March 19, 2015
Vanderbilt Gamenotes
| South Dakota State Gamenotes
The Commodores return home to the friendly confines of Memorial Gym this Friday night for the final time this season when they take on South Dakota State in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. CT, and will be televised on ESPNU and can be heard on the Vanderbilt IMG College Radio Network throughout Middle Tennessee.
Vanderbilt, the number five seed in the Colorado State regional, defeated number four seed Saint Mary’s Wednesday night in the first round in Moraga, Calif., 75-64, to advance to the second round. South Dakota State, the eight seed, knocked off top-seeded Colorado State Wednesday evening in Fort Collins, 86-76, to move on to Friday’s contest.
Vanderbilt improved to 20-13 overall this season after the win over Saint Mary’s Wednesday at McKeon Pavilion and the Commodores are now 19-10 all-time in NIT games and 7-6 in road games in the tournament. Vanderbilt won their 20th game for the eighth time of the Stallings’ era and for the first time since 2012. It was the 19th 20-win season in the history of the Vanderbilt program. Vanderbllt shot 49.2% from the floor but only 23.5% from three. For the game, the Commodores were 25 of 42 from inside the arc (59.5%). Vanderbilt had four players in double figures, with Damian Jones leading the way with 21 points. The Commodores had 11 blocks on the day, a new season-high for Vanderbilt. It also surpassed Vanderbilt’s previous team-best in a postseason game, which was seven against Houston on March 13, 2002, and against Wake Forest on March 14, 2000. The 11 blocks also tied a program-best for blocks in a game – Vanderbilt also had 11 blocks at Arizona State on December 29, 1994.
Jones scored 21 points and tied a career-high with 10 made field goals. Jones tallied 20 or more points for the eighth time this season. He also grabbed seven rebounds and had two blocks. Riley LaChance scored 17 points, his 24th game in double figures this season. He added five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Wade Baldwin IV scored 10 points, his seventh consecutive game in double figures. The Commodores are 12-3 in games in which he scores in double figures. Jeff Roberson tallied 10 points, his third game in double figures this season and first since scoring a career-high 12 points against Tennessee on February 11.
Game 34/#5 Vanderbilt (20-13) vs. #8 South Dakota State (24-10)
Nashville, Tenn. – Memorial Gym – 8:30 p.m. CT
TV: ESPNU
TV Talent: Mike Couzens (pxp), Daymeon Fishback (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Series Information
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: NA
Record at Vanderbilt: NA
Record at SDSU: NA
Record at Neutral Site: NA
Coach Stallings vs. SDSU: Coach Stallings has never faced South Dakota State.
About South Dakota State
South Dakota State enters the game with a 24-10 overall record after knocking off #1-seed Colorado State, 86-76, in the first round of the NIT Wednesday night in Fort Collins, Colo.
Deondre Parks leads a balanced Jackrabbit offense heading into Friday’s game, averaging 14.2 points per game. Cody Larson (13.8), George Marshall (13.4), and Jake Bittle (10.0) also average double figures.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
More on Vanderbilt in the NIT
Vanderbilt is making their 12th appearance in the NIT and their first appearance since 2006. Other appearances have come in 1983, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2005.
In all, this is Vanderbilt’s 25th postseason appearance, and their first since the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
This will be Coach Kevin Stallings’ fifth NIT and 11th postseason appearance as Commodore coach. Stallings has a 4-4 all-time record in the NIT.
The Commodores have an 19-10 overall record in the tournament (.655).
The Commodores captured the 1990 NIT and finished runner-up in 1994.
Prior to Wednesday’s game at Saint Mary’s, Vanderbilt’s last game in the NIT came on March 15, 2006, in a 79-69 loss at Notre Dame.
The Damian Jones Show
Sophomore Damian Jones, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, has had a stellar two-game stretch, averaging 20.5 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee and Saint Mary’s, respectively. He has scored 20+ points in eight games this year and is first in the SEC in field goal percentage, 3rd in blocks (2.0), and 10th in scoring. He posted his 8th 20+-point game of the year in his last time out at Saint Mary’s, when he tied a career-high with 10 field goals made and scored 21 points. He had a career-high 15 rebounds vs. Tennessee.
20-Win Seasons
With the win over Saint Mary’s, Vanderbilt registered its eighth 20-win season in the last 12 years and its 19th overall in program history. Coach Kevin Stallings’ eight 20-win seasons is the most by a Vanderbilt coach.
Travelling Dores
After the announcement Sunday that Vanderbilt had made the 32-team NIT field, the Commodores boarded a plane Monday for Moraga, Calif., to play at Saint Mary’s (2,290 miles). VU returned back to Nashville Thursday. If the Commodores advance to the quarterfinals, Vanderbilt will either play at Stanford (2,275 miles) or at Rhode Island (1,044 miles).
All-SEC
Vanderbilt sophomore center Damian Jones was named to the All-SEC 1st Team and the All-Defensive Team, while freshmen Wade Baldwin IV and Riley
LaChance were honored on the All-Freshman Team in an announcement made by the SEC Office.
The trio become the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th selections, respectively, to be honored as an All-SEC team member of the Kevin Stallings’ era, while Jones’ first-team honor is the program’s 56th selection since 1949 and the first since 2012 when John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor were named to the team. Baldwin IV and LaChance became Vanderbilt’s 13th and 14th selections on the All-Freshman team.
