Golden State homecoming

by Ryan Schulz

While Commodore fans looking to cheer on Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament would much rather have seen the Commodores sent to a location that is closer to Nashville such as Jacksonville or New Orleans, two members of Vanderbilt’s team couldn’t be happier with heading west.

For Vanderbilt junior Darshawn McClellan and sophomore Festus Ezeli, the team’s trip to San Jose is a homecoming. McClellan is a Fresno, Calif., native, while Ezeli lived in Yuba City, Calif., after moving to the U.S. in 2004 from Nigeria. Both cities are approximately 150 miles from San Jose, the site of Vanderbilt’s first and second round NCAA Tournament games.

When Vanderbilt takes on 13th-seeded Murray State at 1:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, it will mark the second time this season Vanderbilt has played in California after playing at St. Mary’s in November. If the Commodores have it their way, they will be playing two and not one more game in Golden State.

“It is real special,” McClellan said. “I rarely get to see my family but once or twice a year. For me this going to be a special time, especially being in the NCAA Tournament playing in front of so many friends and family.”

Just how many of McClellan’s friends and family will make the 2½-hour trek from Fresno? A better question might be, who won’t be making the trip?

“The number keeps growing by the hour,” McClellan said.

Ezeli returns to Calif., a much different player than he was before coming to Vanderbilt. After first picking up the game in 2004, Ezeli has developed leaps and bounds from where he was when he first arrived on Vanderbilt’s campus in 2007.

“People from high school who knew me when I didn’t make the (high school) team talk about how (much I’ve grown) from there to here and wonder what happened,” Ezeli said. It’s been a crazy transformation and I’m still growing. I guess I still have more to surprise them with.”

Like McClellan, the number of fans Ezeli will have in the stands is continually growing, which for the Commodores could be beneficial in more ways than just crowd support.

“I think when my family is there (watchng), I play better because I’m more comfortable,” Ezeli said.

Although both players will have large contingents to cheer them on in San Jose, the trip to California is more than just a trip home for Ezeli and McClellan.

“I’m going to try to get up early to make sure I get to see my family,” McClellan said. “I hope that I will get to spend some time with them, but we are there for business and they understand that.”

(photo by John Russell)

We're on our way, San Jose

by Barca Blog

Steve Tchiengang takes a quick photo of teammate Darshawn McClellan before the Commodores boarded their plane to San Jose Tuesday night. Stay with us for complete coverage during the trip. (Click image to enlarge)

Beal, Ogilvy named to NABC All-District 21 second team

By A. Boggs - Senior guard Jermaine Beal and junior center A.J. Ogilvy were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches' All-District 21 second team in an announcement made today.

Beal, who leads the team in scoring in 2009-10 with 14.7 points, and Ogilvy, who pours in 13.4 points, made the second team along with Wayne Chism of Tennessee, Patrick Patterson of Kentucky, and Trey Thompkins of Georgia.

Earlier, Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings was named the District 21 Coach of the Year by NABC.

NABC All-District 21 Team
First Team
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Devan Downey, South Carolina
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
John Wall, Kentucky

Second Team
Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
Wayne Chism, Tennessee
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
Trey Thompkins, Georgia

TV Coverage for WBB on ESPN networks

By Weinman - All 63 games of the Women's NCAA Tournament will be televised by the ESPN family of networks again this year. Vanderbilt's first round matchup with DePaul (Sunday, 11:11 a.m. CT) is set to be shown by ESPN2.

The networks will utilize "whip-around" coverage for the first two rounds of the tournament since up to four games are being played in the same time slot. This should not be an issue in the Nashville market, as games of local interest are slated to be shown in their entirety (with "constant updates" from other games instead of switching). ESPN360.com will have every game of the tournament, as will ESPN Full Court ($79). Details in the .pdf file below....

All in all, the verbiage of it is a bit cumbersome, but I thought I'd post the information from ESPN for you to see. There should be coverage maps available on ESPN.com later this week.

