In case you haven't heard, the students are spearheading a "White Out" for the second year in a row at Vanderbilt's home basketball game with Tennessee Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Last year, the Vols rolled in to town with a No. 1 ranking, but fell victim to Memorial Magic in front of a nationally televised audience. The entire crowd joined in by dressing in white... and it looked incredible. If you don't remember, then click here for photos.
So spread the word to all ticket holders you know. Let's do it again. Wear White to the game to show your support for the Commodores.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Mistakes prove costly in loss to MSU
Vanderbilt fell to 1-2 in the conference after suffering a 73-66 loss to Mississippi State Saturday night in Starkville.
Coach Kevin Stallings gave his thoughts on the game during his postgame interview with Joe Fisher:
"We've got a good group of competitors. It wasn't our physical effort that got us tonight. We just didn't play smart enough. We've got to be an intelligent basketball team to be a good basketball team in my opinion and we just didn't play intelligently tonight and that's what beat us. We didn't defend well in the second half and that had something to do with them (MSU). I just thought, even in the first half, when we had a chance, I thought we got out of control and our veterans committed bad fouls. We had them in trouble because (Jarvis) Varnado was on the bench and then A.J. and Jermaine get in foul trouble for us, both on plays that you shouldn't commit fouls. We were our own worst enemies at times."
"They shot 63 percent (in the second half) which means we didn't guard well enough. Granted, some of them were tough shots but they scored 15 points in the first five minutes of the second half. That's just unacceptable. We're not going to survive those kind of stretches very often. It's disappointing. We thought we could have played better and played a lot smarter. You've got to give them credit because they made shots and they played well."
Here are some key stats that didn't go the Commodores' way:
*Mississippi State outshot Vanderbilt at the free throw line, 22-8, which resulted in 13 more points for the Bulldogs.
*The Commodores weren't able to capitalize when MSU's Jarvis Varnado was on the bench after picking up his second foul in the opening five minutes in the first half. With Varnado out, the Bulldogs outscored the 'Dores by eight to take a five-point lead into halftime. Also, A.J. Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal only played nine and 11 minutes respectively in the first half due to foul trouble.
*Vanderbilt's NCAA-leading field goal percentage defense allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 63.6% in the second half.
*The Bulldogs scored 19 points off VU's 17 turnovers. Probably the most costly turnover was when the Commodores had cut the deficit to two with 16:49 left in the game, but Phil Turner stole the ball around midcourt and quickly converted a three-pointer to push the margin to five. Turner's basket also triggered a 14-3 run for MSU.
*Guard Ravern Johnson had 10 of his 18 points during a six and a half minute span in the second half to help MSU extend their lead to 16 with 8:54 remaining. The Commodores only got as close as six for the rest of the game.
Coach Kevin Stallings gave his thoughts on the game during his postgame interview with Joe Fisher:
"We've got a good group of competitors. It wasn't our physical effort that got us tonight. We just didn't play smart enough. We've got to be an intelligent basketball team to be a good basketball team in my opinion and we just didn't play intelligently tonight and that's what beat us. We didn't defend well in the second half and that had something to do with them (MSU). I just thought, even in the first half, when we had a chance, I thought we got out of control and our veterans committed bad fouls. We had them in trouble because (Jarvis) Varnado was on the bench and then A.J. and Jermaine get in foul trouble for us, both on plays that you shouldn't commit fouls. We were our own worst enemies at times."
"They shot 63 percent (in the second half) which means we didn't guard well enough. Granted, some of them were tough shots but they scored 15 points in the first five minutes of the second half. That's just unacceptable. We're not going to survive those kind of stretches very often. It's disappointing. We thought we could have played better and played a lot smarter. You've got to give them credit because they made shots and they played well."
Here are some key stats that didn't go the Commodores' way:
*Mississippi State outshot Vanderbilt at the free throw line, 22-8, which resulted in 13 more points for the Bulldogs.
*The Commodores weren't able to capitalize when MSU's Jarvis Varnado was on the bench after picking up his second foul in the opening five minutes in the first half. With Varnado out, the Bulldogs outscored the 'Dores by eight to take a five-point lead into halftime. Also, A.J. Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal only played nine and 11 minutes respectively in the first half due to foul trouble.
*Vanderbilt's NCAA-leading field goal percentage defense allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 63.6% in the second half.
