WBB SEC Tournament Bracket

by Barca Blog

Vanderbilt lost their chance at a first-round bye in the upcoming SEC Women's Basketball Tournament after dropping a heartbreaking contest to South Carolina on Senior Day at Memorial Gym on Sunday.

The Commodores (20-9, 9-7 SEC) enter the tourney as a fifth seed, which means they need to win four consecutive games to defend their conference title from a year ago.

VU opens with 12th-seeded Arkansas on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT. Fourth-seeded LSU awaits the winner in the quarterfinals on Friday.

One positive... The four seniors should remember their last trip to Duluth, Ga. Each logged minutes as freshmen during the Commodores' championship run in 2007.

Can this group make it three titles in four years?

“For any team, whether it’s the No. 1 team or the worst team, it’s mental and physical toughness to win four games in four days," Merideth Marsh told the media. "Once again, it’s a challenge and we’re up for it. I hope we can look at this game as our season is not over and it depends on how we’re going to end the season. It’s up to us and no one can take it from us unless we let them. We have the heart to do it, so I’m excited about it.”

2010 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament
SECsports' Tournament Central | Printable Bracket
The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.
All Times Central

Thursday, March 4 - TV: FSN
Game 1: [9] Ole Miss vs. [8] South Carolina - 11 a.m.
Game 2: [10] Auburn vs. [7] Florida - 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: [12] Arkansas vs. [5] Vanderbilt - 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: [11] Alabama vs. [6] Georgia - 8 p.m.
Byes: [1] Tennessee, [2] Kentucky, [3] Miss. State, [4] LSU

Friday, March 5 - TV: FSN
Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. [1] Tennessee - 11 a.m.
Game 6: Game 2 Winner vs. [2] Kentucky - 1:30 p.m
Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. [4] LSU - 5:30 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. [3] Miss. State - 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 6 - TV: ESPNU
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner - 2:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner - 5 p.m.

Sunday, March 7 - TV: ESPN2
Game 11: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner - 5:30 p.m.

Interviews with Corbin and Westlake

Will "The Shark" Matthews caught up with baseball head coach Tim Corbin and LF Aaron Westlake following Vanderbilt's 7-6 win over Oklahoma State Sunday morning at Dodger Stadium.

With the victory, the Commodores finished 2-1 in the Dodgertown Classic.

Watch the interviews below:

A Day in Hollywood

by Eric Jones

I know, I hear the groans and can almost see some of you rolling your eyes, "It must be nice to get an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles." I won't lie to you, it has been nice and is one of the perks of working in athletics. So I won't disappoint you when I work in my experience in Hollywood. Thomas Samuel, former VU media relation intern Will Matthews and I decided to try our luck at star-gazing on Hollywood Blvd. We found some cheap parking (seriously, $5.00 for about an hour and half was awesome) and started wading through a serious tide of global tourists. Former Lipscomb University A.D. Steve Potts warned us the day before that "Every day is Halloween down on Hollywood Blvd," when we met him on a brief stop at Pepperdine the day before.

We stopped to walk through the Kodak Theater, while moving towards Grauman's Chinese Theater, and encountered (because we really had no desire to meet them) no less than one Superman, two Darth Vaders (with a variety of colored light sabers), Yoda, Michael Myers, a Tickle-Me Elmo that charged extra for laughing, and a bright blue body-painted girl that was either passing herself off as someone from Avatar or a Smurf. I honestly didn't think to ask. The saddest snapshot that I couldn't bring myself to take was of a guy dressed up like Charlie Chaplain waiting for the bus.

It was interesting to watch people of all ages and cultures walking along with their heads down on both sides of the street reading the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was able to locate a couple of heroes of my youth (Journey and Motley Crue) and found myself constantly asking Thomas and Will, "How did that guy get a star?"

We cut the visit short or rather I volunteered as the only one of us with a real raincoat, to go get the car as it started to pour. My choice to wear shorts would turn out to be a poor one as I wouldn't dry out until sometime after Jason Esposito's homerun last night. We went in search of the mythical (at least to me) Whiskey-A-Go-Go where Jim Morrison and the Doors were discovered and signed by Elektra records in the late 1960's. It turned out to be off Sunset Boulevard and like many things I had built up in my mind, not at all what I expected. Not even one heavy metal hairdo waiting in line outside, just a sign that said, "Check us out online." What would Jim Morrison say about his old haunt.

We finished the day on a great note, sharing a quick dinner at La Barca mexican restaurant in homage to the Barca Blog's namesake before heading to USC's Rod Deadeaux Field. The afternoon deluge caused a 30 minute delay in the game, but thanks to the LA Fire Department, the field was dried in a trial by fire...literally. No pictures were allowed to be taken or mention made on the broadcast, but LAFD took a page from my old little league coach by soaking the dirt with gas then lighting it on fire. Bottom line, it worked and allowed the Commodores to smoke the Trojans 10-1.

And to think, we were told we would be rained out. Don't stop believin'.

Flip It: Esposito Bomb

Vanderbilt took care of business by knocking off USC 10-1 on day two of their California trip (click for recap). Check out this footage (below) of Jason Esposito's towering homer over the leftfield net in the top of the seventh at Rod Dedeaux Field. Make the video full-sized and look just to the left of the lights to see the ball go over the screen.

The Commodores will get to play Oklahoma State in Dodger Stadium on Sunday at noon CT. Eric Jones will call the game, which can only be heard on vucommodores.com.

(click to increase video size)

Game on

by SID

Well despite flash flood warnings in LA County and ominious clouds above, it looks like we will get this game started on time at USC.

USC's grounds crew went to extreme measures to get the field ready and it seemed to work. Both squads took BP in the cages. The same can't be said on the other side of the bracket where the UCLA-Oklahoma State game was cancelled due to rain.

The Trojans (3-2) lost to OSU, 6-4, in extra innings last night. The Cowboys held a 4-0 lead into the eighth before USC rallied to send the game into extra innings.

A few lineup changes for tonight's game.

