Final NBA Summer League stats

By A. Boggs

Summer League play wrapped up Sunday in Las Vegas, with 2007 SEC Player of the Year Derrick Byars leading all former Vanderbilt players. Byars, who played with the Bulls, averaged 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in five games for the Bulls. A.J. Ogilvy also played for the Bulls this summer and averaged 1.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in three games.

Jermaine Beal averaged 17.8 minutes per game in four games with the Miami Heat, and averaged 5.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

2008 SEC Player of the Year Shan Foster played in five games with the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas, and averaged 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per contest.

Beal goes for 11 points in Heat Summer League win

By A. Boggs

Jermaine Beal once again logged big-time minutes for the Miami Heat Wednesday night in NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas, but unlike the game on Tuesday, his team came away with a win - a 92-83 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Beal played 21 minutes, scored 11 points, dished out three assists, and had two rebounds in the Heat win. Beal was 2-for-6 from the floor, but converted all seven of his free throws. On Tuesday, the former Commodore point guard scored four points in 26 minutes of action in a loss to Golden State.

Derrick Byars logged nine minutes for the Bulls in a 79-50 win over the Clippers, but did not score. A.J. Ogilvy did not play in the game.

Newly minted Vanderbilt Hall of Fame member Shan Foster returns to the floor tonight against the Washington Wizards in Summer League action. The game tips at 8 p.m. Pacific time.

Three Commodores in action Tuesday in Summer League

By A. Boggs

Three former Commodores saw playing time in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Tuesday, as Derrick Byars and A.J. Ogilvy suited up for the Bulls, while Jermaine Beal saw his first action of the summer with the Miami Heat.

Byars started for the Bulls in a 99-71 loss to the Denver Nuggets, played nearly 20 minutes and scored six points and grabbed four rebounds. Ogilvy played eight minutes, was 1-of-2 from the floor, and scored two points.

Beal played significant minutes for the Heat Tuesday in a 72-69 loss to Golden State. The DeSoto, Texas, native, who did not play in Miami's first game of the summer, played 26 minutes and scored four points, dished out two assists, and had one steal against the Warriors. He also had a plus/minus of +7 - which means while he was on the floor, the Heat scored seven more points than the Warriors. It was the highest total for any Heat player on the day.

The Bulls are back in action tonight against the Clippers at 8 p.m. pacific, and the Heat take on the Pistons at 10:30 p.m.

NBA Summer League stats of interest

By A. Boggs

Two former Commodores, Shan Foster and Jermaine Beal, each suited up for their first NBA Summer League game over the weekend for their respective teams, the Mavs and the Heat.

Foster, a 2008 2nd round pick of Dallas, scored six points on 2-of-4 shooting in an 88-70 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, and two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 14 minutes of action in the Mavs' 87-78 loss to the Rockets on Saturday. Foster and the Mavs play the Bucks Monday at 5 p.m. pacific time in their next game.

Beal's Heat team defeated the New Orleans Hornets, 77-72, but Beal did not play (Coach's Decision). The Heat take on Golden State on Tuesday night in their next matchup.

Former Commodores Derrick Byars and A.J. Ogilvy begin Summer League play with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday against the Nuggets.

For a complete rundown of Summer League action, click here.

Four Commodores ready for NBA Summer League in Vegas

By A. Boggs

Four former Commodore players are preparing for NBA Summer League action in Las Vegas, with play beginning on Friday and lasting through Sunday, July 18th.

A.J. Ogilvy and Derrick Byars, who will both play with the Bulls this summer, will tip off their summer season at 1 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, July 13, when Chicago takes on the Denver Nuggets. The game can be seen live on NBA TV. Other games for the summer for Chicago include a game with the Clippers on 5 p.m. on July 14 (NBA TV), a matchup with the Clippers at 5:30 on July 16, and a game against Portland on July 18 at 3 p.m. (NBA TV).

Jermaine Beal, who just latched on with the Miami Heat's Vegas team, will play New Orleans at 7 p.m. on July 11 (NBA TV), against Golden State at 7:30 p.m. on July 13, versus Detroit at 7:30 p.m. on July 14, against Milwaukee on July 16 at 7:30 p.m., and against Cleveland at 3 p.m. on July 17 (NBA TV).

