No. 1 UT at No. 14 VU - 8 p.m. ESPN

Feb. 26, 2008

GAME AT A GLANCE

Last Game: Vanderbilt shot 63 percent from the field in the second half and pulled away from Georgia for an 86-74 victory Saturday. Recap No. 1 Tennessee (25-2, 11-1 SEC) at No. 14 Vanderbilt (23-4, 8-4) Tues., Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. CT Memorial Gym (14,316) Nashville, Tenn. – SOLD OUT TELEVISION: ESPN Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler; Color: Jimmy Dykes RADIO: 104.5 the Zone Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher; Color: Tim Thompson SIRIUS: Channel 123 SERIES INFORMATION Tennessee leads the all-time series, 106-66; Vanderbilt leads 45-31 all-time in Nashville; UT leads 68-20 in Knoxville; UT leads 7-1 on neutral floors. LAST MEETING Tennessee won 80-60 in Knoxville on January 17. COACHES Kevin Stallings is in his ninth year at Vanderbilt (167-112) and his 15th overall (290-175). Bruce Pearl is in his third season with Tennessee (71-21) and 16th overall (388-105). UT TIDBITS The Vols’ are ranked No. 1 in both national polls for the first time in the program’s 99 seasons… Tennessee has started with an 11-1 record in league play for first time since 1976-77… UT leads the SEC in scoring (83.3 ppg), scoring margin (+14.4), assists (18.89 apg), steals (10.04 spg), turnover margin (+6.30), assist-turnover ratio (1.44), 3-point field goals made (9.19 3pg) and 3-point field goal defense (.291)… Tennessee is forcing its opponents to turn the ball over an average of 19.4 times per game which ranks as the seventh-most in the nation. The Vols are averaging 22.7 points per game off turnovers this season… Senior guard Chris Lofton needs 21 points to reach the 2,000 career point mark. The senior guard ranks sixth in school history with 1,979 career points after passing Bernard King (1,982) last week against Auburn… UT PLAYERS TO WATCH Sophomore forwards Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith have given the Vols a strong inside presence over the last four games. Smith has averaged 14.0 points and 8.3 rebounds and Chism has 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. UT has outrebounded its opponents by +6.5 rebounds during those games.

WEAR WHITE to the Game – Watch Video Message

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SEC Quotes: Stallings and Pearl Discuss Matchup

VU Notes | UT Notes & Preview | Season Stats | Standings

Upcoming Home Games at Memorial Gym
Tuesday, Feb. 26, vs. Tennessee at 8 p.m. CT
Wednesday, Mar. 5, vs. Miss. State at 7 p.m. CT

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt will welcome the number one-ranked Tennessee Volunteers to Memorial Gym Tuesday night, the ninth time a #1 team (Associated Press) has visited the 56-year old arena, in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Tip off is at 8 p.m. CST, with Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes handling announcing duties on the television side, and Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson calling the game on the Vanderbilt/ISP Radio Network.

Vanderbilt, who owns a 5-3 record all-time at Memorial Gymnasium against #1-ranked opponents, has won the last three meetings with the top ranked team. The Commodores defeated #1 Florida, 83-70, on February 17, 2007, ending the Gators’ 17-game winning streak, knocked off #1 Kentucky, 101-86, on January 13, 1993, and took out North Carolina, 78-76, on December 5, 1987.

All-time against number one-ranked teams, Vanderbilt is 6-13 both home and away since the Associated Press poll began in February of 1949.

The Commodores are riding a six-game SEC winning streak, the longest of the Kevin Stallings-era (1999-present) and the longest since 1996-97, when Vanderbilt won six straight in SEC competition (2/1-2/19, 1997).

Vanderbilt, now with 23 wins and only four losses, equals the most wins in a season for Vanderbilt in the Kevin Stallings’ era. The 2003-04 team also recorded 23 wins. The 23 regular season wins also ties for the second-most in school history. The 1964-65 and 1972-73 teams also recorded 23 victories in the regular season. The record for most wins in a regular season is 25 set during the 1992-93 season. In addition, the Commodores have won 45 games over the last two seasons, the most victories over a two-season span since Vanderbilt won 48 over the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.

In Vanderbilt’s last time out, the Commodores knocked off Georgia, 86-74, to garner their first regular season sweep of the Bulldogs since the 1999-2000 campaign. Shan Foster tallied 29 points to lead all scorers, while Alex Gordon scored a season-high 23 points on a career-best seven made three pointers.

The Bulldogs, who led by one at the half, 38-37, fell victim to a Vanderbilt 21-5 run in the early minutes of the second half to take a 64-47 advantage. Alex Gordon made a pair of three-pointers during the run and A.J. Ogilvy capped off the run with an old fashioned three-point play. After struggling in the first half with its shooting, Vanderbilt made 17-of-27 (63.0 percent) shots from the field in the second half, including 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Vanderbilt made 50.8 percent of its shots for the game, and 46.2 percent from three for the game. The Commodores have shot 50% or better in nine games so far this season.

The Commodores, who lost to Tennessee, 80-60 on January 17 in Knoxville, will look to even the series in their final SEC East match up of the season. Vanderbilt avenged earlier losses to Kentucky and Florida in the last two weeks at Memorial Gym.

Vanderbilt and Tennessee will meet for the 173rd time Tuesday evening, with the Volunteers holding a 106-66 advantage in the career series. The Commodores, however, hold a 45-31 series lead in games played on Vanderbilt’s home court.

Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 8-10 all-time against Tennessee, and is an even 4-4 against the Volunteers at Memorial Gymnasium.

Tennessee enters the game ranked number one in the nation in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls after knocking off previous number one, Memphis, 66-62, on February 23. The Volunteers have a 25-2 overall record and an 11-1 mark in SEC play. The only blemishes on the Tennessee record is a 97-78 loss to Texas on November 24 and a 72-66 loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena on January 22.

Senior Chris Lofton, the SEC’s all-time leader in three pointers made, leads the Volunteers with 15.1 points per game. JaJuan Smith and Tyler Smith also average double digits in points with 14.1 and 13.5 points per game, respectively.

TENNESSEE’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP