Jan. 19, 2016
Vanderbilt Gamenotes 
| Tennessee Gamenotes
The Commodores will hit the road for their first of two games this week when they travel to Knoxville to take on Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on the SEC Network, with all of the action also available on the Vanderbilt IMG Sports Radio Network.
Wednesday will be the 189th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Tennessee leading the overall series, 116-72, and 70-18 in games played in Knoxville. The Commodores won the last meeting in Knoxville on February 26, 2015, 73-65, behind 13 threes by Vanderbilt in the game. The first meeting between the two schools came in the 1921-22 season.
Vanderbilt improved to 10-7 overall and 2-3 in SEC play after the 71-63 win over Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym. Riley LaChance led three Vanderbilt in double figures with a season-high 18 points. Jeff Roberson tallied his third career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while also adding a career-high five assists, and Damian Jones added 13 points.
Alabama outshot the Commodores, 48.1% to 40.8%, and out rebounded Vanderbilt, 39-29. Vanderbilt is now 2-6 when outshot and 3-6 when out rebounded by an opponent.
Vanderbilt was 9-16 from behind-the-arc for a 56.3% clip against the Crimson Tide. It was the second consecutive game of shooting 50% or better and VU’s fourth game of the season at 50% or better. The Commodores are 16-29 in their last two games from three (55.1%).
Game 18/Vanderbilt (10-7, 2-3 SEC) vs. Tennessee (10-7, 2-3 SEC)
Knoxville, Tenn. – Thompson Boling Arena – 8 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
TV Talent: Mike Morgan (pxp), Joe Dean, Jr. (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 93, XM 190
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Series Information
Series Record: Tennessee leads, 116-72.
Last Meeting: UT win, 67-61, on 3/12/15 in Nashville (SEC Tournament)
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads, 53-39.
Record at UT: UT leads, 70-18.
Record at Neutral Site: UT leads, 7-1.
Coach Stallings vs. UT: Coach Stallings is 14-20 vs. Tennessee.
Quick Hitters
- Vanderbilt ranks first in all games in the SEC in field goal percentage defense (.377), 3FG% defense (.275), and are second in scoring margin (+13.1), 3FG% (.409), and threes made (8.5 per game).
- Nationally, VU ranks fourth in 3FG% defense, 9th in FG% defense, and 14th in 3FG%.
- Against Auburn, Luke Kornet scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked 10 shots and his performance against the Tiguers was Vanderbilt’s second triple-double in the program’s history. It was the program’s first triple-double with blocks, and his performance joined Brad Tinsley as the other triple double in program history when he registered 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over Presbyterian on November 12, 2010.
- Kornet’s 10 blocks set a new program record for blocks in a game – he surpassed three games with seven blocks by Will Perdue (vs. East Carolina, 12/28/87), Festus Ezeli (at Georgia, 2/16/11) and Damian Jones (at South Carolina, 2/13/14). The 10 blocks is also the most in the nation this season, and his 3.36 average per game would place him second in the nation, but NCAA rankings only account for players who have played in 75% or more contests.
- Ten players have scored in double figures in a game this season – Wade Baldwin, Luke Kornet, Damian Jones, Jeff Roberson, Riley LaChance, Matthew Fisher-Davis, Nolan Cressler, Camron Justice, Josh Henderson, and Joe Toye.
- Fisher-Davis leads the SEC in 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (.486).
- Vanderbilt is 8-0 on the season when Kornet attempts more two point baskets than three’s.
- In SEC play, Damian Jones leads the SEC in field goal percentage (.605).
- Head Coach Kevin Stallings, the school’s all-time winningest coach, is in his 17th season with the Commodores and 23rd overall as a head coach, and is now the dean of SEC coaches. Stallings has 323 career wins at Vanderbilt and 446 overall as a head coach. He has eight 20-win seasons in the last 12 seasons, with 11 total postseason appearances, six NCAA tournaments, and two Sweet 16’s (2004 and 2007). He is also one of five SEC coaches to win 300 or more games at one institution, joining Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, Florida’s Billy Donovan, and LSU’s Dale Brown and Harry Rabenhorst, and is in 6th place all-time on the SEC wins list.
- The Commodores have three players at seven feet or higher in their front court – Josh Henderson (7’0), Damian Jones (7’0), and Luke Kornet (7’1). LSU has two seven footers, and the rest of the league has one or fewer.
948
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 948 consecutive games, a streak which began at the inception of the 3-point line in 1986-87. The Commodores rank second only to UNLV for the longest streak in Division I basketball. Vanderbilt, UNLV and Princeton are the only three schools in college basketball to have made at least one 3-pointer in every game played since the 3-point line was implemented.
Academic Success
Eight members of this year’s team were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll or the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll for 2014-15.
Non-Conference Tough
According to KenPom.com, Vanderbilt has had a difficult non-conference slate. The Commodores’ non-conference schedule is ranked 78th in the nation, but seventh among all Power Five schools. Only Florida (42), UCLA (48), Texas (55), Stanford (59), Alabama (70), and Wake Forest (71) have had a tougher schedule accoring to KenPom.
About Tennessee
- Tennessee enters the game with a 9-8 record and a 2-3 mark in SEC play.
- Kevin Punter leads the Volunteers in scoring with 22.4 points per game. Robert Hubbs III (12.5), Armani Moore (12.4), and Devon Baulkman (10.2) also average double figures.
- Wednesday’s meeting will be the first of two meetings between the two schools. Tennessee will play at Memorial Gym on March 1.