Dec. 5, 2016
Vanderbilt Gamenotes 
| High Point Gamenotes
After Vanderbilt’s first-ever trip to South Dakota over the weekend, the Commodores return home to the friendly confines of Memorial Gym when they take on the High Point Panthers out of the Big South Conference. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised online on SEC Network Plus, with the action also being heard across the Vanderbilt IMG Radio Network and online at vucommodores.com.
Vanderbilt dropped to 4-4 on the season after a 56-52 loss to Minnesota on December 3 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Junior Jeff Roberson garnered his seventh career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Roberson’s previous career-best in rebounds was 13 against St. John’s in Maui on November 23, 2015. Senior Luke Kornet also added double figures with 12 points.
Collecting Coats and Toys for Gatlinburg Fire Victims
Vanderbilt Athletics will be collecting any size winter jackets and new, unopened toys for children who lost everything in the Gatlinburg fires Tuesday at the Commodore men’s basketball game at Memorial Gym.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department is transporting donations to the Gatlinburg area next week and Vanderbilt Athletics will be collecting items at the entrances to Memorial Gym.
Football Team Signing Autographs, Mason Vest Giveaway
The Independence Bowl-bound Vanderbilt Commodore football team will be in attendance to sign autographs from 6-6:45 at the Memorial Gym Practice Gym, and a Derek Mason Vest will be given away at the game against High Point. Fans can enter to win the vest at Enter to Win stations around Memorial Gym, and fans must be present to win.
Vanderbilt (4-4) vs. High Point (4-4)
Nashville, Tenn. – Memorial Gym – 7 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network Plus
TV Talent: Kevin Ingram (play by play), Shan Foster (Color)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 108
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Anchor Points
- Roberson is fourth in the SEC in rebounding (8.0) and second in defensive rebounding (5.9). His rebounding average is the most by a Commodore since Will Perdue averaged 10.1 rebounds per game in 1987-88.
- The Commodores shot their lowest field goal percentage of the season against Minnesota (30.2%). Vanderbilt was also 32% from three on the night.
- Vanderbilt out rebounded Minnesota 46-41, and 14-10 on the offensive glass.
- Matthew Fisher-Davis, Kornet and Roberson have scored in double figures in six games apiece, Riley LaChance in four.
- LaChance is shooting 19-28 from three on the season (67.9%). He has 28 assists and only five turnovers in the last five games and has made 10 threes in his last three games.
- LaChance leads the SEC in 3FG% (.679), is tied for second in assist to turnover ratio (3.5), tied for seventh in assists (4.4), and seventh in 3FG made (2.4).
- In Las Vegas, the Commodores made 15 threes against Santa Clara for the first time since making 17 against Ole Miss on January 15, 2013.
- Fisher-Davis leads the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game, while Kornet adds 13.8 points, Roberson 10.8, and LaChance 10.1.
- Fisher-Davis is tied for fourth in the SEC in 3FG Made (2.5), seventh in 3FG% (.426), and 10th in free throw percentage (.844).
- The Commodores have had four four-point play attempts this season.
- Freshman guard Payton Willis has started in three consecutive games, beginning with the game against Santa Clara. Against the Broncos, Willis had a career-high eight assists. It was the most by a Commodore since Wade Baldwin IV had eight assists against Tennessee on March 10, 2016. Willis scored a career-high 17 points vs. Butler.
- Vanderbilt recently played in their fourth neutral site game of the season against Minnesota in Sioux Falls, S.D., joining the season opener vs. Marquette (Veterans Classic, Annapolis, Md.) and the two games at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Butler, Santa Clara).
- As a team, Vanderbilt is first in the SEC in three-point field goals made (9.3) and three-point field goal percentage (.398).
- Kornet had four blocks against Norfolk State, the 15th time in his career that he has posted four or more blocks. He led the SEC in blocks a year ago and was tied for third nationally, averaging 3.0 per contest.
- Head coach Bryce Drew takes over the Vanderbilt program after spending five seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, Valparaiso, where he posted a 124-49 record. Drew was a three-time Horizon League Coach of the Year and two-time NABC District 12 Coach of the Year with Valparaiso, where he averaged 25 wins a season, won four regular season championships, and made four postseason appearances, two in the NCAA Tournament and two in the NIT, with the Crusaders.
Series Information
Series Record: VU leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt win 81-75 on 12/15/02 at Memorial Gym.
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads 1-0.
Record at HPU: NA
Record at Neutral Site: NA
Coach Drew vs. High Point: Coach Drew has never faced High Point.
About High Point
- High Point enters the game with a 4-4 overall record after dropping their most recent contest to Drexel, 78-72.