ESPN Coverage Guide

Week 4 Vanderbilt Baseball Notebook

by SID

Record Overall: 14-1; Record for the Week: 4-0

Last Week:
3/10: Vanderbilt 9, UT Martin 1
3/12: Vanderbilt 14, Ohio 3
3/13: Vanderbilt 7, Ohio 4
3/14: Vanderbilt 5, Ohio 1

This Week (Buy Tickets):
3/16 vs. Western Kentucky, 6 p.m., Hawkins Field
3/17 vs. Western Kentucky, 3 p.m., Bowling Green
3/19 vs. Alabama, 6:35 p.m., Tuscaloosa
3/20 vs. Alabama, 3 p.m., Tuscaloosa
3/21 vs. Alabama, 2 p.m., Tuscaloosa

Vanderbilt went 4-0 on the week to improve to 14-1 on the year. The Commodores have won 10 straight games and are off to their best start since starting 2007 at 20-0 … VU hit .363 on the week with nine homers, 10 doubles and 35 runs scored ... The pitching staff sported a 2.00 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 10 walks in 36.0 innings.

Drew Hayes pitched 4.2 innings of one-hit scoreless relief in two appearances with five strikeouts. He picked up his first win of the year against Ohio on Saturday … Jack Armstrong recorded his longest collegiate outing, pitching 6.2 innings of four-hit ball against Ohio on Sunday. He allowed just one run while striking out four in his second win of the year … Will Clinard allowed one run on five hits in four innings against UT Martin on Wednesday and picked up his first collegiate win.

Russell Brewer pitched three innings of one-hit relief with four strikeouts in two games. He picked up his second save of the year in Saturday’s win over Ohio and now has 14 saves in his career. He trails David Daniels (1992-95) by one for second place and leader Ryan Rote (2004-05) by five.

Brian Harris went 6-for-12 (.500) with a double, triple and five RBI. He was hit five times and now has been hit 12 times on the year … Aaron Westlake missed the midweek game, but returned to action over the weekend and went 4-for-9 (.444) with two homers and five RBI ... Jason Esposito was 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, homer and five RBI … Joe Loftus was 6-for-16 (.375) with three homers and five RBI. He hit homers in three straight games before ending the streak against Ohio on Sunday.

Bryan Johns had a 12 game hitting streak snapped against Ohio on Saturday … Connor Harrell went 4-for-10 on the weekend with a homer, his first collegiate one, two doubles and four RBI. His three-run double against Ohio on Saturday, rallied the Commodores from a 4-3 deficit in the eighth inning … Mike Yastrzemski was 4-for-11 (.364) with his first collegiate homer against Ohio on Friday.

Anthony Gomez played in three games, starting one and was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. He is now hitting .600 on the year in 10 games and has a team best eight game hitting streak … Vanderbilt has now outscored its opponents 134-40 in 15 games on the year.

The Dores will close out their nine-game homestand against Western Kentucky on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT. They will play WKU in Bowling Green at 3 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to Alabama to open Southeastern Conference play next weekend. Gametimes are 6:35, 3:05 and 2:05 with the latter two games televised by Fox Sports Net (Saturday) and CSS (Sunday).

Get your game notes

by Barca Blog

Vanderbilt and Murray State have released their official NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game notes.

So rub the crust our of your eyes, grab a cup of joe, and kick your feet up on the table. This could take a while to read.

Download Vanderbilt Game Notes
Download Murray State Game Notes

And if you have any questions, my response would be the same as those 1980's Time-Life commercials that promoted their Mysteries of the Unknown series... "Read the Book!"

(I would have posted the commercial, but to be honest, it's haunted me ever since I was a kid. The level of creepiness would rate right up there with the old TV show Unsolved Mysteries.)

Send-off rally for MBB team Tuesday

Commodore fans are invited to help send off the men's basketball team as they leave for the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday evening.

The team bus will be leaving from the Players Entrance of Memorial Gym (located at the north west corner of Memorial Gym by Parmer Fieldhouse) at 5:40 p.m. CT.

Fans and students are encouraged to join the team and wish them good luck as they travel to San Jose for their first round game against Murray State.