Shan Foster will once again suit up this summer for the Mavericks, who drafted the 2008 SEC Player of the Year in the second round of that year's draft. Foster and the Mavericks will play against Denver on July 9 at 1 p.m. (NBA TV), on July 10 against Houston at 7 p.m. (NBA TV), on July 12 against Milwaukee at 5 p.m. (NBA TV), on July 15 against the Wizards at 5 p.m. (NBA TV) and on July 18 against Sacramento at 5 p.m. (NBA TV).

Stay tuned to the blog for further updates on these former Commodores, and click here for the complete NBA Summer League schedule.

Ogilvy, Beal secure NBA Summer League roster spots

By A. Boggs

Former Commodores will get very familiar with each other this summer in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. A.J. Ogilvy, who went undrafted, will play with former VU great Derrick Byars for the Chicago Bulls this summer, while Jermaine Beal, who was also undrafted, will play with Shan Foster for the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas. Beal was invited as a mini-camp invitee.

Play begins in Vegas for Beal and Foster on July 9, while Byars and Ogilvy begin summer play on July 13.

Click here for more info on the NBA Summer Leagues.

Beal competes in NBA pre-draft camp

by Barca Blog

Jermaine Beal was one of 64 seniors to participate in the 58th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last week in Portsmouth, Va.

Beal played for Sales Systems, one of eight teams in the four-day, twelve-game tournament. Representatives from every NBA team were in attendance for the pre-draft camp.

Let's take a look at Beal's numbers:

Thursday, April 8 - First Round
Roger Brown's 76, Sales Systems 66 (Box Score)
Beal: Started, 4 pts, 1-8 FG, 1-4 3FG, 1-2 FT, reb, blk, TO, 23 min

Friday, April 9 - Consolation Bracket
Sales Systems 96, Cherry Bekaert & Holland 86 (Box Score)
Beal: 6 pts, 3-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 6 reb, 5 ast, 3 TO, stl, 23 min

Saturday, April 10 - Fifth-Place Game
Tidewater Sealants 108, Sales Systems 74 (Box Score)
Beal: 10 pts, 3-8 FG, 1-5 3FG, 3-4 FT, 4 ast, 4 reb, 3 TO, stl, 24 min

Beal scores 17 points in Reese's Collegiate All-Star game

By A. Boggs - Commodore senior Jermaine Beal poured in 17 points for the Hershey's team, but it was not enough as the Reese's team took out Beal's squad, 106-101, in the Reese's Collegiate All-Star game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday afternoon. Twenty-two of the nation's top senior players competed in the game.

Beal, who logged 22 minutes in the game, was 6-of-1o from the floor, 3-for-3 from three, and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. He also added two rebounds and two assists. He was the team's third leading scorer - Lazar Hayward of Marquette scored 23 points and Rodney Green of LaSalle added 17 points for the Hershey squad.

For a complete release and box score, click here.

3-point championship results

by Barca Blog

Jermaine Beal and Merideth Marsh took their shot at ESPN's 3-point championship last night in Indianapolis.

Out of a possible 30 points, Beal totaled 15 while Marsh finished with 13. Both Commodores were eliminated after the first round.

Maryland's Eric Hayes won the men's contest, and Detroit's Brigid Mulroy took home the women's top prize.

Beal received some additional camera time later in the broadcast during the dunk competition. He delivered a great pass from the stands to setup Lazar Hayward's (Marquette) slam. One of the commentators responded emphatically, "Jermaine didn't drop a dime. He dropped a dolla!"

Vermont's Marqus Blakely went on to win that competition.

Don't forget... Beal will be one of 24 seniors to take part in the 2010 Reese's All-Star Game Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. CT. The game is being televised by CBS College Sports.

Reminder: Beal, Marsh on ESPN Thursday

by Barca Blog

Don't forget to tune in tonight (8 p.m. CT on ESPN) to watch Vanderbilt seniors Jermaine Beal and Merideth Marsh compete in ESPN's 3-point shooting championship in Indianapolis, the site of the NCAA Final Four.

A couple of notes while you get the popcorn ready...

If Dolla takes home the men's title, you might be in for a treat according to Joe Duffy's blog.

"Beal recently told me that he might do a little dance for everyone if he gets the victory. And trust me, it will be worth it."

