March 28, 2012
Coach Stallings on The Wake Up Zone
Head Coach Kevin Stallings joined Kevin Ingram, Mark Howard, and Frank Wycheck on 104.5’s The Wake Up Zone Wednesday morning to recap Vanderbilt’s basketball season and analyze the remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Highlights from Stallings’ 25-win season included the Commodores’ first SEC Tournament championship in 61 years and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament third round for the first time since 2007.
“I don’t think you ever feel good how it ends. Unless you get to the Final Four or win the national championship, you lose your last game,” Stallings said of Vanderbilt’s last-second defeat to Wisconsin. “We lost a game that was obviously winnable. We had a shot to win; our last shot just didn’t go in.
“At the same time, I don’t think it takes away from what our guys accomplished. We were very proud of the way our season ended. There were some disappointments along the way, but there were some great things along the way, too.”
With five scholarship seniors graduating from the 2011-12 squad, Ingram asked Stallings about the timetable for junior guard John Jenkins to determine his basketball future. Stallings said he sent information to the National Basketball Association office the day after the season ended and is waiting to hear back from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee.
“It’s a process in which (the committee) will ask between 20-25 clubs where they have John on their scouting board, whether it be general managers, scouting directors, or people like that,” commented Stallings. “That process usually takes about two weeks, so we’re probably a week out from hopefully getting that information. John’s waiting to see what they say. Depending upon what they say will obviously impact what kind of decision he makes going forward.”
Stallings has a unique perspective on the Final Four having coached against Kentucky and Louisville this season. The Commodores are one of only two teams to defeat the top-ranked Wildcats.
“I think (Michael) Kidd-Gilchrist is kind of the key to (Kentucky’s) team,” Stallings said in his breakdown of Saturday’s first game. “He’s sort of the guy that nobody can matchup with. Kentucky can play small and put Darius Miller at the 4, or they can play big and put (Doron) Lamb at the point. They just have mismatches and advantages on whomever they play. It’s why they have the best team.
“It will be a good game. I think the one chance Louisville has is that the pressure is on Kentucky. That could end up working to Louisville’s favor. I still expect Kentucky to win.”
In the second NCAA semifinal between Ohio State and Kansas, Stallings gave rave reviews for Aaron Craft, the Buckeyes’ sophomore point guard.
“(Craft’s) unbelievable. He might be my favorite player on another team in college basketball this year. He is unbelievable defensively. He almost is as good defensively at his position as (Kentucky’s) Anthony Davis is at his, which is really amazing.
“I expect Ohio State to win the game. I think Ohio State is the one team that can really give Kentucky a real run for their money in the national championship game because they have five guys on the court at the same time that can all make shots.”