NCAA WBB Ticket Information

We want you in Cincinnati!

March Madness will lead the Vanderbilt women's basketball team to The Queen City as the Commodores take on DePaul in NCAA first round action on Sunday, March 21, at 11:11 a.m. CT.

All tickets will be sold through the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, so please order tickets by CLICKING HERE or by calling directly at 513-745-3411.

And remember... It's only a four and a half hour drive from Nashville. Come out and support the Commodores!

WBB Video: 'Dores react to NCAA seeding

The Vanderbilt women's basketball team has earned a No. 6 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and will face DePaul on Sunday, March 21, inside the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Watch the video below to find out what head coach Melanie Balcomb and senior guard Lauren Lueders had to say about the Commodores' postseason destination.

To read the complete release, click here.

Beal, Ogilvy, Taylor named to AP All-SEC team

By A. Boggs

Senior point guard Jermaine Beal was named to the Associated Press All-SEC second team, and junior A.J. Ogilvy and sophomore Jeffery Taylor were named as honorable mention selections to the squad in an announcement made today.

Beal was a first-team selection by coaches, and both Ogilvy and Taylor were second-team members.

Here's a list of all of the teams from the Associated Press:

First Team (u-unanimous selection)

u-DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, F, 6-11, Fr.

u-Devan Downey, South Carolina, G, 5-9, Sr.

u-John Wall, Kentucky, G, 6-4, Fr.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State, F-C, 6-9, Sr.

Trey Thompkins, Georgia, F, 6-10, So.

Second Team

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, F, 6-9, Jr.

Chris Warren, Mississippi, G, 5-10, Jr.

Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt, G, 6-3, Sr.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU, F, 6-7, Sr.

Wayne Chism, Tennessee, F-C, 6-9, Sr.

Honorable Mention

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt, G-F, 6-7, So.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, C, 6-11, Jr.

Courtney Fortson, Arkansas, G, 5-11, So.

Dee Bost, Mississippi St., G, 6-2, So.

Mikhail Torrance, Alabama, G, 6-5, Sr.

Player of the Year - John Wall, Kentucky

Coach of the Year - John Calipari, Kentucky

Newcomer of the Year - John Wall, Kentucky

Women's Basketball Selection Show tonight

by Barca Blog

Vanderbilt's women's basketball team will find out its NCAA Tournament destination tonight when the brackets are unveiled live on ESPN's Selection Show starting at 6 p.m. CT.

One thing we do know.. the Commodores won't be going to Albuquerque for the third consecutive year since the city isn't hosting any of the rounds. 

Charlie Creme, ESPN's bracketologist, is predicting that the 'Dores will placed as a No. 6 seed in Norman, Okla., with a first-round matchup against C-USA champion Tulane. Check out his complete bracket.

If you're stuck at work tonight, you can also watch the Selection Show live online on ESPN360.com.

Video: Tourney Talk

Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings, guard Jermaine Beal and center A.J. Ogilvy met with the media Sunday night after the Commodores were selected as a No. 4 seed in the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Watch the footage -- in three parts -- below.

PART 1


PART 2


PART 3

Game time set for NCAA First Round

by Barca Blog

Just announced... Vanderbilt's matchup with Murray State will be the first of four NCAA Tournament games on Thursday at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The time for the game is 1:30 p.m. CT on CBS (check your local listings). Here's the lineup:

NCAA First Round Schedule in San Jose

West Region
Game 1: [4] Vanderbilt vs. [13] Murray State - 1:30 CT
Game 2: [5] Butler vs. [12] UTEP - 3:55 CT

Midwest Region
Game 3: [6] Marquette vs. [11] Washington - 6:20 CT
Game 4: [3] New Mexico vs. [14] Montana - 8:50 CT

For ticket information, click here.

Note: The other NCAA games in the same time slot as Vanderbilt on Thursday are:
[2] Kansas State vs. [15] North Texas - 1:40 CT
[3] Baylor vs. [14] Sam Houston State - 1:45 CT
[7] Richmond vs. [10] Saint Mary's - 1:50 CT

NCAA Men's Basketball Ticket Information

Ticket news for the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds in San Jose this weekend ...

