Oct. 11, 2011
Meet the Freshmen | Frosh outtakes | Memorial Madness | Hoops trio seeks redemption
With virtually everyone returning from last season – 97% of the team’s scoring to be exact – the focus heading into the season will be directed at the returning players as Head Coach Kevin Stallings and the program look to take that next step in the Southeastern Conference and in the postseason.
Eight of the team’s 15 players are upperclassmen, including six seniors. But to take that next step as a program, the Commodores may turn to a highly-touted freshmen class to help get them to where they want to go.
The freshmen class was ranked in the top 30 nationally and includes point guard Kedren Johnson (Lewisburg, Tenn.), shooting guard Dai-Jon Parker (Baton Rouge, La.) and power forward Shelby Moats (Waconia, Minn.).
Expectations for the class will be high over the extent of their careers, but maybe just not this first season given the experience and depth returning.
No matter what role they play this season, the group knows the opportunity to take the floor with such talented players will benefit them in the long run.
“It is amazing opportunity to play with so many talented guys – some of which may play in the NBA someday,” Moats said. “To be able to learn from them is an opportunity that not many people get.”
Vanderbilt’s freshmen trio has been living that experience since arriving on campus in June. Despite the short amount of time together, the group has already developed a tight bond.
“We’ve bonded quickly,” Moats said. “Day one was awkward, but after that we just became family. We’d do anything for each other and I like that feeling to have them looking out for me.”
The three freshmen have grown up quickly together, but the bond has been especially tight between Johnson and Parker who room together in the Commons.
“Dai-Jon has probably become my best friend since I got up here,” Johnson said. “We’ve become really close these last few months.”
The players are close now just months after arriving on campus from different states. Each player took a unique route to get to Vanderbilt – a school none of the three were interested in attending until late in their high school careers.
A 6-foot-4 guard, Johnson prepped just down I-65 at Marshall Country High School in Lewisburg, Tenn., where he averaged 27.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 3.6 steals as a senior. Johnson was named Mr. Basketball in the state and was the Tennessean Player of the Year for two years.
“His handles are ridiculous,” Moats said of Johnson. “His body control in the air … I don’t think I’ve seen him miss a layup yet.”
Although he ended up at Vanderbilt, Johnson grew up pulling for the Orange and White. His father, Curtis, graduated from Tennessee and played center field on the baseball team.
“I had never thought about coming to Vanderbilt until probably my sophomore year when they offered me,” Johnson said. “I had never really watched a Vanderbilt basketball game until then because I grew up a Tennessee fan.”
A 6-foot-8 forward from Waconia High School in Waconia, Minn., Moats averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds as a senior and was a ParadeThird Team All-American.
“He’s really impressed me,” said Parker of Moats. “He was valedictorian of his high school and it shows. He is also a very hard worker.”
The first time Moats heard of Vanderbilt was as a junior in high school when he saw them on television. It wasn’t until he was asked to take his official visit that he knew Vanderbilt was in Nashville.
“I’ve recruited a lot of Vanderbilt fans from Minnesota, but I think they are just learning about Vanderbilt too,” Moats said.
Moats grew up following the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a school that, like Vanderbilt, also features an elevated basketball court. It is the elevated floor in Memorial Gym that Parker first remembers about Vanderbilt.
“It was a long time ago, maybe in middle school or maybe even in elementary school that I learned about Vanderbilt,” Parker said. “I always knew they had the weirdest court. That is the only reason I knew of Vanderbilt. I was like, `They have the weirdest court. Why do their benches look like volleyball?'”
A 6-foot-3 shooting guard known for his strong defense, Parker averaged 14 points, six rebounds and five assists as a senior at Milton High School in Alpharetta, Ga. Before moving to Georgia, Parker spent the majority of his childhood growing up in Baton Rouge, La.
In addition to his outstanding quickness, Parker is also regarded as the comedian among the trio.
“He is the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life,” Moats said. “I am going to live longer because of Dai-Jon because if laughing makes you live longer, he’s added at least seven years to my life already.”
Like the majority of freshmen, the toughest adjustment thus far for the players has been the speed.
“I’ve always been kind of fast, but I knew I could get faster, and by watching these guys, I knew I had to get faster,” said Parker who is regarded as the fastest of the three freshmen.
The three are quickly catching up to speed on the floor and are ready to help in any way they can. However, their impact may not be measured in minutes played, but rather in something much greater: wins.
You can follow me on 
Twitter @SchulzRyan