1. Brian Harris SS
2. Bryan Johns DH
3. Aaron Westlake LF
4. Curt Casali 1B
5. Andrew Giobbi C
6. Jason Esposito 3B
7. Mike Yastrzemski CF
8. Connor Harrell RF
9. Riley Reynolds 2B
SP: Taylor Hill (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Hill is making his second start of the year. He held Niagara scoreless in 6.2 innings of work last Saturday.

Flip It: Rainy day in SoCal

by SID

The weather isn't particularly great outside today with gray overcast skies and intermittent rain so far on Saturday.

The forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain the rest of the day and only going down to around 70 percent by 9 p.m. tonight. It should clear up for a nice sunny tomorrow at Dodger Stadium, but tonight's game against USC is in jeopardy.

Many of the players are studying for midterm exams or doing homework in the hotel. Eric Jones caught up with a few of them Saturday morning.

WBB Seeding Scenarios

By Weinman - With the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team playing host to South Carolina for both teams’ regular season finale Sunday, the seeding picture for the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament -- which has been nothing short of a mess during the stretch run -- is finally taking shape, at least as far as Vanderbilt is concerned.

• With a win....
A Vanderbilt win on Sunday guarantees the Commodores a top-four seed and first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.

A win coupled with a Mississippi State loss (at LSU) would give Vanderbilt sole possession of third place in the league. If both Vanderbilt and Mississippi State win, the Lady Bulldogs would take the head-to-head tiebreaker and earn the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, with the Commodores getting the fourth seed.

• With a loss....
A Vanderbilt loss on Sunday would open up the possibility of the Commodores placing fifth or even sixth. But should Vanderbilt fall to South Carolina, the Commodores could still take fourth place with a loss by LSU (vs. Mississippi State). In this case, a Georgia victory (vs. Arkansas) would give VU and UGA the same 9-7 record, but the Commodores would take fourth based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If a Vanderbilt loss is coupled with a win by LSU (and loss by Georgia), the Commodores would get the five seed. In that scenario, Mississippi State wins a three-way tie and LSU gets the four seed after taking the head-to-head tiebreaker over Vanderbilt.

A Vanderbilt loss grouped with wins by both LSU and Georgia would bump the Commodores all the way to sixth place. Again Mississippi State would win the four-way tiebreaker and get the No. 3 seed. Vanderbilt, Georgia and LSU are then all 1-1 against each other in a three-way tie, and tiebreaker 3B comes into effect (best winning percentage of the tied teams versus the No. 1 team, proceeding down through the No. 12 team if necessary). Georgia would get the No. 4 seed based on their win over top seed Tennessee, and LSU would get the No. 5 seed with the head-to-head win over Vandy.

• Shorthand summary....
VU Tourney Seed... based on Sunday Results
Third... MSU loss, VU win
Fourth... MSU win
Fifth... VU loss, LSU win, UGA loss
Sixth... VU loss, LSU win, UGA win

In the above summary, only the necessary results are listed. Ex: Whether VU wins or loses Sunday, an MSU victory makes the Commodores the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament. Special thanks to the Tennessean's Jeff Lockridge for helping to figure all this out.

February Student-Athletes of the Month

by Barca Blog

Congratulations to Jennifer Molchan (Women's Swimming) and Jordan Wormsley (Baseball) for being named Vanderbilt's Student-Athletes of the Month for February.

They were chosen on the basis of the all-around student-athlete... effort and excellence in academics, leadership, integrity, dedication to team, campus involvement, community service and the ability to serve as role models for current and future Vanderbilt students and student-athletes.

Click here to read Q&A's with the two honorees.

Vanderbilt lineup vs UCLA

by SID

No real changes to the Vanderbilt lineup from the weekend. The weather is mostly cloudy and 63 degrees.

1. Brian Harris ss
2. Jason Esposito 3B
3. Aaron Westlake lf
4. Andrew Giobbi c
5. Curt Casali 1b
6. Riley Reynolds 2b
7. Joe Loftus rf
8. Mike Yastrzemski cf
9. Bryan Johns dh

Sonny Gray (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill against UCLA ace Gerrit Cole (1-0, 3.00).

For Twitter updates, follow @VandyBaseball

Video: Cassen Jackson-Garrison's Story

by Barca Blog

Great feature by WBIR on former Commodore tailback Cassen Jackson-Garrison, who is graduating from the Knoxville Police Academy tonight.

Watch below or click here.

Office Junk: Stooche's new 'do

by Travis Young

With the Vanderbilt baseball team preparing for its west coast swing, Eric Jones got himself a new ‘do so he could blend in with all the young surfers in Cali. Check out "The Stooche" in HD (below) to see what the “critics” and EJ himself think of the new “wave”.

Also, be sure to tune into the Commodores this weekend as they will square off against UCLA, USC and Oklahoma State in the 2010 Dodgertown Classic. Tonight’s game features two of the nation’s top righthanded pitchers in VU’s Sonny Gray and UCLA Gerrit Cole. Stooche will have the call on www.vucommodores.com starting at 8 p.m. CT.

For more Office Junk, Click Here

Flip It: Ogilvy's tip-in and more

by Barca Blog

I shot these three videos on my Flip towards the end of last night's win over Georgia.

You might have seen me. I was the guy with the iPod-sized video camera mounted onto a tall monopod. Knock it all you want, but it keeps you from getting a headache!

Ogilvy's Tip-in to go to OT, 77-77 (increase video size)



Walker's Jumper in OT, 90-86 (increase video size)



Walker's Blocked Shot in OT (increase video size)

Video: Next American Idol?

by Barca Blog

With American Idol in the middle of its 9th season, Travis stopped by women's basketball practice to see if any of the Commodores could make the cut on the popular show. Watch the audition footage below.

Also, make sure you come out and support the team, especially the four seniors, in their final home game Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. The Commodores are asking all fans in attendance to wear blue in support of the "Well Worth It" campaign, which is committed to preventing waterborne diseases caused by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation systems in rural Kenya. Read More

(Thanks to Aaron for editing the video)

Highlights: Vanderbilt 96, Georgia 94 (OT)

Click here for the complete recap with interviews, photos and more on vucommodores.com.

Baseball in LA

by SID

The baseball team arrived in LA around 11:30 a.m. PT and practiced at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium tonight.