A small allotment of tickets will be sold by National Commodore Club Priority to members above the $2,000 annual gift level. NCC tickets will be made available through the Vanderbilt ticket office beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 15. Tickets can be ordered by calling 615-322-GOLD or visiting the ticket office in the McGugin Center.

General public and NCC members at a giving level below $2,000 annually are encouraged to contact the HP Pavilion at San Jose directly or by going online. Click Here to Purchase.

Tickets will cost $249 per person and may be subject to processing fees.

Do you know the way?

by Barca Blog

If you haven't heard by now, then pack your bags... we're going to San Jose.

Intern Travis is going to fire up his Impala for our 2,300-mile trek across the country. Google Maps said it will only take a day and a half to get there. We'll first make the mandatory stop at Costco to pick up four cases of CornNuts (you know, the ultimate crunch) and Sun Drop, then it's off to California.

If you can't make the journey with us, you can check out the complete NCAA Tournament news release on VUcommodores. And while you're reading it, enjoy the sweet sound of Dionne Warwick (with credit to Burt Bacharach and Hal David).

Final look at NCAA MBB bracket predictions

by Barca Blog

With the official NCAA Selection show slated for 5 p.m. CT tonight on CBS, let's take a look at the latest bracket projections from Sunday morning...

ESPN's Joe Lundari has the Commodores as a No. 5 seed in Spokane, Wash., with a rematch against 2008 first-round opponent, Siena. Lundari has Michigan State, Butler and BYU as the other No. 5 seeds in his bracket. His No. 4 seeds are Temple, Purdue, New Mexico and Tennessee. Full Bracket

CNNSI's Andy Glockner also puts Vandy in Spokane, but with a No. 4 seed against C-USA tournament champion Houston. His No. 4 seeds also include Baylor, Purdue and Wisconsin. His No. 5 seeds are Maryland, Texas A&M, Richmond and Tennessee. Full Bracket

CBS' Jerry Palm thinks the 'Dores have dropped down to a No. 7 seed with Louisville as their first-round opponent in Oklahoma City. His No. 6 seeds are Richmond, Gonzaga, Xavier and BYU and his No. 5 seeds are Tennessee, Texas A&M, Butler and Maryland. Full Bracket

Finally, FoxSports' Chris Kulenych and Craig Gately gave Vanderbilt a No. 4 seed in New Orleans with a matchup against the Summit League champions, Oakland. They also have Pitt, Tennessee and Wisconsin as No. 4 seeds and Butler, Michigan State, Baylor and Maryland as No. 5 seeds. Full Bracket

You can also watch the unveiling of the brackets live online by clicking here.We'll have complete coverage on VUcommodores.com later tonight with ticket information as well as press conference footage.

iTunes Pick of the Day - Pearl Jam

by Barca Blog

I just watched Pearl Jam perform their latest single "Just Breathe" on Saturday Night Live.

It was one of the best moments on the show this season (sad but true, especially considering it wasn't even a skit).

You can find the track on their 2009 album titled Backspacer. Sample it below (footage from Austin City Limits):

Stallings reacts to Mississippi State loss

by Barca Blog

Quotes from head coach Kevin Stallings following Vanderbilt's 62-52 loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. For more reaction from the press conference, click here.

On the loss...
"We just got outplayed today, especially in close to the basket. They were much better than us. I thought our defense was good enough to win the game, but offensively we were never able to find a rhythm. We couldn't get any baskets, couldn't get to the foul line.

"We've got to figure out what it was we were doing earlier in the season where we were averaging 31 free throws a game, and now we can only average about 15. But we didn't do a good job. Really, just there wasn't anything about our game today that was like we wanted it to be or like we needed it to be. That's disappointing.

"I made some mistakes and screwed up at the end. I won't get into specifically what they were, but I made some mistakes, and it cost our team."

