March 3, 2017
Vanderbilt basketball will close their regular season this Saturday afternoon when they host the #12-ranked Florida Gators at 1 p.m. CT at Memorial Gym. The game will be televised on will be televised on ESPN, with the action also being heard across the Vanderbilt IMG Radio Network and online at vucommodores.com.
The Commodores dropped a hard-fought, 73-67 decision at Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., to end a four-game winning streak. Senior Luke Kornet tied a season-high 21 points and sophomore Joe Toye scored a career-high 15 points for the Commodores.
The Commodores limited Kentucky to only 29.4% from three – in Vanderbilt’s last five games, the Commodores are only allowing opponents a 24.7% clip from beyond the arc and 61.2 points per game. Vanderbilt shot 11-28 (39%) from 3-point range – the Commodores have now made 10 or more threes in 15 games this year.
Florida will be the fifth ranked opponent this season for the Commodores, and the second consecutive game VU has played a ranked opponent. The Commodores are 2-2 this season against ranked opponents, with one of those wins coming against #19/21 Florida, 68-66, in Gainesville on January 21.
All-time, Vanderbilt has a 92-228 record against ranked opponents and a 62-75 record against ranked opponents at home.
This will be the 131st meeting between the two schools. The Commodores have won three consecutive games in the series (twice in 2016 and once in 2017).
Senior Day
Senior players Nolan Cressler and Luke Kornet, as well as senior manager Zach Hamer will be honored before Saturday’s game in a senior day presentation.
Halftime Performance
There will be a halftime performance from America’s Got Talent’s Sandou Russian Bar Trio on Saturday.
Tickets Available
There are tickets available, including a select few in the lower level student section, for $20. Visit vucommodores.com or call 615-322-GOLD to secure your tickets for senior day.
Vanderbilt (16-14, 9-8 SEC) vs. #12/12 Florida (24-6, 14-3 SEC)
Nashville, Tenn. – Memorial Gym – 1 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN
TV Talent: Tom Hart (pxp), Kara Lawson (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
Anchor Points
- Vanderbilt leads the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (38.4%), threes made (10.1) and free throw percentage (77.2%) in all games. In league games only, the Commodores are third in free throw percentage (75.4%) and first in threes made (10.4). As of March 2, the Commodores rank 13th nationally in free-throw percentage and are 12th in 3’s made per game.
- As of March 2, the Commodores have the second 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.
- Overall rankings on March 2: RPI – 48; KenPom – 40; ESPN BPI – 50.
- Luke Kornet was named a CoSida 2nd Team Academic All-American on Thursday for his work in the classroom. Kornet joins only four other Commodore players to make either the first or second team – Jeff Fosnes (1st team, 1975, 1976), Bruce Elder (2nd team, 1992; 1st team, 1993), Steve Grant (2nd team, 1991), and Frank Seckar (2nd team, 1996).
- In SEC play, Kornet is ranked in seven different categories – rebounding (9th, 6.7), free throw % (T-3rd, .878), 3FG% (8th, .389), 3FG made (T-7th, 2.1), blocks (3rd, 2.2), defensive rebounding (5th, 5.0), and minutes played (7th, 33.1).
- Forward Jeff Roberson ranks seventh in the SEC in rebounding (7.1) in all games and eighth (6.7) in league games only, and is fourth in the league in defensive rebounding (5.2) in all games and seventh in league games only (4.8).
- In 17 SEC games, Vanderbilt has three players in the top 10 in 3FG% – LaChance (2nd, .447), Kornet (8th, .389), and Matthew Fisher-Davis (10th, .345). Fisher-Davis is second in league games only in 3’s made (2.4), Kornet seventh (2.1) and LaChance 9th (2.0)
- Making three’s is not a new thing for this year’s Commodore team. Combined in their career, current players have made 850 career threes.
- Riley LaChance is shooting 49.2% from three for the season and is fourth in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1), seventh in the league in assists (4.0), and ninth in three’s made (1.9) in all games.
- Fisher-Davis is fourth in 3FG% in all games (38.1%) and second in threes made (2.6).
- Vanderbilt has five road wins in league play this year, the most by a Vanderbilt team since winning six league road games in 2010.
Series Information
Series Record: UF leads, 67-64.
Last Meeting: VU win, 68-66, on Jan. 21, 2017, in Gainesville.
Record at Vanderbilt: VU leads 43-15.
Record at Florida: UF leads 42-23.
Record at Neutral Site: UF leads 6-2.
Coach Drew vs. Florida: Coach Drew is 1-0 against Florida.
About Florida
- Florida enters the game with a 24-6 overall record and a 14-3 mark in the SEC. The Gators will be the number two seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.
- KeVaughn Allen leads the Gators in scoring with 13.9 points per game. Canyon Barry (12.4) and Devin Robinson (11.0) also add double digits.
- The meeting Saturday will be the 132nd between the two schools, with the first matchup coming in the 1930-31 season. The Gators lead the all-time series 67-64.
- Vanderbilt defeated Florida 68-66 earlier this season on Jan. 21 in Gainesville.
- The Commodores are 43-15 all time in games played at Vanderbilt and 40-15 in games played at Memorial Gym.
Dores Have Nation’s Toughest Non-Conference Schedule
The Commodores have the second-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 201 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 1.65 in his career. Kornet trails Ezeli and Damian Jones, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors, on the list (each at 1.64 per game).
Kornet NCAA leader in 3’s made by a seven-footer
Kornet is now the NCAA career three-pointers made leader with 146, 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.
Kornet named Academic All-American
Senior center Luke Kornet has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a CoSida All-District Academic Selection in the three years he has played at Vanderbilt, and was named a CoSida 2nd Team Academic All-American on March 2nd for his work in the classroom.
Kornet joins only four other Commodore players to make either the first or second team – Jeff Fosnes (1st team, 1975, 1976), Bruce Elder (2nd team, 1992; 1st team, 1993), Steve Grant (2nd team, 1991), and Frank Seckar (2nd team, 1996).
Kornet is majoring in engineering, computer science, and mathematics.
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 706-692.
994
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 994 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 224 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.