*The Bulldogs scored 19 points off VU's 17 turnovers. Probably the most costly turnover was when the Commodores had cut the deficit to two with 16:49 left in the game, but Phil Turner stole the ball around midcourt and quickly converted a three-pointer to push the margin to five. Turner's basket also triggered a 14-3 run for MSU.
*Guard Ravern Johnson had 10 of his 18 points during a six and a half minute span in the second half to help MSU extend their lead to 16 with 8:54 remaining. The Commodores only got as close as six for the rest of the game.
Mississippi State pregame notes
While Vanderbilt leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (.359), Mississippi State is not too far behind (.369 -- good for second in the SEC).
Stellar defense has been a common trait of Rick Stansbury’s teams. Last year, the Bulldogs led the conference in scoring defense (65.5), field goal percentage defense (.370), rebounding offense (40.7) and blocked shots (7.85).
Even if it ends up being the storyline of tonight's matchup, expect a different pace of play compared to the Commodores' 50-40 win over Georgia.
“Mississippi State’s a four guard (lineup), and Georgia is a big, powerful inside team. Mississippi State’s a fast, fast, fast four-guard team that shoots 3s and really makes the game fast when they’re on offense. I think it’ll be a much, much different game.”
The Bulldogs have taken advantage of the opposition with their smaller lineup, especially from three-point range. MSU is shooting 41-for-92 (.445) during its four-game winning streak, and overall, they’ve converted the most 3’s in the league (130) with junior guard Ravern Johnson (36) and sophomore guard Barry Stewart (31) leading the way. Freshman point guard Dee Bost can also hit the trifecta, hitting 7-of-17 behind the arc during the streak.
Stansbury weighed in on his team’s style of play during Thursday’s teleconference:
“Playing small probably helps defend that dribble a little bit better than playing big. Then we give up some other things on the post ups and rebounds. We've gotten better. We're not going to be great just because of our physicality, or lack of physicality I should say. We have basically one guy in our starting lineup who weighs more than 180 pounds (Jarvis). Those other four guys are basically 180 pounds and under.
“So, we're not a very physical team, but we have to utilize our quickness the best we can and continue to develop some attitude about us defensively, some determination, some grit. That's gotten better. It's not where you want it to be, but it's gotten better. That'll be a work in progress until the end."
Taylor better than advertised
Freshman guard Jeffery Taylor has been nothing short of impressive in his freshman campaign. Taylor is second on the team in points (12.3), rebounds (6.3), and steals (21), and also third in blocked shots (9).
“Jeff Taylor has been better at everything than I thought he would be at this point in the season,” Stallings said. "He’s been a better defender, a better rebounder, a better scorer. He’s a consistent practice player. Jeff Taylor has been an absolute bright spot for our team.”
Will the streak continue?
No, I'm not talking about Vanderbilt’s 3-point streak (which was almost in jeopardy against Georgia until Lance Goulbourne connected on one at the 17:21 mark of the second half).
Mississippi State has won seven straight against the Commodores at Humphrey Coliseum and nine out of the last 10. The last time Vanderbilt walked away with a win at the Hump was on Feb. 27, 1993 when Eddie Fogler’s squad routed the Bulldogs, 80-39. Fogler eventually guided the Commodores to a conference title and a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
Stellar defense has been a common trait of Rick Stansbury’s teams. Last year, the Bulldogs led the conference in scoring defense (65.5), field goal percentage defense (.370), rebounding offense (40.7) and blocked shots (7.85).
Even if it ends up being the storyline of tonight's matchup, expect a different pace of play compared to the Commodores' 50-40 win over Georgia.
“Mississippi State’s a four guard (lineup), and Georgia is a big, powerful inside team. Mississippi State’s a fast, fast, fast four-guard team that shoots 3s and really makes the game fast when they’re on offense. I think it’ll be a much, much different game.”
The Bulldogs have taken advantage of the opposition with their smaller lineup, especially from three-point range. MSU is shooting 41-for-92 (.445) during its four-game winning streak, and overall, they’ve converted the most 3’s in the league (130) with junior guard Ravern Johnson (36) and sophomore guard Barry Stewart (31) leading the way. Freshman point guard Dee Bost can also hit the trifecta, hitting 7-of-17 behind the arc during the streak.
