, VU is 104-153 (.680), while opponents are 70-104 (.673).
Commodores In Top 25
Vanderbilt is number 18 in both polls this week after wins over Alabama and Kentucky. It is also the highest ranking of the season for the Commdodores. It is the sixth week Vanderbilt has been ranked this season in the AP poll, and the fourth week in the ESPN/USA Today rankings. This year marks the 20th season the Commodores have appeared in the Associated Press poll, and the fourth time in the last five.
Stay In The Game Fes!
When center Festus Ezeli has fouled out, the team is 1-3, with a win over Ole Miss and losses at Florida, at South Carolina, and against West Virginia on a neutral floor.
When Jeffery Taylor Scores 15 Or More…
The Commodores are 13-1, with their only loss coming at Missouri (Taylor had 18 points).
Taylor And Threes
Jeffery Taylor is 8-of-11 from three in the last three games, and has made 33-84 from beyond-the-arc this season (.393). In his previous two seasons, Taylor was only 10-51 from beyond the arc (19.6).
League Leaders
As a team, the Commodores lead the SEC in scoring in both all games (78.2) and SEC only contests (75.6), free throw percentage in all games (.752) and SEC only games (.780), field goal percentage in all games (.752), three-point field goal percentage defense in all games (.286), and three-pointers made in all games (8.1) and in SEC games only (7.8).
The Commodores are second in the league in three-point field goal percentage in all games (.387) and SEC only (.386).
Home Sweet Home
In 15 home games this year, the Commodores are 14-1, average 82.6 points per game, and shoot 49.1% from the floor. Vanderbilt also makes 8.9 threes per game, shoots 43.6% from beyond-the-arc, and outrebounds opponents by a margin of +6.6. VU also shoots 78.1% from the charity stripe at Memorial Gym.
In true road games, Vanderbilt is 2-4 on the season and sees their percentages drop from the floor – 42.6% from the field and 31.2% from three. The Commodores get outrebounded by a margin of 3.7 on the road, and only convert 68.0% of their free throws.
Commodores Vs. Ranked Teams
Vanderbilt is now 4-2 against ranked teams in 2010-11 after their recent win over #18 Kentucky on Saturday at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt is 3-0 in games played against ranked foes at Memorial Gym. In the Stallings’ era, Vanderbilt is 30-48 against teams ranked in the Associated Press poll and 21-17 in games played at Memorial Gym.
Vanderbilt-Kentucky Tidbits
John Jenkins scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Commodores to an 81-77 victory over #18 Kentucky on Saturday at Memorial Gym. Jenkins made a career-high 11 field goals (11-17) and tied a career-high with six made threes. Three other players, Festus Ezeli (14), Steve Tchiengang (12), and Brad Tinsley (11) also added double-figure points for the Commodores in the win.
– The Commodores moved to 14-1 at home in 2010-11.
– The four point margin of victory is the least against Kentucky since February 25, 2007, when the Commodores won 67-65.
– Vanderbilt has won six of its past eight meetings with Kentucky when playing in Memorial Gym.
– Vanderbilt’s 55% (11-for-20) shooting from beyond the arc matched a season-high previously set against South Carolina on February 5.
– The Commodores move to 6-0 when shooting 50% or better from three-point range.
– After making 20 free throws against Kentucky, Vanderbilt is now 11-2 when making 20 or more free throws.
– Jenkins’s 32 points marks the first 30-point game since A.J. Ogilvy scored 33 against LSU on March 4, 2009.
– This marked the first time a Commodore has scored 30 or more points against Kentucky since Mike Rhodes scored 34 on January 19, 1980.
– Vanderbilt’s 58.3% (7-for-12) shooting from beyond the arc in the first half is the highest three-point efficiency since shooting 71.4% (5-for-7) against Davidson on January 2.
– The seven three-pointers in the first half are the most the Commodores have had against an SEC opponent this season.
– For the third consecutive game, Vanderbilt shot 50% or better from three-point range in the first half.
Player Notes vs. Kentucky
– John Jenkins scored a career-high 32 points, topping his previous best of 27 set against West Virginia and South Carolina.
– Jenkins made a career-high 11 field goals, moving past his previous high of eight set against Appalachian State.
– Jenkins tallied his 14th 20+-point game of the season. He leads the SEC in 20-point games.
– Steve Tchiengang had a career-high 12 points against an SEC opponent, topping his previous high of 10 set against South Carolina on January 8, 2011.
– Rod Odom’s seven rebounds were a career-best against an SEC opponent, topping his previous high of six set against Tennessee on January 15, 2011.
– Brad Tinsley has made an assist in every game this season.
– Festus Ezeli was perfect from the free throw line (4-for-4) for the fourth time this season.