Marsh talked with David Boclair of The City Paper (read more) about her preparation for the contest:

“The one thing I’ve figured out is that it’s a lot different taking a ball off a rack than it is having someone pass it to you,” she said. “You also have to be in a hurry. Typically, you like to take your time on your shot and make sure the release and other things are right.

“But when you get in a rhythm, you don’t really have to look at the shot. You know it’s going in so you can start to reach for the next ball.”

Good luck to these Commodores.

Competing with Beal and Marsh at 3-Point Contest...

By A. Boggs

Jermaine Beal and Merideth Marsh will have some steep competition in their respective 3-point shooting contests on Thursday night in Indianapolis.

Here are the fields:

Built Ford Tough MEN’S THREE-POINT CONTEST

Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt; Jason Bohannon, Wisconsin; Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa; Eric Hayes, Maryland; Roman Martinez, New Mexico; Jerome Randle, California; Michael Roll, UCLA; Ryan Wittman, Cornell.

State Farm WOMEN’S THREE-POINT CONTEST

Merideth Marsh, Vanderbilt; Ashley Barlow, Notre Dame; Taylor Lilley, Oregon; Maggie McCloskey, Loyola Chicago; Kelly McManmon, St. John’s; Brigid Mulroy, Detroit Mercy; Bianca Smith, Colorado; Yvonne Turner, Nebraska.

ESPN will air both three-point shooting contests and the Denny's Slam Dunk Competition beginning at 8 p.m. CT.

Beal to play in Reese's College All-Star Game on Friday in Indianapolis

By A. Boggs

Vanderbilt senior guard will be one of 24 seniors to take part in the 2010 Reese's All-Star Game as part of Final Four Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. and admission is free to the public. The game is being televised by CBS College Sports.

Beal, who is also competing in the State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championship on Thursday in Indianapolis, led the Commodores in scoring with 14.6 points per game and was named a unanimous All-SEC First Team selection by the league's coaches at the end of the season.

Beal will compete on the Hershey's team with fellow seniors Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), Lazar Haywood (Marquette), Gerald Lee (Old Dominion), Rodney Green (LaSalle), Ryan Wittman (Cornell), Robert Glenn (IUPUI), Jeff Foote (Cornell), Edwin Ubiles (Siena), Adam Koch (Northern Iowa), and Deonta Vaughn (Cincinnati). The team will be coached by former Indiana State coach Bill Hodges. Hodges led Larry Bird and the Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA Championship game.

The Reese's team will consist of Art Parakhouski (Radford), Jerome Randle (California), Tre'von Hughes (Wisconsin), Aubrey Coleman (Houston), Michael Roll (UCLA), Bryan Davis (Texas A&M), Tyren Johnson (Lafayette), Chris Kramer (Purdue), Patrick Christopher (California), Domenic Calegari (UC DAvis), and Eric Boateng (Arizona State). The Reese's Team will be coached by legendary Purdue coach Gene Keady.

All of the players were selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

Beal, Marsh to compete at ESPN 3-Point Championship

By A. Boggs

Vanderbilt seniors Jermaine Beal and Merideth Marsh have been selected to compete in the "2010 ESPN Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships" this Thursday night in Indianapolis. Beal and Marsh will compete in the three-point shooting competition.

Here's a little more on the event:
"ESPN's Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships" invite the top 24 Senior dunkers (8) and men's (8) and women's (8) three-point shooters in the country. This is the 22nd Annual event, which is always held in the Final Four host city every year.

This is a nationally televised event on ESPN on Thursday night, April 1st, leading into the Final Four weekend, and will air several additional times throughout the weekend. The show airs from 9 pm to 11 pm EST. Past participants and champions who are playing in the NBA include Aaron Brooks, Dahntay Jones, Steve Nash, J.R. Giddens, Jason Maxiell, and Kyle Korver.

More to come later on the field for both the men's and women's three-point shootout.

Beal on a mission

by Ryan Schulz

Senior point guard Jermaine Beal has seen both sides of the NCAA Tournament. He’s experienced the Cinderella story as part of Vanderbilt’s Sweet 16 team in 2007 and the heartbreak of the first-round upset in 2008. But for Beal, the memory that he can’t get out of his mind is the most recent one.

Playing in Tampa, the fourth-seeded Commodores were sent packing by a hot-shooting Siena team in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. It was a game that Beal would just as well like to forget. The team lost and he had one of the worst games of his career, finishing 0-for-4 from the field without a point.

