Dec. 21, 2015
The RV/#25-ranked Commodores will hit the road for their second game against a ranked opponent this Tuesday night when they face off against Purdue of the Big 10. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised on the Big 10 Network, with all of the action also available on the Vanderbilt IMG Sports Radio Network.
Vanderbilt will face off against the Boilermakers Tuesday night for the back end of a home-and-home agreement which began last season at Memorial Gym in a game the Commodores won, 81-71, on December 13, 2014. Vanderbilt was led by a career-high 26 point effort from Riley LaChance. For the game, Vanderbilt shot 58.3% from the floor and 64.3% from beyond-the-arc.
The Commodores’ last trip to Purdue came in the 1929-30 season – it is Purdue’s only win in the series (43-22).
Vanderbilt defeated Wofford, 80-56, in their last time out on Saturday behind a season-high 21 point performance by junior center Damian Jones. Sophomore Jeff Roberson added 13 points, and sophomores Wade Baldwin IV and Matthew Fisher-Davis each added 10 points in the win. Fisher-Davis also grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds to register his first career double-double. The Commodores shot 50% from the floor for the fourth time this season and connected on 58.8% of their attempts from three, which is a season-best.
Game 11/RV/#25 Vanderbilt (7-3) vs. #14/13 Purdue (11-1)
West Lafayette, Ind. – Mackey Center – 7 p.m. CT
TV: Big 10 Network
TV Talent: Kevin Kugler (pxp), Shon Morris (analyst)
Radio: Vanderbilt Radio Network from IMG College, vucommodores.com
Radio Talent: Joe Fisher (pxp), Tim Thompson (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 108, XM 202
Live Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @VandyMBB
Series Information
Series Record: Vanderbilt leads the series, 2-1.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt win, 81-71, on 12/13/14
Record at Vanderbilt: 2-0
Record at Purdue: 0-1
Record at Neutral Site: NA
Coach Stallings vs. Purdue: Coach Stallings has a 1-1 record all-time against Purdue.
Quick Hitters
- Two Commodores are averaging double figures on the season, with Baldwin leading the way with 14.8 ppg. Jones is also averaging 13.2 points per game.
- Ten players have scored in double figures in a game this season – Baldwin, Luke Kornet, Jones, Jeff Roberson, Riley LaChance, Fisher-Davis, Nolan Cressler, Camron Justice, Josh Henderson, and Joe Toye.
- Jones now has 987 points, which is 13 points shy of the 1,000-point barrier. Jones would be the 44th player in Vanderbilt history to eclipse 1,000 points.
- Fisher-Davis leads the SEC in 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (.489) and has made 14 three’s in his last four games.
- Vanderbilt will be taking on their third ranked opponent this season and their second on the road. The Commodores lost to #5/7 Kansas in the finals of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, 70-63, and dropped a 69-67 decision to Baylor in Waco on December 6. VU also hosted Dayton, who was receiving votes in both polls.
- Vanderbilt has an overall record of 88-223 in games versus ranked opponents, and a 19-133 record in road games. Vanderbilt’s last win over a ranked opponent came on March 11, 2012, against number one Kentucky to win the SEC Tournament in New Orleans, and the Commodores have lost 10 consecutive games against ranked opponents. VU’s last win on the road came against #13 Marquette on Dec. 29, 2011 (74-57).
- For the season, Vanderbilt is shooting 48.6% from the floor and 41.4% from three, outrebounding opponents by a +4.4 margin, and have a +1.1 turnover margin.
- Vanderbilt has 145 assists against only 108 turnovers for the season. Opponents have 120 turnovers and only 79 assists on the year.
- The Commodores have 64 blocks on the year, an average of 6.4 per game, which is 10th in the nation. Opponents have only blocked a combined 19.
- From the field, Vanderbilt has five players that are shooting 50% or better on the season – Baldwin (.527), Jones (.538), Roberson (.564), Justice (.500), and Toye (.571).
- Head Coach Kevin Stallings, the school’s all-time winningest coach, is in his 17th season with the Commodores and 23rd overall as a head coach, and is now the dean of SEC coaches. Stallings has 320 career wins at Vanderbilt and 443 overall as a head coach. He has eight 20-win seasons in the last 12 seasons, with 11 total postseason appearances, six NCAA tournaments, 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.
- The Commodores have three players at seven feet or higher in their front court – Josh Henderson (7’0), Damian Jones (7’0), and Luke Kornet (7’1). LSU has two seven footers, and the rest of the league has one or fewer.
Vanderbilt and the SEC
As of December 21, The Commodores lead the SEC in scoring margin (+19.7), field goal percentage (.486), field goal percentage defense (.356), and second in scoring defense (61.3), three’s made (8.7), and blocks (6.4). Luke Kornet leads the league in blocks (2.8) and Matthew Fisher-Davis leads the SEC in three-point FG% (.489).
Stallings Facing Alma Mater
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings played three seasons at Purdue under Coach Keady (1980-82) and helped lead the Boilermakers to the NCAA Final Four in 1980. He was also an assistant at Purdue under Keady from 1983-1988. Stallings is 1-1 against Purdue – Vanderbilt won 81-71 last season at Memorial Gym, and his only time facing Purdue at Mackey Arena was when he was the head coach at Illinois State. His Redbird team lost 69-55 at Purdue on December 8, 1998.
941
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in 941 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.
About Purdue
- Purdue enters the game with an 11-1 record and a perfect 8-0 record at Mackey Arena.
- Isaac Haas leads four Purdue players in double figures with 12.8 points per game. A.J. Hammons (12.5), Caleb Swanigan (11.2), and Rapheal Davis (10.4) also average double figures.
- The Boilermakers feature one of the tallest front lines in college basketball with three players at 6’10 or taller. Caleb Swanigan, a talented freshman forward, checks in at 6’9.
- Prior to their loss to Butler in Indianapolis, Purdue had won their first 11 games by double-digits.