Stansbury weighed in on his team’s style of play during Thursday’s teleconference:
“Playing small probably helps defend that dribble a little bit better than playing big. Then we give up some other things on the post ups and rebounds. We've gotten better. We're not going to be great just because of our physicality, or lack of physicality I should say. We have basically one guy in our starting lineup who weighs more than 180 pounds (Jarvis). Those other four guys are basically 180 pounds and under.
“So, we're not a very physical team, but we have to utilize our quickness the best we can and continue to develop some attitude about us defensively, some determination, some grit. That's gotten better. It's not where you want it to be, but it's gotten better. That'll be a work in progress until the end."
Taylor better than advertised
Freshman guard Jeffery Taylor has been nothing short of impressive in his freshman campaign. Taylor is second on the team in points (12.3), rebounds (6.3), and steals (21), and also third in blocked shots (9).
“Jeff Taylor has been better at everything than I thought he would be at this point in the season,” Stallings said. "He’s been a better defender, a better rebounder, a better scorer. He’s a consistent practice player. Jeff Taylor has been an absolute bright spot for our team.”
Will the streak continue?
No, I'm not talking about Vanderbilt’s 3-point streak (which was almost in jeopardy against Georgia until Lance Goulbourne connected on one at the 17:21 mark of the second half).
Mississippi State has won seven straight against the Commodores at Humphrey Coliseum and nine out of the last 10. The last time Vanderbilt walked away with a win at the Hump was on Feb. 27, 1993 when Eddie Fogler’s squad routed the Bulldogs, 80-39. Fogler eventually guided the Commodores to a conference title and a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
The center of attention
During Thursday’s press conference and coaches teleconference, Kevin Stallings fielded a variety questions about tonight’s matchup at Mississippi State. It didn’t take long to get to the center of attention.“They play primarily man-to-man (defense), and play it well,” Stallings said, “and the big fellow back there causes lots of problems.”
That “big fellow” would be center Jarvis Varnado.
The 6’9 junior leads the nation in blocked shots with 90, a total that surpasses nine other teams in the SEC. Last season, he tied the SEC single-season mark set by former LSU great Shaquille O’Neal in 1992 with 157 blocks, earning him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in a unanimous vote.
With such a large number of blocks, you would think Varnado would flirt with foul trouble. That’s not the case, as he has yet to foul out of a game this year and has only been charged with four fouls twice (although he did foul out in overtime of last year’s loss at Vanderbilt).
So how do you game plan against the bulldogs’ shot-blocking machine in the middle?
“There's nothing you can do to keep him from affecting what happens around the basketball when he's on defense,” said Stallings. “He's probably the most prolific shot blocker in college basketball history. He's going to block some shots, and he's going to alter a lot of others. You just have to play through that and figure out other ways to score.”
“Sometimes you have to take it at him. Sometimes you don’t need to challenge him. Sometimes it’s better just throwing it back out when he’s getting ready to block it. There are ways to keep shot blockers off balance, and you have to have a feel for that. Sometimes if you get your work done before you catch the ball, then the shot blocker can be put at a disadvantage. Now, on the ones who are 50-50, that kid’s going to win a lot of those.”
Sure, Varnado might be best known for his ability to reject all on-comers, but the Brownsville, Tenn., native, has had a positive presence in the Bulldogs offense as well. He leads MSU with 12.9 points per game (up from 7.9 in 2007-08), is second in the SEC with 9.8 rebounds per game and third in field goal percentage at .609. He also has recorded a team-high six double-doubles and has scored 20-plus points four times this season.
“He's going to affect some shots,” Stallings added, “and that's why he's a great defensive player, and his offense has improved dramatically over last year. He's one heck of a college player.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT from Humphrey Coliseum. Fans can watch the matchup on FSN South, or listen to the game on 104.5 the Zone. Click here for a game preview.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Vote for Derrick Byars
Vanderbilt fans, you can help Derrick Byars get selected to the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star game. All you have to do is vote!
The former Commodore is currently averaging 17.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 2.6 apg for the Bakersfield Jam. Byars is also fifth in the league in three point percentage (.488). He's has been on a tear of late, scoring at least 20 points in eight of his last 11 games.
In his senior season at Vanderbilt, Byars was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year and led the 'Dores to a Sweet 16 appearance.