- Andre Fox is the team’s leading scorer with 16.0 points per game. Miles Bowman, Jr., averages 12.3 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds per contest.
- Tuesday’s meeting will be the second all-time between the two schools. Vanderbilt defeated High Point 81-75 on 12/15/02 at Memorial Gym.
- In High Point’s only other appearance at Memorial Gym, then sophomore Joe Knight tallied 40 points in the Panther loss.
Other News and Notes
Notes from Minnesota Game
- The Commodores fell to 4-4 overall on the year. The game in Sioux Falls, S.D., was the program’s first-ever game in the state of South Dakota.
- Minnesota improves their record over the Commodores to 6-0. It was the Golden Gophers’ first win over Vanderbilt at a neutral site.
- The Commodores shot their lowest field goal percentage of the season against Minnesota (30.2%). Vanderbilt was also 32% from three on the night.
- Vanderbilt out rebounded Minnesota 46-41, and 14-10 on the offensive glass.
- The Commodores opened the game on a 14-2 run.
- Junior Jeff Roberson garnered his eighth career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Roberson’s previous career-best in rebounds was 13 against St. John’s in Maui on November 23, 2015.
- The 12-point performance marked the sixth double-digit performance of the season and 26th of his career.
- Roberson’s 16 rebounds was the most by a Commodore since Damian Jones registered 16 against Georgia on February 20, 2016.
- The loss to Minnesota marked the first time Vanderbilt has lost when Roberson has registered a double-double in his career.
- Senior Luke Kornet added 12 points on the night. It was his sixth double-digit scoring game of the season and 38th of his career.
- Kornet played in his 100th game as a Commodore.
- Junior guard Riley LaChance was second on the team in rebounding with seven, a season high.
VU Staff Can Score
The Vanderbilt men’s basketball staff has combined to score a total of 5,486 collegiate points, with head coach Bryce Drew leading the way with 2,142 points. Here’s a breakdown of the staff’s scoring totals.
Head Coach Bryce Drew, Valparaiso=2,142
Asst. Coach Casey Shaw, Toledo=1,562
Assoc. Head Coach Roger Powell, Jr., Illinois=1,178
Asst. Coach Jake Diebler, Valparaiso=586
Total=5,468
Kornet Excels in Classroom
Senior center Luke Kornet has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in the three years he has played at Vanderbilt, and also been named a CoSida All-District Academic Selection in his sophomore and junior seasons.
Kornet is double majoring in computer science and mathematics.
Four with 25+ threes
Four returning Commodores made 25 or more threes a year ago, with Matthew Fisher-Davis leading the way with 79. Riley LaChance (43), Jeff Roberson (30), and Luke Kornet (26) also eclipsed the 25 made three mark.
Returning for VU
57.3% of the team’s scoring returns from a year ago, along with six players who played 28 or more games and four players who made 19 or more starts.
Commodores vs. Big South
The Commodores have a 12-0 record all-time against members of the current Big South Conference. High Point is the only Big South conference team on this year’s regular season schedule.
972
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 972 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.
NBA Commodores
Vanderbilt was one of only three schools (Kentucky, Washington) with two first-round selections in the 2016 NBA Draft when Wade Baldwin IV was drafted 17th by the Memphis Grizzlies and Damian Jones was selected 30th by the Golden State Warriors. Baldwin IV and Jones became the sixth and seventh first-round picks, respectively, in the history of the program, joining Will Perdue in 1988 (11th, Chicago), Jeff Turner in 1984 (7th, New Jersey), Clyde Lee in 1966 (3rd, San Francisco), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta), and Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State) in 2012.
Memorial Gym close to 1,000
The matchup with High Point will be the 992nd regular season game played at Memorial Gym.
The Commodores have a 775-216 record at the SEC’s oldest facility, a winning percentage of .782.
2015-16 National Statistics
In 2015-16, the Commodores finished in a tie for third nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to only 29.4% from three. Vanderbilt also finished fifth in field goal percentage defense (38.6%) and ninth in blocks per game (5.5). Luke Kornet tied for third nationally in blocks, averaging 3.0 per contest.
Commodore Postseason History
The Commodores have been named to 14 NCAA Tournaments and 12 NIT’s. Vanderbilt advanced to the Elite 8 in 1965 (field of 23), and the Sweet 16 in 1988, 1993, 2004, and 2007. The Commodores captured the NIT Championship in 1990 and finished runner-up in 1994.
Vanderbilt Coaching History
Bryce Drew is the ninth Commodore basketball coach of the modern era and the 27th all time.