Baldwin and LaChance’s selection to the All-Freshman Team marks the first time Vanderbilt has had two players on the team in the same season.
Block Party
Vanderbilt blocked 11 shots against Saint Mary’s, which tied a program record. Vanderbilt also had 11 blocks at Arizona State on December 29, 1994.
Stallings Now Has 312 Vanderbilt Wins, Moves Past Tubby Smith For Sixth On Wins List
Head Coach Kevin Stallings, the school’s all-time winningest coach, is in his 16th season with the Commodores and 21st overall as a head coach. Stallings has 312 career wins at Vanderbilt and 435 overall as a head coach. He has eight 20-win seasons in the last 12 seasons, with six NCAA tournament appearances 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 now in 6th place all-time on the SEC wins list after surpassing Tubby Smith after the Alabama win at Memorial Gym.
Close Losses
The Commodores’ largest margin of defeat in league play was a 12-point decision at Arkansas. Two of the losses have come in overtime (LSU, Tennessee), and three others have come by three points or less (Georgia, at Miss. State, at Florida). Vanderbilt is 12 points away from an 11-game win streak (OT loss vs. Tenn., 76-73; 50-47 loss at Florida, 67-61 loss vs. Tennessee).
Current 10-Game Stretch Ties a Stallings-Best
This year’s record over final the 10 regular season games ties for the best mark under Coach Stallings. The Commodores were also 8-2 in 07-08.
Basketball Finishes in the Regular Season
2014-2015: won 8 of last 10 games
2013-2014: won 3 of last 10 games
2012-2013: won 6 of last 10 games
2011-2012: won 5 of last 10 games
2010-2011: won 6 of last 10 games
2009-2010: won 7 of last 10 games
2008-2009: won 7 of last 10 games
2007-2008: won 8 of last 10 games
2006-2007: won 6 of last 10 games
2005-2006: won 4 of last 10 games
2004-2005: won 6 of last 10 games
2003-2004: won 6 of last 10 games
2002-2003: won 1 of last 10 games
2001-2002: won 3 of last 10 games
2000-2001: won 2 of last 10 games
1999-2000: won 5 of last 10 games
Baldwin Playing Well
Baldwin IV was recently named to the SEC All-Freshman team after finishing regular season fifth in the league in assists (4.4) in all games and leading all SEC freshmen in assists. For the year, he has 145 assists and only 65 turnovers this season. He finished the regular season 6th in all games in steals (1.5) and 3rd in A/TO ratio (2.2). In league games only, he finished the season fifth in steals (1.7), fourth in assists (4.54, and 8th in A/TO ratio (2.0). He is now 10th all-time and VU’s all-time freshman leader on the Vanderbilt single-season assist list with 145 assists. He has also recorded 48 steals this season, the 2nd most in 13 years.
LaChance leads all SEC Freshmen
Freshman Riley LaChance, recently named to the All-Freshman team, is the leading freshman scorer in the SEC at 12.6 points per game in all games. He also leads all SEC freshmen in three’s made per contest at 1.9 per game, which is sixth in the conference overall. LaChance has won four SEC Freshman of the Week honor so far his play this season, which is a new program record. Earlier this year, he poured in two consecutive 26-point games against Purdue and Western Carolina, and has three 20+ point games this season. In all, he has scored in double figures in 24 contests.
Siakam one of SEC’s most effective
There are 65 players in the SEC who have played in 650 minutes or more, and James Siakam is tied at the top of the list with Texas A&M’s Courtney Roberson for the league’s most efficient. Siakam’s offensive efficiency rating is currently 62.7% (FGM + .5 (3FG)/FGA), with most of his makes coming around the basket and on offensive putbacks. Against Mississippi State, the senior had more offensive rebounds (5) than the entire Bulldog team, and also made the first three of his career. Siakam has 15 double-digit point games and three double-doubles this season.
Commodores on Single-Season Lists
Wade Baldwin IV is 10th all-time on the Vanderbilt single-season assist list with 145 assists.
Damian Jones has 483 points this season, which is third on Vanderbilt’s sophomore single-season scoring list.
Riley LaChance is fourth on Vanderbilt’s single-season freshman scoring list with 417 points – one of only four Vanderbilt freshman to ever eclipse 400-point barrier. The last Commodore freshman to score 400 or more points in a season was A.J. Ogilvy in 2007-08, when he scored a freshman-record 578 points.
March Madness at Memorial
Friday’s game against South Dakota State marks the seventh time in the history of the program that the Commodores have played a game at Memorial Gym later than March 20. The latest game in the history of the program at home came on March 23, 1994, in a NIT quarterfinal game against Clemson, a contest the Commodores won, 89-74. In all, Friday marks the 11th time Memorial Gym has hosted an NIT game.
SEC’s Youngest Backcourt
The Commodores’ freshman backcourt is the youngest in the SEC. In fact, Vanderbilt is the only school in the league to start three freshmen at the three guard spots.
Young Commodores
According to KenPom.com, Vanderbilt is number 347 out of 351 Division I playing schools in terms of experience at 0.72 years. The average years of experience across the 351 schools is 1.67 years.
Three-Point Streak Still Intact
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 929 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.
Frontcourt Height
Vanderbilt’s starting frontline of 7-0, 6-10 & 6-6 is the second tallest in the SEC in terms of average height. Kentucky – 82.3 inches; Vanderbilt – 81.3 inches; LSU – 81.3 inches.