The NBA D-League All-Star game is scheduled for February 14 at 1 p.m. CT in Phoenix, Ariz.
Click Here to Vote
The former Commodore is currently averaging 17.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 2.6 apg for the Bakersfield Jam. Byars is also fifth in the league in three point percentage (.488). He's has been on a tear of late, scoring at least 20 points in eight of his last 11 games.
In his senior season at Vanderbilt, Byars was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year and led the 'Dores to a Sweet 16 appearance.
The NBA D-League All-Star game is scheduled for February 14 at 1 p.m. CT in Phoenix, Ariz.
Click Here to Vote
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Stansbury reflects on Foster's 42
We all remember what happened the last time Vanderbilt and Mississippi State met on the hardwood.
Shan Foster's magical 42-point effort -- which included hitting nine three-pointers in a row -- lifted the Commodores to an unforgettable 86-85 overtime victory. It will go down as one of the greatest single-game performances in Memorial Gym history.
The Commodores and Bulldogs will square off for the first time since that memorable night, this time in Starkville for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff on Saturday.
Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury talked about last year's game in Thursday's SEC coaches teleconference:
"After the season's over and you reflect a little bit, that may have been as tough of a loss as I've ever had in my 10 years as a coach. It was 10 years last year as a coach. I've been in some tough losses, but the reason it was so tough is we were playing on such a big stage, two really good teams, senior night at Vanderbilt, and we were both top-25 teams at that point, and we were playing basically to win that to go into our last game with a chance to win the overall SEC championship.
"Our team really played well, but that performance is absolutely the best single-handed, one game performance I've ever been a part of that Shan Foster put on from the 16-minute mark on. Again, I remember it perfectly, he was 9-for-9 in that second half. Every shot he made it was a crucial shot, a big shot, a big play at certain times of the game. He just made shots to keep them in it. It was come from behind, keep them in it over and over and over, and the game ended just the way... we were up two, shot clock running out and basically again Foster jumps up from about 25-28 feet contested and guarded to win the game on senior night. A huge stage, a huge game and again the best single game performance I've ever witnessed. I remember it very well."
Take a trip down memory lane and watch the clips below:
Shan Foster's magical 42-point effort -- which included hitting nine three-pointers in a row -- lifted the Commodores to an unforgettable 86-85 overtime victory. It will go down as one of the greatest single-game performances in Memorial Gym history.
The Commodores and Bulldogs will square off for the first time since that memorable night, this time in Starkville for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff on Saturday.
Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury talked about last year's game in Thursday's SEC coaches teleconference:
"After the season's over and you reflect a little bit, that may have been as tough of a loss as I've ever had in my 10 years as a coach. It was 10 years last year as a coach. I've been in some tough losses, but the reason it was so tough is we were playing on such a big stage, two really good teams, senior night at Vanderbilt, and we were both top-25 teams at that point, and we were playing basically to win that to go into our last game with a chance to win the overall SEC championship.
"Our team really played well, but that performance is absolutely the best single-handed, one game performance I've ever been a part of that Shan Foster put on from the 16-minute mark on. Again, I remember it perfectly, he was 9-for-9 in that second half. Every shot he made it was a crucial shot, a big shot, a big play at certain times of the game. He just made shots to keep them in it. It was come from behind, keep them in it over and over and over, and the game ended just the way... we were up two, shot clock running out and basically again Foster jumps up from about 25-28 feet contested and guarded to win the game on senior night. A huge stage, a huge game and again the best single game performance I've ever witnessed. I remember it very well."
Take a trip down memory lane and watch the clips below:
Video: Tinsley's Dunk
Guard Brad Tinsley has been a marksman from long range this season, connecting on a team-high 35 three-pointers so far in his freshman campaign.
But it was his ability to take the ball to the rack that created a buzz among the Commodore crowd during Wednesday's 50-40 victory over Georgia.
Coach Stallings commented on Tinsley's dunk after the game:
"I didn't think that I would ever come in here and look down at the stat sheet to see that Brad Tinsley had one field goal made and it was a dunk."
"I've seen him dunk like that in practice. Brad is very deceptive athletically. Give him a little bit of a running start and he'll poke one on you."
Sure, it may have been Tinsley's only bucket of the night, but it was a memorable one. Watch the clip below with Joe Fisher's radio call.