The team should be able to get plenty of rest overnight and tomorrow as Friday's game against UCLA is not till 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. back in Nashville).

Aaron Fitt of Baseball America did a preview of the matchup between the top two sophomore pitchers in the country, VU's Sonny Gray and UCLA's Gerrit Cole.

The weather calls for cloudy skies and 70 degrees.

We may be back with some potential video from Andrew Giobbi (if he didn't lose the camera) at some point this weekend and a special appearance from Stache Jones, last seen interviewing Richie Goodenow while the leaf blowers drowned out the answers.

Rajaan Bennett's Essay

"Strength" by Rajaan Bennett

Rajaan wrote this essay in his Multi-Cultural Literature class on February 10, eight days before he was the victim of a murder-suicide in his north Georgia residence.


Somebody once told me that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Life hasn't been a walk in the park for me, but I'm thankful for the obstacles, hardships, and accomplishments that GOD has provided for me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be the Rajaan Bennett that you know today. I wouldn't have things any other way.

Strength is the ability to do or bear things in the state of being strong.

In the year of 2000, I moved from the streets of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to the suburbs of Powder Springs, Georgia. A year later, my dad died in a horrible car wreck, and as a ten year-old, I knew he wasn't coming back. This tragedy rattled me to the core. I felt as if there was no need for me to live. I wanted to be as happy as the kids with dads and moms.

Some days I would wonder - why me? But eventually, I realized that it was my turn to become a man. As I became older, I came to notice that in life you use strength as a blanket to protect you from this cold world.

I am the oldest of 3 and I have a brother with special needs who I have to take care of. I have to balance school, sports, friends, and family - and it gets so hard, but I push myself. I push myself like a sprinter who is neck and neck with an opponent with 10 meters left. With the strength that I posses, I feel like I'm Hercules.

I matured faster than all of my friends - and there will never be a time that I will give up. I may complain, I may refuse, and I may even cry about it, but I know I have to do what I have to do.

I work hard at whatever I do - just for that man upstairs to smile down on me with the rays of the sun ...and they feel so warm. My drive cannot be stopped or even slowed down, because every obstacle has a way around it. Every day I become stronger from the weights physically, the books mentally, and life emotionally.

There is no limit to my strength and at the end of the day, I want to be known as the strongest.

Thousands of friends and well-wishers celebrated the life of the McEachern High School senior and Vanderbilt football signee during a moving and emotional memorial service held Wednesday night at the school. Click Here to Read More

Photo courtesy of Curtis Compton, AJC.com

Office Junk: Mr. C visits McGugin

By Barca Blog

Just remember... no matter where you are, Mr. C will be watching you.

It could be when you're on your typical two-hour lunch break at Flingers... or when you're calling in sick to get in 18 holes at McCabe... or even when you're spending your mornings glued to archived clips of SYTYCD on YouTube.

For more Office Junk, Click Here

Commodore Conversation with Jackie Wu

by Barca Blog

Commodore Conversation is a new weekly series on VUcommodores.com. In the second episode, host Christina Lipscombe interviews Vanderbilt women's tennis sophomore Jackie Wu.

Watch below to learn more about Jackie off the court:

WBB Postgame with Rhoads & Tuomi

Jence Rhoads and Hannah Tuomi talked to the media following Vanderbilt's 71-60 win over Florida Wednesday night in Memorial Gym. Find out what they had to say in the video posted below.

And click here for complete coverage including game highlights, quotes, photos and more.

Travisodes: The Whammer

by Barca Blog

Senior catcher Andrew Giobbi came up big with a walk-off single in the Commodores' extra inning win over Austin Peay last night.

Did it have anything to do with the latest Travisode?

Watch and discuss.

If you've missed previous Travisodes, click here

Video: Postgame with Richie Goodenow

Complete Recap: Vanderbilt 2, Austin Peay 1 (11)

Junior reliever Richie Goodenow talks with Eric "Stooche" Jones following Vanderbilt's 2-1 win over Austin Peay in 11 innings Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.

Buyer Beware!

by Rocket

Anybody care to guess how many counterfeit tickets turned up at the entry doors to Memorial Gymnasium for last Saturday's game with Kentucky?

If you said "54" you are either very insightful or employed by our ticket office.

That's right - there are some sorry souls out there who went to what appears to be considerable lengths to print high quality fake tickets and then unloaded them on unsuspecting fans otherwise shut out of the big game and desperate to watch it in person.

How desperate?

One victim reported to us that he paid $800 for what he thought was a seat in a good location. He wasn't happy. The average price for fake tickets so far as we can tell was about $250 a pop. (Maybe our ticket price is too low!!)

This isn't the first counterfeit scheme and it sadly won't be the last but please believe us when we urge you to take extreme care when purchasing any tickets for Vanderbilt Commodore games outside of our own box office. Some of you have bought street tickets for years and never got burned. Consider yourself lucky. We could introduce you to quite a line of fans that paid hard-earned cash, only to realize at the gate that they were holding a worthless piece of paper that just happened to look exactly like our game ticket. In many games, even we can't tell legit from fake until we try to scan the barcode. We've seen good folks get scammed in both football and basketball.

Our advice is "Buyer Beware". If you don't know the seller and it seems a little too good to be true, it just might be.

Baseball photos from Niagara series

by Barca Blog

Check out Jimmy Jones' photos of the Commodore baseball team's 16-2 win over Niagara on Saturday.

Vanderbilt (3-0) will host Austin Peay (2-1) Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT at Hawkins Field. If you can't make it to the park, we'll webcast the action live on VUcommodores.com with Eric "Stooche" Jones providing the call.

Click to read the game preview.

Weekly MBB polls and brackets

by Barca Blog

Commodores go both directions in rankings

After splitting last week's slate, Vanderbilt climbed one spot to 16th in the Associated Press Top 25 today, but fell from 19th to 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Click Here to view the complete rankings.

Latest NCAA bracket predictions

ESPN's Joe Lunardi moved Vanderbilt up from a 4th seed to a 3rd seed.

CNNSI's Andy Glockner kept the 'Dores as a 4th seed.

CBSsports' Jerry Palm thinks VU deserves a 4th seed as well, up one spot from the previous week.