On Beal being on the bench coming down the stretch...
"No, I had subbed for him to give him a rest, and we started playing better. We just started playing better. I thought Brad gave us some energy, and putting Jeff on Bost was an improvement for us. Brad made a couple shots and pitched the ball ahead, and we got a dunk by Jeff, and we had some momentum going there. So it wasn't anything other than we'd just gotten a head of stride and were playing a little bit better."

On late turnovers and missed opportunities...
"We had the wrong guys doing the wrong games. Guys weren't really playing to their strengths, and that's my fault. It's my fault that I've got guys that will get themselves in the wrong position and in a position where they're not ordinarily successful.

"We made some turnovers. We took some bad shots. We got some balls blocked. I take responsibility for that because that could have been avoided if I had done a better job."

Vanderbilt-Mississippi State Photo Gallery

By T. Young (Photo Courtesy of John Russell)

Check out John Russell's photo gallery from Saturday's SEC Tournament semifinal game between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. The Commodores were bounced from the Tournament after suffering a 62-52 setback on Saturday afternoon in Bridgestone Arena.

Click here to see all the action photos from the game.

For additional coverage of Saturday's game click here

Final: Mississippi State 62, Vanderbilt 52

Vanderbilt was eliminated from the SEC Tournament after suffering a 62-52 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena.

The Commodores will learn their NCAA Tournament fate when the brackets are unveiled during CBS' Selection Show at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Stay with VUcommodores.com for official coverage.

Live Blog: Vanderbilt vs. Miss. State

Join us for a live blog of today's SEC Tournament semifinal matchup between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Click Here

Photo of the Game: This is The Future

by Barca Blog (Photo by John Russell)

"The Future" is now.

Johnny J played like a grizzled veteran in his SEC Tournament debut last night. The sharpshooter was perfect from the field in the second half, scoring 22 points on 6-for-6 shooting with four of those coming from long range, to help the 'Dores runaway with a 78-66 win over Georgia.

If you somehow missed it because the game was past your bedtime, then listen to this montage of Joe Fisher's radio calls. (John for 3.... GOOOOD! OH MY GOODNESS!)


(download audio)

Click here to view more of Russell's photos.

McMahan recognized as SEC Legend

by Barca Blog (Photo by John Russell)

Former Commodore great Ronnie McMahan was honored as Vanderbilt's Southeastern Conference Legend during halftime of last night's game.

McMahan (1992-95) still ranks as VU's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,719 career points. He currently is an assistant basketball coach for local high school Montgomery Bell Academy, who won their sixth state championship last week.

Flip It: You can't stay here

by Barca Blog

Watch Flip video (below) of Travis signing off around midnight from an empty Bridgestone Arena following Vanderbilt's 78-66 win over Georgia in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Our favorite intern was so jazzed about the win that he insisted on camping out overnight like it was Bonnaroo... but the yellow jackets wouldn't have it.

Boggles wasn't having any of it either. You can hear him in the background telling us to hurry or we'd miss the last train to Clarksville.

SEC Tournament semifinals schedule

by Barca Blog

Four teams -- Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi State -- are still alive in the 2010 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. Check out Saturday's semifinals schedule and Friday's results below. For complete coverage of the tournament, go to SECsports.com.

Saturday's Slate on ABC
[E1] Kentucky vs. [E3] Tennessee - 12 p.m. CT
[E2] Vanderbilt vs. [W1] Miss. State - 2:15 p.m. CT

Friday's Results
[E1] Kentucky 73, [W4] Alabama 67
[E3] Tennessee 76, [W2] Ole Miss 65
[W1] Miss. State 75, [E4] Florida 69
[E2] Vanderbilt 78, [E6] Georgia 66

Jenkins steals the spotlight

by Ryan Schulz

The postseason is where upperclassmen are supposed to shine and it’s where freshmen are supposed to wilt under the bright lights and pressure. Just don’t tell that to Vanderbilt freshman sharpshooter John Jenkins.

On a night when the Commodores desperately needed a player to step up against an opponent that had given them fits all year, Jenkins did. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native single-handedly took the bite out of the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday in Vanderbilt’s 78-66 quarterfinal victory in the SEC Tournament.