Click Here to view more highlights from the Georgia game.
But it was his ability to take the ball to the rack that created a buzz among the Commodore crowd during Wednesday's 50-40 victory over Georgia.
Coach Stallings commented on Tinsley's dunk after the game:
"I didn't think that I would ever come in here and look down at the stat sheet to see that Brad Tinsley had one field goal made and it was a dunk."
"I've seen him dunk like that in practice. Brad is very deceptive athletically. Give him a little bit of a running start and he'll poke one on you."
Sure, it may have been Tinsley's only bucket of the night, but it was a memorable one. Watch the clip below with Joe Fisher's radio call.
Click Here to view more highlights from the Georgia game.
Getting defensive
Defense was once again the headline for the Commodores' 50-40 victory over Georgia Wednesday night at Memorial Gym.Vanderbilt limited the Bulldogs to 33 percent shooting and only allowed two free-throw attempts the entire game (which didn't occur until the 3:56 mark of the second half). The Commodores also blocked seven shots and forced 20 turnovers. Overall, it was Georgia's seventh lowest-scoring output since 1960.
When you think about it, the Commodores' performance on Wednesday was nothing out of the ordinary. Check out these statistics for the 2008-09 season:
*The Commodores lead the SEC in scoring defense (58.0 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.359) and are first in the nation in FG% defense in the NCAA rankings.
*Vanderbilt has now held its opponents to less than 35.5% FG shooting in eight games this year.
*Only three opponents (VCU, UIC, Kentucky) have shot higher than 40% in a game.
*Vanderbilt has only allowed two opponents, UIC and Kentucky, to score 70 points or more.
Impressive numbers indeed. So what makes Vanderbilt's defense so successful? Just ask Georgia head coach Dennis Felton.
"I think one of the main reasons is because they're huge. They're just so big. They've got not only big post players, but big guards. Their wings are 6'8 and long and athletic, their point guard (Beal) is 6'3 and big and strong. They just do a really good job of staying right in front of you, making it hard to penetrate the paint."
Nothing minor here
Over the last month, preseason honors have been rolling in for junior pitcher Mike Minor.
The Chapel Hill, Tenn., native was recently named second-team preseason All-American by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball. He's also on the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player.
Minor had a successful offseason and was recognized as the Summer Player of the Year by Baseball America. He went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA during his tour with USA Baseball National team.
The Commodores are scheduled to open up the 2009 slate with a trip out West beginning on February 20 at Stanford.
The Chapel Hill, Tenn., native was recently named second-team preseason All-American by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball. He's also on the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player.
Minor had a successful offseason and was recognized as the Summer Player of the Year by Baseball America. He went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA during his tour with USA Baseball National team.
The Commodores are scheduled to open up the 2009 slate with a trip out West beginning on February 20 at Stanford.
Watch a replay of the Georgia game
We just posted the jumbotron feed of last night's 50-40 win over Georgia. So for those of you that were out-of-town and didn't get to see the game since it wasn't televised, sign-up for All Access (free) and click here.
By the way, one of the plays everyone was talking about after the game was Brad Tinsley's dunk in the second half. Take a look at the clip around the 01:25:00 mark.
We'll cut up some game highlights later this afternoon and will post them on vucommodores.com.
By the way, one of the plays everyone was talking about after the game was Brad Tinsley's dunk in the second half. Take a look at the clip around the 01:25:00 mark.
We'll cut up some game highlights later this afternoon and will post them on vucommodores.com.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Madness - 5
Former Commodore great Will Perdue was also in the house... and took part in the "Best Radio Call" promotion with three luck contestants.The selected students had to do their best rendition of Joe Fisher's call of Jermaine Beal's game-winning layup at South Carolina last year.
Quite entertaining.. and harder to do than you think!
Also, you'll see the student in this picture wearing a retro No. 4 jersey... the same number as sophomore center A.J. Ogilvy. Or the number could have been in honor of these former Commodores: Barry Booker, Derrick Byars, Darius Coulibaly, Malik Evans, Anddrikk Frazier, or Haworth Parks.
You decide.
Oh, the first 500 students that made it to Madness received the jersey. Definitely a nice gift.