FoxSports' Chris Kulenych and Craig Gately also projected Vandy as a 4th seed for the second week in a row.

More talk about the 'Dores

ESPN's Mark Schlabach and CNNSI's Andy Glockner still consider Vanderbilt to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

In the latest Weekly Watch, ESPN's Andy Katz thinks the 'Dores are one of five teams to keep an eye on:

The Commodores couldn't beat Kentucky. That's OK. Vandy will be fine in the NCAAs. The Commodores can work on their seeding in the coming weeks.

Finally, CNNSI's Seth Davis has been burning up the phone lines with coaches from major conferences to get the lowdown on the top teams in the country. He offered up this scouting report on the Commodores:

Honestly, I don't know that they have a real weakness. I was surprised they didn't beat Kentucky, though you're obviously not going to beat many teams shooting 2-for-20 from three. Jermaine Beal is a strong lead guard who can score, and he runs their team. They have good perimeter shooting with [Brad] Tinsley and [John] Jenkins, an athletic wing in [Jeffery] Taylor and good size with [A.J.] Ogilvy, [Festus] Ezeli and [Andre] Walker.

This is the most athletic team Kevin Stallings has had there. The main thing with Ogilvy is you can't allow him to get deep with the ball. He's bigger than people think, he can go right or left shoulder, he shoots it quick. You have to make him a jump shooter.

Maybe their one weakness is when they face a lot of pressure. They have to be better at that because they'll turn it over some. Like if they played Clemson or someone in the second round who is committed to pressing for 40 minutes, that could give them problems.

Former VU hoops star and assistant coach Mark Elliott to appear on WNSR 560

By A. Boggs

Former Vanderbilt basketball star and assistant coach Mark Elliott will appear on The Morning Sportspage with Greg Pogue and David Coleman Tuesday morning on WNSR 560 AM.

You can listen to the interview live at this link.

Mike Organ of the Tennessean wrote a story about Mark and his son Matthew, who plays basketball at Trevecca. To read that story, click here.

SEC Men's Basketball Standings

February 22
EAST	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Kentucky	11-1	26-1
Vanderbilt	9-3	20-6
Tennessee	8-4	20-6
Florida	8-4	19-8
South Carolina	5-7	14-12
Georgia	4-8	12-13
WEST	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Mississippi State	7-5	19-8
Arkansas	7-5	14-13
Mississippi	5-7	17-9
Alabama	4-8	14-12
Auburn	4-8	13-14
LSU	0-12	9-17

This Week's Schedule
Thursday, February 25
Georgia at Vanderbilt - 6 p.m. CT
TV: ESPNU; Radio: 104.5 FM

Saturday, February 27
Vanderbilt at Arkansas- 12:30 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network; Radio: 104.5 FM

Last Week's Results
Thursday, February 18
Vanderbilt 82, Ole Miss 78 (Oxford)

Saturday, February 20
Kentucky 58, Vanderbilt 56 (Nashville)

Last weekend's basketball highlights

VUcommodores' Video Archive
VUcommodores' YouTube Page

Women's Basketball
Sunday, Feb. 21: Vanderbilt 68, Ole Miss 59



Men's Basketball
Saturday, Feb. 20: Kentucky 58, Vanderbilt 56

Sonny Gray named SEC pitcher of the week

by SID

Sonny Gray was just named SEC pitcher of the week after his dominating performance against Niagara last Friday.

The sophomore right-hander threw 8.0 innings (longest outing of any SEC pitcher on the weekend) of three-hit shutout baseball in the 9-0 win. He did not allow a runner to second base (only one in game) until the eighth inning and struck out eight batters to just one walk.

Dating back to last season, the right-hander has not allowed a run in his last 17 and 2/3 innings with 21 strikeouts and just two walks while giving up 11 hits.

Congrats Hace Sol!

SEC Women's Basketball Standings

February 22
TEAM	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Tennessee	12-1	24-2
Kentucky	11-3	23-4
Vanderbilt	8-6	19-8
Mississippi State	8-6	17-10
LSU	7-6	18-7
Georgia	7-7	20-7
Florida	7-7	14-13
Mississippi	6-8	15-12
South Carolina	6-8	13-13
Auburn	4-10	13-14
Arkansas	4-10	12-15
Alabama	3-11	11-16

This Week's Schedule
It's an important final week of the regular season for the Commodores. Vanderbilt's fighting for a top-four seed in the conference, which would give them a first round bye in the SEC Tournament (March 4-7).

We need your support in the last two home games. We'll celebrate the careers of seniors Ashlee Bridge, Lauren Lueders, Merideth Marsh and Jessica Mooney following the South Carolina game on Sunday. Click here to purchase tickets.

Wednesday, February 24
Florida at Vanderbilt - 6 p.m. CT
TV: CSS; Radio: 560 AM

Sunday, February 28
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - 12 p.m. CT
TV: FSN; Radio: 560 AM

Last Week's Results
Thursday, February 18
LSU 55, Vanderbilt 39 (Baton Rouge)

Sunday, February 21
Vanderbilt 68, Ole Miss 59 (Oxford)

Bennett memorial service on Wednesday

by Barca Blog

Here's the latest update on Rajaan Bennett's memorial service and funeral, courtesy of Michael Carvell from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

McEachern High School will have a memorial service at 7 p.m. Wednesday for Rajaan Bennett, the recent Vanderbilt football signee who was shot to death last Thursday.

Visitation has been tentatively planned for 6-8 p.m. on Friday, with the Bennett’s funeral the next day at 11 a.m. Saturday — both at First Baptist Church of Powder Springs. However, the venue could be changed to Trinity Chapel Church of God because it has a larger sanctuary.

Since the tragedy, we've read story after story about what an extraordinary young man Rajaan was to his family and community. You can really see it in the following video, which took place during his junior year at McEachern. 

I've watched the clip 20-30 times since last Thursday. It just hurts to think about why he had to lose his life for such a senseless crime.