The long-range marksman poured in a career best 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting, but what may have been more important was his timing. After building an eight-point lead at the half, Georgia went on a 6-0 run to pull within two, and it appeared the game would remain close throughout.

Jenkins had other plans.

With the Commodores holding a 47-42 lead following five straight points by Lance Goulbourne, Jenkins took over the game. Beginning with a three-pointer at the 11:35 mark, Jenkins would score 12 straight points for Vanderbilt, giving the Commodores their largest lead of the game (59-47) with 8:21 to play. Jenkins would add another four points to bury the Bulldogs, while extending Vanderbilt’s lead to 18, 69-61 with 5:30 to play.

“If he’s left open, he’s unstoppable,” Head Coach Kevin Stallings said. “And if we can get him open, he’s unstoppable because he’s got to make open shots.”

Jenkins’ shots were falling in the second half, but it was a different case in the first half for the freshman, who made just 1-of-4 three-point attempts.

“Coach (Stallings) was telling me to go out there and be more aggressive,” Jenkins said. “That’s what I did. In the first half I came out slow, trying to get myself into it. In the second half, I just really let loose.”

Jenkins ability to get loose for open shots keyed the demise of Georgia and overshadowed a 34-point game by the Bulldogs’ Travis Leslie.

Jenkins played a career-best 32 minutes and was on the court more than any other Commodore besides Jermaine Beal. His play against he Bulldogs may have earned him a few more minutes on Saturday when Vanderbilt takes on Mississippi State in the SEC semifinals.

And if Vanderbilt is going to get past Mississippi State, it may need another strong shooting performance from Jenkins to do so. Thankfully for Commodore fans, poor shooting and Jenkins go about as well together as oil and water.

“There just are not very many days during the week where you see him not have a good shooting day,” Stallings said. “His jumper is fundamentally flawless and he has a high level of belief in it … and so does his coach.”

(Photo by John Russell)

SEC Tournament: VU advances to semis

by Barca Blog

Recap: [E2] Vanderbilt 78, [E6] Georgia 66
AP --- John Jenkins scored 22 of his career-high 25 points in the second half, and No. 20 Vanderbilt held off Georgia 78-66 Friday night in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals. Recap

Quotables
VU coach Kevin Stallings on his team's defensive effort:
"We didn't want them to get a beat on us. They're a very good rhythm team. If you let them get into a rhythm, they'll find Thompkins time and time and time again. So one of the reasons we zoned was to try to keep the ball out of his hands. Leslie obviously was unbelievable, but the key to the game for us was Thompkins, and I thought we did a nice job on him."

Jermaine Beal on VU's rebounding effort:
"Our game plan to come in was just to focus on rebounding and to play physical because we know Georgia's a big physical team. And I think we won on the boards. So we got the victory."

Georgia coach Mark Fox on the loss:
"Vanderbilt came very determined to play tonight. I think our team was excited about playing also, but they really out rebounded us in the first half, and that had a significant impact on the ball game. We opened the second half with some competitive fight, got back in it, but we just couldn't."

Georgia's Trey Thompkins on the season:
"You're correct about the fact that we fought all year, but as a team, we expected to win some of those games. We never shortchanged ourselves on the fact that we were inexperienced with Coach's system or we were a young team. We came out to fight just like all our opponents did. We expected to win just like any other team would."

Notes
*Jenkins finished the game 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to tie Shan Foster's and Brad Tinsley’s school record for three-pointers by a freshman in a season (69).

*Vanderbilt outrebounded Georgia 43-32 … Georgia had outrebounded Vanderbilt in both of the previous games … Vanderbilt is now 13-1 when it outrebounds its opponent.

*Andre Walker finished the game with a team-high 10 rebounds and also had four assists, three blocks and two steals.

*Tonight’s win was Vanderbilt’s 24th this season, matching the 1965 team for third-most in school history … The 1993 finished with 28 wins, while the 2008 team finished with 26 wins.

Next Up
Vanderbilt will take on West No. 1 seed Mississippi State in the semifinals Saturday at 2:15 p.m. CT. The Commodores defeated the Bulldogs, 75-72, in their only meeting this season on February 3 in Nashville. For complete coverage of the tournament, go to SECsports.com.

