Feb. 21, 2017
Vanderbilt Gamenotes 
| Tennessee Gamenotes
With a two-game home stand in their rear-view mirror, the Commodores hope to continue their recent successes this Wednesday evening in Knoxville when they take on Tennessee for the second time this season. The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on the SEC Network, with the action also being heard across the Vanderbilt IMG Radio Network and online at vucommodores.com.
Vanderbilt improved to 14-13 overall and 7-7 in the SEC after a 71-62 win over nationally-ranked South Carolina Saturday evening at Memorial Gym. Junior Matthew Fisher-Davis scored 17 points to lead the Commodores, with junior Riley LaChance (14) and senior Nolan Cressler (13) also scoring in double figures.
Vanderbilt trailed 30-27 at halftime, but outscored South Carolina 44-32 in the second half. The Commodores are now 3-7 when trailing at the half this season.
The Commodores held the Gamecocks to just one made field goal in the final 9:30 of gameplay.
The Vanderbilt perimeter defense held South Carolina without a made 3-point field goal until PJ Dozier made one with just 24 seconds to play in the game. The Gamecocks finished 1-9 (11%) from behind the arc.
Vanderbilt (14-13, 7-7 SEC) vs. Tennessee (15-12, 7-7 SEC)
Knoxville, Tenn. – Thompson Boling Arena – 5:30 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
TV Talent: Dave Neal (pxp), Chris Spatola (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 145, XM 190
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Tennessee is Vanderbilt’s most played opponent
Tennessee is Vanderbilt’s most-played opponent – Wednesday’s meeting will be the 193rd overall meeting. The Commodores have won their last two games in Knoxville, and are looking for their first three-game win streak at Tennessee since 1955, 56, and 57.
In Vanderbilt’s last two games in Knoxville, the Commodores have made 13 threes in each of the two wins. Fisher-Davis led the Commodore barrage last season with six, while in 2015, Luke Kornet led the way with five threes.
Anchor Points
- Vanderbilt leads the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (38.3%), threes made (10.0) and free throw percentage (77.1%) in all games. In league games only, the Commodores are third in free throw percentage (75.9%) and first in threes made (10.2). As of February 20th, the Commodores rank 13th nationally in free-throw percentage and are 14th in 3’s made per game.
- As of February 20, the Commodores have the third toughest overall schedule and toughest non-conference schedule in the nation according to the NCAA RPI, and the number one non-conference strength of schedule.
- In SEC play, Kornet is ranked in seven different categories – rebounding (9th, 6.4), free-throw percentage (5th, 85.4%), 3FG% (7th, .392), 3FG made (9th, 2.1), blocks (5th, 1.9), defensive rebounding (6th, 4.6), and minutes played (7th, 33.4).
- Forward Jeff Roberson ranks sixth in the SEC in rebounding (7.1) in all games and sixth (6.8) in league games only, and is fourth in the league in defensive rebounding (5.3) in all games and fifth in league games only (4.9).
- In 14 SEC games, the Commodores have three players who are in the top 10 in three-point field goal percentage, with junior Riley LaChance leading the way for Vanderbilt at 44.1%, which ranks second. Kornet is seventh in the conference at 39.2% in league games only, while Matthew Fisher-Davis is 8th at 36.6% in league games only. Fisher-Davis is second in league games only in 3’s made (2.6), LaChance seventh (2.1) , and Kornet eighth (2.1).
- Making three’s is not a new thing for this year’s Commodore team. Combined in their career, current players have made 817 career threes.
- Riley LaChance leads the SEC in all games in three-point field goal percentage at 49.1%. He is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1), seventh in the league in assists (4.0), and eighth in three’s made (2.1) in all games.
- Fisher-Davis is ninth in the SEC in scoring in all games and is second in the league in three’s made (2.7) and third in 3FG% (.396) in all games.
- Sophomore Joe Toye has now started in four consecutive games and five in his career. Against Texas A&M, he tied a career best with 13 points. He also set new career highs for free throws made (6) and attempted (7).
Series Information
Series Record: Tenn. leads, 118-74.
Last Meeting: Tenn. win, 87-75, on 1/14/17 at Memorial Gym.
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads 50-36.
Record at Tennessee: UT leads 73-23.
Record at Neutral Site: UT leads 9-1.
Coach Drew vs. Tennessee: Coach Drew is 0-1 against Tennessee.
About Tennessee
- Tennessee enters the game with a 15-12 overall mark and a 7-7 record in SEC play heading into Wednesday’s game.
- Senior Robert Hubbs III leads Tennessee in scoring with 14.3 points per game. Freshman Grant Williams also averages double figures with 12.8 points per game.
- Tennessee won an earlier meeting between the two teams at Memorial Gym, 87-75, on January 14.
Dores Have Nation’s Toughest Non-Conference Schedule
The Commodores have the third-toughest overall schedule and the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation according to the NCAA RPI and Jerry Palm.
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 Moving Up Blocks List
Senior Luke Kornet is now second on the Vanderbilt all-time block list with 191 career blocks and only trails Festus Ezeli on the list. Ezeli, who currently is on the Portland Trail Blazers roster, is the all-time blocks leader with 204 career blocks. Kornet is also third on the blocks per game list with 1.58 in his career. Kornet trails Ezeli and Damian Jones, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors, on the list (each at 1.69 per game).
Kornet NCAA leader in 3’s made by a seven-footer
Kornet is now the NCAA career three-pointers made leader with 140, surpassing Vanderbilt’s own David Przybyszewski, who has 131 career threes. Only two other seven footers have more than 100 – Derek Silvig of Montana (106) and Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin (103).
Dores Drain Threes
Vanderbilt made 19 threes against High Point on December 6, which set a new school record for threes in a game, surpassing an 18-three performance at Tennessee on January 8, 2005.
The Commodores also set a new record for most 3-pointers made at Memorial Gym, passing the old mark of 16 that was set on Jan. 8, 1994 vs. South Carolina and then matched on Feb. 11, 1995 vs. Arkansas. The Commodores hit 12 of their 19 3-pointers in the first half.
VU Makes Gamewinner
The Commodores made their first game-winning basket in almost four years against Chattanooga on December 17, when Luke Kornet made a three with 2.9 seconds remaining to give VU the 76-74 win over the Mocs.
The game-winner was the first since Kevin Bright made a 15-footer from the baseline on February 27, 2013, to defeat Georgia, 63-62, at Memorial Gym.
Neutral Site Dores
Vanderbilt has played in four neutral site games already this season – against Minnesota in Sioux Falls, S.D., the season opener vs. Marquette (Veterans Classic, Annapolis, Md.) and the two games at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Butler, Santa Clara).
700th SEC Win
Vanderbilt is in its 84th SEC season and is a charter member of the league. All time against current members of the conference, Vanderbilt is 704-691.
991
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 991 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.
Cressler goes for 20
Senior Nolan Cressler scored a season-high 20 points in a win against Iowa State on January 28, his most as a Commodore in two seasons of action after transferring from Cornell. Cressler’s previous high was 14 points, which occurred three times in the 2015-16 season.
Fisher-Davis in Top 10 for 3’s
Matthew Fisher-Davis now has 220 threes in his Vanderbilt career and is in ninth place in career threes made on the Commodores’ all-time list.
Commodores make 16 3’s vs LSU
Vanderbilt made 16 of 32 threes in route to a 96-89 win over LSU on December 29, the Commodores third game this season making 15 or more threes.
On December 29, the two teams combined to make 33 three pointers, which set a new SEC record for combined threes in a game.