Week 1 Vanderbilt Baseball Notebook

by SID

Record Overall: 3-0; Record for the Week: 3-0

Last Week:
2/19: Vanderbilt 9, Niagara 0
2/20: Vanderbilt 16, Niagara 2
2/21: Vanderbilt 21, Niagara 3

This Week:
2/23: vs. Austin Peay, 4 p.m., Hawkins Field
2/26: at UCLA, 8 p.m., Los Angeles
2/27: at USC, 8:30 p.m., Los Angeles
2/28: vs. Oklahoma St., Noon, Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium)

Vanderbilt opened the 2010 season with a convincing three-game series sweep over Niagara. VU outscored the Purple Eagles 46-5 on the weekend with 17 doubles, two homers, 23 walks, 11 hit batters and eight stolen bases in eight attempts.

Sophomore right-hander Sonny Gray set the tone for the pitching staff throwing eight innings of three-hit baseball in Friday’s 9-0 win. He struck out eight, walked just one, and didn’t allow a base runner to advance to second base until the eighth inning. His outing was the longest in the SEC on opening weekend. Dating back to last season, Gray hasn’t allowed a run in his last 17.2 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts and just two walks.

Junior righthander Taylor Hill continued the trend on Saturday, throwing 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball with a career high nine strikeouts. VU’s season opening scoreless streak ended at 16.1 innings when Drew Hayes gave up a two-run homer with one out in the seventh.

Jack Armstrong picked up his first collegiate win in his longest outing in a Commodore uniform on Sunday. He gave up three first inning runs, then held Niagara scoreless for four innings in a 21-3 victory.

Will Clinard, Corey Williams, Joe Loftus and Sam Selman each made their first collegiate appearances on the mound and threw a scoreless inning apiece … Russell Brewer and Richie Goodenow each threw an inning of scoreless relief as well, with Goodenow striking out the side.

As a staff, VU posted a 1.67 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks allowed in 27.0 innings.

The top offensive performer was sophomore third baseman Jason Esposito who went 7-for-14 with three doubles, a homer, seven RBI and six runs scored … Freshmen Connor Harrell and Regan Flaherty made the most of their opportunities hitting .571 and .600 respectively. Harrell was 4-for-7 with two walks, two hit by pitches, .727 on base percentage and five runs scored. Flaherty, younger brother of former Commodore All-American Ryan, went 3-for-5 with three doubles and six RBI.

Aaron Westlake (6-for-12), Curt Casali (5-for-10) and Brian Harris (3-for-6) each hit .500 on the weekend. Harris got on base 11 times, three via hit, five walks and three hit by pitches (.786 on base percentage) … Freshman outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was 3-for-10 with five runs scored and also made several defensive nice defensive plays as the starter in center.

The 24 hits on Sunday were the most in the Tim Corbin regime (2003-). 30 hits is the school record set in 1988 … Defensively, the team had just one mistake all weekend (on a wild throw by pitcher Jack Armstrong on a bunt attempt) and finished with a .991 fielding percentage

Vanderbilt hosts local foe Austin Peay on Tuesday and then makes its lone non-conference road trip of the season this weekend to the West Coast. VU will face UCLA and USC at their home parks, before taking on Oklahoma State on Sunday at Dodger Stadium as part of the Dodgertown Classic.

Sights from the Kentucky game

by Barca Blog (John Russell's and Joe Howell's photos)

Complete Recap: Kentucky 58, Vanderbilt 56

Even though the final score didn't go our way, Commodore fans need to be given a shout out for their overwhelming energy and support for the team today. It was simply electric. I thought I'd post a couple of photos for those of you that didn't get to experience the excitement inside Memorial. So here we go...



ESPN analyst Dick Vitale was greeted by a raucous student section when he arrived on the court. Vitale played to the cheers and even tossed on Vanderbilt gear. The students were hungry for the attention... some had camped out overnight to get the best seats in the house, and over 1,000 of them were lined up all the way to Jess Neely over three hours before tip.



One of the best moments of the night was seeing Shan Foster in the middle of all the madness. Foster, who thrilled us for four years on the court, got a first-hand experience of what it's like to be a Maniac as he cheered on the Commodores from the second row of the student section. He even wore gold face paint.



Another former Commodore great was in attendance for the biggest game of the year. Barry Booker, one of the best 3-point shooters in school history, was honored during one of the media timeouts in the first half.



Finally, I had to throw in this amazing photo of Jeff Taylor. Our ace photograher, John Russell, recently installed a camera behind the hoop. This is what you get!

For more pictures, make sure you check out the game recap.

Flip It: Students camp out for UK game

by Barca Blog

Earlier today, Travis Young talked to Vanderbilt students that camped out to get prime seating for the Kentucky basketball game. The scene was unbelievable with over 1,000 students waiting to get inside Memorial Gym. The line stretched all the way to the intersection of 25th and Jess Neely Drive.

Watch the video, which was shot on my Flip cam, below:

Early sights from Memorial Gym

By Ryan Schulz

The tip is still 30 minutes away, but there has already been a lot taking place inside Memorial Gym. Here are a few tidbits.

• By 3:30, the student section appeared to be completely full.

• 65 minutes before tip, former Vanderbilt great Shan Foster is announced to the crowd over the public address system. He makes his way through the adorning student section shaking hands and signing a few autographs.

• A little under one hour before tip, Dick Vitale's first appearance draws a roar from the student section. Like Foster, Vitale makes his way down the student section, while shaking hands.

Flip It & Office Junk: Baseball Banquet

by Barca Blog

Two more videos for the blog... This time we focus on last weekend's Vanderbilt Baseball banquet and intern Travis' escapade after the function. Enjoy!

Flip It: Baseball Banquet Recap (SID provides the commentary)



Office Junk: Travis the Salsa Crasher

MBB: Kentucky Gameday Prep

by Barca Blog (Photo: US Presswire)

Vanderbilt will try to get its fifth straight home win over Kentucky today at 5 p.m. CT. Dick Vitale and Dan Shulman will provide the call on ESPN. Fans are encouraged to wear gold and arrive to the game early to support the team.

VUcommodores.com's Coverage
Boggles' Game Preview
Audio: Stallings, Beal discuss UK Matchup
Vanderbilt Game Notes
Joe Fisher's Preview with 104.5 the Zone
Note: You can watch a free live webcast of Coach Stallings' postgame press conference immediately after the game by clicking here.