Madness - 4
ESPN's Buster Olney was the emcee for a "Who knows Ryan Flaherty better?" competition at Memorial Madness.The contestants? None other than baseball head coach Tim Corbin and junior Andrew Giobbi.
For one of the questions, Olney asked Corbin and Giobbi if they knew what Flaherty's favorite movie was ... Corbin joked it was Titanic ... and Giobbi responded with the correct answer, The Departed.
Overall, Giobbi edged Corbin 4-3 to take bragging rights.
Madness - 3
Here's a view of the student section at Memorial Madness. I'd say over half the seats were filled two hours prior to tip... always a nice sign for the SEC home opener.
Madness - 2
During Memorial Madness, the women's basketball team got the students fired up with a good ol' t-shirt toss. Really, who doesn't like free t-shirts? The team also received one of the biggest ovations of the night for their win over Tennessee.
Memorial Madness Underway
The second annual Memorial Madness student pep rally is underway. Vanderbilt students are currently flooding into Memorial Gym in anticipation of the 5 p.m. CT event.One item of note already.... The staff running tonight's program -- VSG Athletic Committee and Vandy Fanatics -- are wearing shirts in honor of Coach Stallings (see picture above). These are pretty sweet... I'd love to see them do a large run of these for the student section one game.
I'll give a few more updates about what transpires over the next hour, so stay tuned!
Olney remains avid VU supporter
More on Buster Olney from my blog earlier today...
Ryan Schulz wrote a nice feature on the Vanderbilt alum in the July 2008 issue of Commodore Nation Magazine. Click here to read.
Ryan Schulz wrote a nice feature on the Vanderbilt alum in the July 2008 issue of Commodore Nation Magazine. Click here to read.
Poll question for "Shootaround with Beth & Debbie"
The poll question for “Shootaround with Beth & Debbie” this week is...
Who will win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) women's basketball regular season title?
Cast your vote for the Vanderbilt Commodores or the team of you choice at http://wbca.org/Poll.asp.
Results will be discussed on the Jan. 21 “Shootaround” show.
Who will win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) women's basketball regular season title?
Cast your vote for the Vanderbilt Commodores or the team of you choice at http://wbca.org/Poll.asp.
Results will be discussed on the Jan. 21 “Shootaround” show.
Olney and Perdue on campus tonight
Vanderbilt alums Buster Olney and Will Perdue will be in attendance for tonight's SEC home opener with Georgia at 7 p.m. CT.
Olney and Perdue will first serve as the special guests at the annual student Pep Rally, Memorial Madness, two hours prior to the game. The first 500 students will receive retro jerseys, and the opportunity to win many other prizes from CVS and Wendys. The event will also include activities featuring the women's basketball and baseball teams. Memorial Madness will only be open to Vanderbilt students.
Olney and Perdue will also be recognized during a special game ball presentation at half time, so make sure you stay in your seats. Olney will then emcee a contest where a lucky fan has a chance at winning a Jeep Wrangler.
Olney graduated from Vanderbilt in 1988 and majored in history. He's currently a senior writer for ESPN the magazine, ESPN.com and a regular analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
Perdue was an All-American for Vanderbilt basketball in his senior year (1987-88), and led the Commodores to its first 20-win season since 1973-74 as well as a NCAA Tournament berth. He was a four-time NBA champion, and now works as an ESPN analyst.
Olney and Perdue will first serve as the special guests at the annual student Pep Rally, Memorial Madness, two hours prior to the game. The first 500 students will receive retro jerseys, and the opportunity to win many other prizes from CVS and Wendys. The event will also include activities featuring the women's basketball and baseball teams. Memorial Madness will only be open to Vanderbilt students.
Olney and Perdue will also be recognized during a special game ball presentation at half time, so make sure you stay in your seats. Olney will then emcee a contest where a lucky fan has a chance at winning a Jeep Wrangler.
Olney graduated from Vanderbilt in 1988 and majored in history. He's currently a senior writer for ESPN the magazine, ESPN.com and a regular analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
Perdue was an All-American for Vanderbilt basketball in his senior year (1987-88), and led the Commodores to its first 20-win season since 1973-74 as well as a NCAA Tournament berth. He was a four-time NBA champion, and now works as an ESPN analyst.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
SEC Oddity
According to Eddie Timanus of USA TODAY, "the Southeastern Conference has no (men's basketball) teams ranked for the first time since USA TODAY began administering the poll in the 1991-92 season."