SEC Tournament: Miss. State moves on

by Barca Blog

Recap: [W1] Miss. State 75, [E4] Florida 69
AP -- Barry Stewart scored 17 points and hit five late free throws as Mississippi State held on to defeat Florida 75-69 in the Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinals on Friday night. More

Quotables
MSU's Jarvis Varnado on the team's mentality:
"I feel like we have nothing to lose. We just come out here to play hard and play together. We had success last year in playing together, and we wanted to keep that focus coming in this tournament."

MSU coach Rick Stansbury on keeping players attention off NCAA talk:
"It's impossible to keep them away unless I lock them in the closet and take away their phones and all that. It's everywhere you go nowadays.You can't watch TV unless you're hearing about it. You can't walk anywhere unless someone is talking to you about it. And all these kids nowadays have these phones that's a walking computer. So they see it all day long. We don't talk about it. You guys (the media) do enough talking about it without us having to say it."

Florida coach Billy Donovan on NCAA possibilities:
"I have no idea. I really don't. I say this all the time. I think the only thing I try to focus on is the day in front of you and the team in front of you, and that's Mississippi State. I have no idea about what really a whole lot of teams have done in different conferences. I think we've played a very, very competitive schedule. We've had some really, really good quality wins. If that's good enough, then so be it. We'll wait and see what happens on Sunday."

Notes
*Mississippi State reaches the SEC tourney semifinals for the third straight year. They are the defending champions.

*The loss was Florida’s first against an SEC West opponent this year. They were 6-0 entering the contest vs. SEC West teams.

Next Up
Mississippi State will face the winner between Vanderbilt and Georgia. For complete coverage of the tournament, go to SECsports.com.

Live Blog: Vanderbilt vs. Georgia

Join us for a live blog of tonight's SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup between Vanderbilt and Georgia. Click Here

SEC Tournament: Tennessee wins again

by Barca Blog

Recap: [E3] Tennessee 76, [W2] Ole Miss 65
AP -- Wayne Chism had 16 points and 15 rebounds as No. 15 Tennessee beat Ole Miss 76-65 in the Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinals on Friday. More

Quotables
Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy on their NCAA chances:
"You know, I don't know. There's so much made of this team in, this team out. To be honest with you, it's just counterproductive for us to live in that world. We just can't live in that world. All we can do is continue to play the game that's in front of us. Now there are no more games until they tell us what's next. Obviously, it's not a good position to be in. I've got a locker room full of very disappointed guys. So we'll have to wait and see."

UT coach Bruce Pearl on the Kentucky matchup:
"If you want to be a champion, you've got to beat the best, and Kentucky is the best. They are the best team here. They're one of the best teams in the country. And, obviously, an opportunity to play them and win a championship is something that you relish that opportunity. And we'll prepare, and we'll get after it"

UT's Wayne Chism on what it takes to beat Kentucky:
"The way to beat Kentucky is just play basketball. A lot of teams probably get scared to play these guys, but obviously when you go out and play somebody bigger and better on your schedule, you just come out and play basketball because that's one thing you know how to do. You come out and play different than what you all usually do, it's going to be a big mistake."

Notes
*Points off turnovers were a telling stat, as the Vols turned 14 Rebel turnovers into 20 points. By contrast, Ole Miss only had seven points off of Tennessee’s eight miscues.

*Neither team shot better than 40 percent from the field, but the Vols did have a decided advantage at the free throw line. UT made 70 percent of its 33 free throw attempts, while Ole Miss made only 48 percent of its 25 tries.

*Ole Miss went nearly five minutes without a field goal in the second half.

*Chris Warren went 5-of-12 from long range and tied a school-record for consecutive games with a made three-pointer by connecting from deep in his 41st straight game.

Next Up
Tennessee will face East No. 1 seed Kentucky in the semifinals Saturday at noon CT on ABC. The teams split their two regular season meetings. For complete coverage of the tournament, go to SECsports.com.