Kentucky Athletics' Coverage
Kentucky's Game Preview with Interviews
Vandy thrives in quirky gymnasium
Kentucky Game Notes

Newspaper Stories
The Tennessean: VU, UK have plenty to play for
The Tennessean: Cousins, 3-pointers sank VU last time
Herald-Leader: SEC lead at stake in Nashville
Herald-Leader: Cal tells Cousins to cool it
The Courier-Journal: Cats face tough time at Vandy
ESPN.com's Weekend Watch

Gameday Information
No. 2 Kentucky (25-1, 10-1 SEC) at No. 17 Vanderbilt (20-5, 9-2)

Tip-Off: 5 p.m. CT, Memorial Gym (Sold Out)

TV: ESPN (Dick Vitale, Dan Shulman, Erin Andrews)

Radio: 104.5 the Zone, XM 199, Sirius 218 More affiliates

Web: Live Video, Live Audio, Live Stats, Twitter

Last Meeting: Kentucky 85, Vanderbilt 72 (Jan. 30, 2010)

Other Games in the SEC (CT): Live Scores
Florida at Ole Miss (11 a.m. / CBS)
No. 20 Tennessee at So. Carolina (12:30 p.m. / SEC Network)
Alabama at Georgia (3 p.m. / SEC Network)
Mississippi State at LSU (3 p.m. / SEC Network)
Arkansas at Auburn (6 p.m. / FSN)

Video: Postgame with Yastrzemski

Complete Recap: Vanderbilt 9, Niagara 0

Freshman outfielder Mike Yastrzemski talks with Eric Jones following Vanderbilt's 9-0 season opening win over Niagara Friday night at Hawkins Field.

Stallings, Beal discuss Kentucky game

by Barca Blog

Head coach Kevin Stallings and senior guard Jermaine Beal met with the press earlier today to answer questions about the upcoming showdown with No. 2 Kentucky. Listen to the audio at the links below:

Kevin Stallings Click to Download



Jermaine Beal Click to Download

Bilas breaks down Kentucky matchup

by Barca Blog

The Commodores have been placed front and center once again on ESPN.com's college basketball home page.

In the Weekend Watch feature, Jay Bilas breaks down the five things Vanderbilt must do to beat Kentucky on Saturday.

Click here to find out

(Thanks to DE for the heads up)

Holla for Dolla

by Barca Blog

With the Commodores only a day away from their big matchup with Kentucky, senior guard Jermaine Beal sent the following email to the Vanderbilt student body earlier this morning.

Vandy Fans -

Last week, one of our biggest rivals came into Nashville and Memorial Gym and left with bruised egos and a loss, partly because of you. You created such an electric atmosphere that made beating them so much sweeter. Thank you for making Memorial Gym the best place in the country to play college basketball.

This Saturday, my teammates and I are taking on the #2-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Memorial Gym. We're all pumped for the game, and I hope you are, too. I loved looking over at the student section during the last game and seeing nothing but white, so this week we want all of you to wear GOLD to the game, arrive early, and be loud and crazy.

As much as we, the team, love your energy and passion, please keep your cheers as fresh and clean as I am. Over the past few weeks, the NCAA and media outlets have been targeting student sections for their behavior, and we don’t want anything to happen that would change the magic that is Memorial Gym. Let’s continue to act like we’ve been there before.

Finally, my teammates and I really love the trip across the court to the student section after the game to celebrate, but we can't do this if you rush the court! So, please, stay in your seats and we will come get crazy with you.

Coming off a great win last night, we are ready for Saturday and Kentucky, and hope you are, too. Come early, wear GOLD, and scream until you can’t breathe. See you there!

Peace,

Dolla Beal

Cumulus Media and Vanderbilt Athletics ink broadcast agreement

Cumulus Broadcasting, LLC and Vanderbilt University have announced a new agreement that will move Commodore football and men's basketball games to 97.1 RQQ (WRQQ) as the flagship station on the Vanderbilt ISP Radio Network.

The three-year contract will go into effect for the 2010 football season and will run through the 2012-13 sports year with two option years to follow.

Click Here to Read More

Vanderbilt Baseball on 560 AM

by Barca Blog

ISP Sports and WNSR 560 AM, the flagship station of Vanderbilt baseball, have teamed up to broadcast 34 Commodore games this season. Click here to find out more on how you can follow the 'Dores this season.

Here's the radio schedule:

Date	Opponent
Niagara	February 19 & 20
UCLA	February 26
USC	February 27
Alabama	March 19-21
Kentucky	March 26-28
Florida	April 2-4
South Carolina	April 9-11
Auburn	April 16-18
Tennessee	April 23-25
Georgia	April 30-May 2
LSU	May 7-9
Mississippi State	May 14-16
Arkansas	May 20-22

A new beginning

by Barca Blog

It's been over eight months since Vanderbilt fell to Louisville in the NCAA Regional Baseball Championship.

The great thing about sports is that every year has a new beginning. The Commodores' quest for Omaha starts this weekend against Niagara at Hawkins Field.

Let's get behind the team to help them reach their ultimate goal. Your support means a lot more than you might think.

"Being a player, having fans in the stands is a boost," pitcher Sonny Gray said. "You're playing for Nashville and the University as well as the fans. It makes you want to do that much better. It means a lot to see a big crowd, especially when it's cold out there in February.

"Put on a heavy jacket and come out and support us. It's going to be a fun season. Hopefully it will be a season that we'll never forget. We've put in a lot of work in the offseason and it's nice when fans come out and show their support."

Season tickets packages are still available, so reserve your seats today.

If you can't make it this weekend, then watch the series live online on VUcommodores.com. Eric "Stooche" Jones will call the action on Friday (4 p.m. CT), Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).

Check out SID's season preview and also the Niagara preview.

Big time

by Barca Blog (AP Photo)

With Vanderbilt’s impressive 82-78 road win over Ole Miss on Thursday night, the stage is set for a first-place showdown in the SEC between No. 17 Vanderbilt (20-5, 9-2 SEC) and No. 2 Kentucky (25-1, 10-1) inside Memorial Gym on Saturday.