Just thinking back to the game stings Beal. That sting is part of what makes Thursday’s game against Murray State (1:30 p.m. CT) that much more personal to Beal.

“It is very important to get a win,” Beal said. “I don’t want to experience that feeling again.”

Beal, a first team All-SEC selection, has been the catalyst for the Commodores all season. As Beal goes, so do the Commodores on most occasions. Now on the eve of his final tournament, Beal is preparing to embark on a mission to erase the memory of his last trip to the Big Dance.

“There is that sense of urgency as a senior,” Beal said. “I’m taking this opportunity very seriously, but at the same time, trying to embrace it and trying to have fun with it. I’m just trying to stay focused because I know we have a great opportunity ahead of us.”

It’s an opportunity that Beal thinks this team is suited to take advantage of.

“I know this team is probably better than the other two teams I’ve been to the NCAA Tournament with,” Beal said. “I think we can make a deep run, but right now our main focus is just that first game.”

After all, the first game could just as well be the last game come tournament time. Besides Beal, only junior A.J. Ogilvy and redshirt sophomore Andre Walker played more than 10 minutes in the team’s game against Siena. The lack of NCAA Tournament experience on the roster makes Beal the team’s go-to expert on the tournament.

“I told the (guys on the team) about my freshman and sophomore experience,” Beal said. “And I told them everything we need to do this year to be prepared.”

Undoubtedly, one player who will be prepared come Thursday will be the Commodores’ lone senior who knows that there is no next year.

“Right now it is do or die,” Beal said. “In conference play, you can shake it off and get ready for the next game, but now every possession and every shot counts that much more. The stakes are so much higher.”

And the memories last so much longer.

(photo by John Russell)

Beal thanks fans for support

by Barca Blog (Photo by John Russell)

It was an emotional day for Jermaine Beal on Saturday.

Even after the stunning loss to South Carolina in his final home game, Beal was classy enough to meet with the media to field questions about the Commodores' letdown. After the press conference, he went back out to the court to sign autographs for a bunch of wide-eyed youngsters.

Beal could have blown it all off, but that's not his style.

"He's really a poster child for what a college athlete should look like," head coach Kevin Stallings said. "He stuck around for four years and will graduate in May. He's never been in trouble. He's just always been a good, honest, hard-working guy that wanted to get better and be better and he's done that."

While the crowd gave the DeSoto, Texas, native a rousing ovation during the postgame senior day ceremony, Beal remembered to return the favor.

"I'm thankful for everybody who always supported me from the players to the coaching staff," Beal said. "Thank you to the whole Nashville community for always having my back. I can't say thank you enough."

And for those fans still reeling from the defeat to the Gamecocks, Beal doesn't want you to lose faith just yet.

"Of course it's your last home game and you want to win it, but Derrick Byars lost his and went to the Sweet Sixteen. Our team has a lot more left in us and we just have to refocus, bounce back, and look ahead."

Video: Dolla Reels

by Barca Blog

Let's reflect on the greatness of Jermaine Beal with some of his best moments from his Commodore career. Enjoy.

MBB Senior Day Saturday

by Barca Blog

I received a couple of emails about Saturday's senior day festivities in Memorial Gym.

The ceremony will take place following the South Carolina game instead of pregame, so stay in your seats to honor the following Commodore seniors: guard Jermaine Beal and student managers Sam Ferry and Justin Wheeler.

Beal will leave Vanderbilt basketball as the winningest player to ever don the black and gold. The DeSoto, Texas, native will attain his degree in Human and Organizational Development this May.

Ferry has been a basketball manager for the team for four years including the Sweet 16 run in 2007. The Providence, R.I., native will also graduate with a degree in Human and Organizational Development this spring.

Wheeler joined the team as a manager in the fall of 2009 after a successful three years as a wide receiver with the Commodore football program. The North Augusta, S.C., native will graduate with a degree in sociology in May.

Let's pack Memorial to salute these seniors in their final home game. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

Note: Guard Chris Meriwether was slated to be honored as well but may return to the team next season since he still has a year of eligibility remaining. He's currently pursuing educational opportunities to continue his studies at Vanderbilt.

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

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

Take some of that right there, big guy

by Barca Blog

The Tim Thompson remix. Enjoy.