How big is the game? Vanderbilt fans haven’t witnessed this kind of regular season success in 17 years when the 1992-93 team captured the SEC East title. That squad finished the SEC campaign 14-2 that year.

Dick Vitale will be in the house along with the rest of the ESPN crew to see if the Commodores can throw a wrench into the Wildcats’ plan to runaway with the conference crown.

With the Rebels out of the way, let the Kentucky talk begin.

“I’m just excited that our program has a chance to play in that game,” head coach Kevin Stallings said. “I’m excited that we're playing for first place and we’re playing the No. 2 team in the country. They’re arguably the most talented team in the country. They’re outstanding.

“It will take one of our great performances to win that game. We’ve done it before and I’ve got a feeling our crowd will be ready. Hopefully, we’ll give them the kind of performance that they get accustomed to seeing."

Much like the NCAA Tournament format, Vanderbilt will only have one day between games to completely focus on their game plan. The Wildcats, on the other hand, haven't played since Tuesday.

“It’s a difficult (process) because literally we play in less than 48 hours," Stallings added. "We’ll have some practice time (Friday) and will probably bring them in for a shoot around on Saturday so we can just get some time to walk through some more things. We obviously won’t be able to do very much because we can’t afford to be tired.

“I’m not going to go for the excuse wagon. We just have to be able to turn around and play our game on Saturday.”

Fans are encouraged to wear gold to the game in an effort to create the best home court advantage possible. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT but you should try to arrive early as crowds and traffic are expected to be very heavy on game day.

Funeral fund for Rajaan Bennett

Courtesy of Michael Carvell, Atlanta Journal Constitution

McEachern High School has set up a fund for anyone who wants to contribute toward the funeral arrangements of football star Rajaan Bennett, who died on Thursday.

The recent Vanderbilt football signee was the victim of an apparent murder-suicide in his north Georgia residence.


To donate, please send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with “Rajaan Bennett Memorial” written in the bottom left corner. McEachern High School’s address is 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127. For more information, please call 770-222-3710.

Click to Read More

Video: Interview with Ryan Flaherty

by Barca Blog

In the video below, Eric "Stooche" Jones catches up with former Vanderbilt infielder Ryan Flaherty, who spent part of the offseason training on campus.

Flaherty will enter his third season in the Chicago Cubs organization and is ranked by Baseball America magazine as the Cubs #9 overall prospect. His 20 home runs ranked first in the Chicago minor league system in 2009.

Commodore fans will get to know another Flaherty as Flash's younger brother Regan, a freshman, will compete for playing time this season.

Video: Johnson's remarks on Rajaan Bennett

To read the official press release, click here.

Prowlin' the PMAC

By Weinman

During Vanderbilt's midday shootaround at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on LSU's campus, I dropped by to pay Mike the Tiger a visit. Mike IV's 15,000 square foot habitat was under construction the first time I came to Baton Rouge in 2004 with the football team.

Mike has his own web site that offers tons of information on the history and tradition of LSU's live mascot. You can even check out a live web cam of Mike's enclosure. And it really is live -- student manager David Epstein headed out to the enclosure, waved to the camera, and sprinted back in the gym. His image had come and gone on the web cam long before he returned inside PMAC. We did manage to get a grainy screen capture to save the event for posterity. In the picture below, David is at the very bottom of the screen in a bright pink shirt (which reminds me: much like Vanderbilt's game on Sunday, tonight's game at LSU is part of the WBCA's Pink Zone initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer).

WBB Bracketology, rankings

by Barca Blog

With only two weeks remaining in the women's basketball regular season, let's take a look at NCAA Tournament predictions as well as the latest polls.

As of yesterday, ESPN.com's Bracketologist Charlie Creme projected Vanderbilt (18-7, 7-5 SEC) as a fifth seed in the Sacramento Region. Click here to view his entire bracket.

Also, the Commodores returned to the Associated Press Top 25 this week at the 25th spot. The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll has Vanderbilt at No. 20. View Rankings

VU will hit the road this week for two important road games at LSU and Ole Miss. Both opponents are only one game behind the Commodores in the conference standings.

Make sure you watch Joe Fisher's video preview with head coach Melanie Balcomb to get the latest news on the 'Dores.

VU swim team in the news

By Travis Young

With the 2010 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships just getting underway in Athens, Ga., this morning, David Boclair of the Nashville City Paper, caught up with VU head coach Jeremy Organ to talk about the team's goals for the conference meet.

In the article, Boclair also talks about the challenges Organ is faced with due to the program not being fully funded and having to compete with less scholarships in the pool compared to the rest of the conference.

Click here to view the article.

Fans can follow the Commodores in Athens this week by clicking here.

Vitale coming to Memorial

by Barca Blog

ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale is scheduled to call Saturday's matchup between Vanderbilt and Kentucky in Nashville.

Vitale tweeted earlier today, "Can't wait for this week...going to Georgetown and Vandy this week."

Vitale hasn't been to Memorial since I started my job here in 2003. Can anyone remember the last time he came to West End?

All I have to say is, "Awesome, baby!"

(By the way, you can follow my tweets @BarcaBlog)

Commodore Conversation with Vijay Paul

by Barca Blog

Commodore Conversation is a new weekly series on VUcommodores.com. In the debut episode, host Christina Lipscombe interviews Vanderbilt men's tennis senior Vijay Paul.

Watch below to learn more about Vijay off the court:

Replay: Sonny Gray video chat

by Barca Blog

If you missed VUcommodores.com's live video chat with sophomore pitcher Sonny Gray earlier today, you're in luck. You can watch the replay by clicking here.

Thanks to Sonny for spending 40+ minutes answering your questions.

Don't forget, the season starts this Friday vs. Niagara (4 p.m. CT) at Hawkins Field. For ticket information, click here.

Reminder: Sonny Gray video chat today

by Barca Blog

We're doing our first live video chat on VUcommodores.com today from 12-12:30 p.m. CT. Our guest will be sophomore pitcher Sonny Gray.

You can watch the live stream and also submit questions at this link.

The Commodores will open the season on Friday with a three-game series against Niagara at Hawkins Field. Season tickets are still available - click here to purchase.

MBB injury updates

by Barca Blog

Head coach Kevin Stallings discussed the health of John Jenkins and Andre Walker during last night's call-in show (listen here). Stallings said:

"I'm not trying to throw any curveballs at Mississippi. John practiced (Monday). He actually practiced more than we thought he would. I thought he would get in for just a few minutes and he made it through the entire practice even though we shortened his stints in practice.

"He then stayed for a good while after practice and did some shooting, and some very impressive shooting I might add. I stayed there and watched the whole thing. I told Sam Ferry, our manager, that he has to be the easiest guy to rebound for of all-time because the ball just keeps coming through the net and you never have to chase it.

"Andre did not practice, although his range of motion is coming back. He did some things on the side. I'm hopeful he will be ready by gametime (Thursday).

"John is almost a certainty, and Andre is a little less certain, but we're very hopeful. We're hoping to get (Andre) in practice a little bit Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for the game. If all goes well, then both of them will play."

Jenkins has missed the last two games (stomach illness) while Walker sat out the LSU game (shoulder). The Commodores will next face Ole Miss in Oxford Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT.

Weekly MBB polls and brackets

by Barca Blog

Commodores rise in rankings

With two wins last week, Vanderbilt climbed five spots in both of the polls released earlier today. The Commodores are 17th in the Associated Press Top 25 and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Click Here to view the complete rankings.

Latest NCAA bracket predictions

ESPN's Joe Lunardi kept Vanderbilt as a 4th seed.

CNNSI's Andy Glockner moved the 'Dores back up to a 4th seed.

CBSsports' Jerry Palm placed VU as a 5th seed for the second week in a row.

FoxSports' Chris Kulenych and Craig Gately projected Vandy as a 4th seed.

More talk about the 'Dores

In his latest Bubble Watch, ESPN's Mark Schlabach considers the Commodores a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

Glockner feels the same way in his Bubble Watch:

Vandy moves to lock status after finishing a sweep of Tennessee. The Commodores are the clear second-best SEC team now, have four top 50 wins and a 9-4 top 100 mark. They're dancing.

ESPN's Andy Katz lists the 'Dores matchup with the Wildcats as one of the places to be this week:

Vanderbilt had one of its worst games of the season at Kentucky. Don't expect that to occur when it hosts the Wildcats in what should be one of the best atmospheres in the SEC this season.

FoxSports' Jeff Goodman says the Vanderbilt-Kentucky game is the third best matchup of the week:

The Wildcats took care of Vandy last month in Lexington, but can Kevin Stallings' team win in Nashville?

Finally, CBSsports' Gary Parrish writes what the rest of us think.. How could anyone still rank the Vols ahead of the Commodores in their weekly ballot?

SEC Men's Basketball Standings

February 15
EAST	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Kentucky	9-1	24-1
Vanderbilt	8-2	19-5
Tennessee	6-4	18-6
Florida	6-4	17-8
South Carolina	5-5	14-10
Georgia	3-7	11-12
WEST	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Mississippi State	6-4	18-7
Arkansas	6-4	13-12
Mississippi	5-5	17-7
Alabama	4-7	14-11
Auburn	3-7	12-13
LSU	0-11	9-16

This Week's Schedule
Thursday, February 18
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss - 6 p.m. CT
TV: ESPNU; Radio: 104.5 FM

Saturday, February 20
Kentucky at Vanderbilt- 5 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN; Radio: 104.5 FM

Last Week's Results
Tuesday, February 9
Vanderbilt 90, Tennessee 71 (Nashville)

Saturday, February 13
Vanderbilt 77, LSU 69 (Nashville)

SEC Women's Basketball Standings

February 15
TEAM	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Tennessee	11-1	23-2
Kentucky	9-3	21-4
Mississippi State	8-5	17-9
Vanderbilt	7-5	18-7
Georgia	7-6	20-6
LSU	6-6	17-7
Mississippi	6-6	15-10
Florida	6-6	13-12
South Carolina	6-7	13-12
Arkansas	3-9	11-14
Auburn	3-10	12-14
Alabama	2-10	10-15

This Week's Schedule
Thursday, February 18
Vanderbilt at LSU - 7 p.m. CT
TV: FSN; Radio: 560 AM

Sunday, February 21
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss - 1 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network; Radio: 560 AM

Last Week's Results
Monday, February 8
Tennessee 69, Vanderbilt 60 (Nashville)

Sunday, February 14
Vanderbilt 68, Kentucky 55 (Nashville)

Wear Gold vs. Kentucky Saturday

From the marketing department

In an effort to create the best home court advantage possible, Commodore fans who are attending the men's basketball game vs. Kentucky on February 20th are encouraged to wear gold to the game to support the team. A loud, vocal Memorial Gym crowd is what will be needed as the Wildcats come to town on Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT but fans are encouraged to arrive early as crowds and traffic are expected to be very heavy on game day. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.

Read More

Taylor wins SEC Player of the Week

By A. Boggs

It was announced on Monday by the SEC office that sophomore Jeffery Taylor claimed his first career SEC Player of the Week award for his performance last week in two Commodore wins over Tennessee and LSU. Taylor averaged 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two wins, and scored a career-high 26 points in Vanderbilt’s win over Tennessee. It was the highest single-game point total by a Commodore this season.

He was also 12-of-12 from the free throw stripe to become just the fourth player in school history to be perfect from the free throw line when attempting 10 or more shots. He also scored 15 points to go with five rebounds in a win over LSU.

The 6'7 forward from Norrkoping, Sweden, has started in every game of his Vanderbilt career and is averaging 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 2009-10.

Although this is Taylor's first Player of the Week honor, he did win a Freshman of the Week accolade last year. It is the Commodores' second POW honor this year - junior A.J. Ogilvy claimed the honor in week four of the regular season.

WBB Postgame with Marsh and Rhoads

Merideth Marsh and Jence Rhoads talked to the media following No. 22 Vanderbilt's 68-55 win over No. 16/17 Kentucky on Sunday evening in Memorial Gym. Find out what they had to say in the video posted below.

And click here for complete coverage including game highlights, quotes, photos and more.

MBB Highlights: Vanderbilt 77, LSU 69

Click here for the complete recap with interviews, photos and more on vucommodores.com.