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings discussed the topic during his weekly interview with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone:
"I can't remember a time in the 10 years that I've been in the league where that would have been the case. Our league's gotten off to a slow start. We've had a lot of turnover in our league. We've got a league with a lot of young players including us. It's just kind of the way it is. I still think come NCAA Tournament time, our teams will fare well in the tournament and we'll represent ourselves very well, but it is very unusual for us to be in that situation."
Arkansas (12-2), Tennessee (10-4) and Florida (14-2) are just outside the poll in the "others receiving votes" section.
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings discussed the topic during his weekly interview with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone:
"I can't remember a time in the 10 years that I've been in the league where that would have been the case. Our league's gotten off to a slow start. We've had a lot of turnover in our league. We've got a league with a lot of young players including us. It's just kind of the way it is. I still think come NCAA Tournament time, our teams will fare well in the tournament and we'll represent ourselves very well, but it is very unusual for us to be in that situation."
Arkansas (12-2), Tennessee (10-4) and Florida (14-2) are just outside the poll in the "others receiving votes" section.
SEC-TV to countdown top bowl moments
In this week's episode of SEC-TV, co-hosts Dave Neal and Natalie Taylor will count down the SEC’s top five SEC bowl moments, including:
-LSU wins Chick-fil-A Bowl; Ole Miss wins AT&T Cotton Bowl
- Kentucky wins the AllState Liberty Bowl
-Georgia wins the Capital One Bowl
-Vanderbilt wins the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
-Florida wins the BCS National Championship
Catch the show on the following dates and times:
Thursday, January 15 at 5:30 p.m. CT
FOX Sports South
FOX Sports Carolinas
FOX Sports Tennessee
Friday, January 16 at 8:30 a.m. CT
SportSouth
-LSU wins Chick-fil-A Bowl; Ole Miss wins AT&T Cotton Bowl
- Kentucky wins the AllState Liberty Bowl
-Georgia wins the Capital One Bowl
-Vanderbilt wins the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
-Florida wins the BCS National Championship
Catch the show on the following dates and times:
Thursday, January 15 at 5:30 p.m. CT
FOX Sports South
FOX Sports Carolinas
FOX Sports Tennessee
Friday, January 16 at 8:30 a.m. CT
SportSouth
Ogilvy update
Head Coach Kevin Stallings commented on sophomore center A.J. Ogilvy's status for Wednesday's game with Georgia during last night's call-in show. Ogilvy's missed two of the last three games with a bruised right heel injury.
"Our hope is that A.J. is going to play Wednesday night. However, he did not practice Monday and we hope to have him practice some Tuesday in preparation for that game."
In an interview with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone this morning, Stallings was asked to what extent the Georgia game plan would be with or without Ogilvy in the lineup:
"Well I don't think that there's a whole lot we can do relative to separate (game) plans and things like that. Our play calling would be a little bit different during the game if he's there or not there. We'll have to play the way that we play. There might be a tweak here and there but our guys, especially our younger guys, are not capable of separate game plans and so it's just a thing to where we have to go with what we do and hope that he can play."
"Our hope is that A.J. is going to play Wednesday night. However, he did not practice Monday and we hope to have him practice some Tuesday in preparation for that game."
In an interview with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone this morning, Stallings was asked to what extent the Georgia game plan would be with or without Ogilvy in the lineup:
"Well I don't think that there's a whole lot we can do relative to separate (game) plans and things like that. Our play calling would be a little bit different during the game if he's there or not there. We'll have to play the way that we play. There might be a tweak here and there but our guys, especially our younger guys, are not capable of separate game plans and so it's just a thing to where we have to go with what we do and hope that he can play."
Monday, January 12, 2009
Watch Stallings' TV Show
Make sure you check out this week's episode of Comcast Spotlight's Commodore Connection with Kevin Stallings. Here's a listing for program dates and times:
CSS (locally) - Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 a.m. CT
Comcast Ch. 49 (locally) - Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m. CT
CSS (regionally) - Wednesday, January 14 at 4:00 p.m. CT
For the season schedule, including air dates for Melanie Balcomb's show, click here.
CSS (locally) - Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 a.m. CT
Comcast Ch. 49 (locally) - Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m. CT
CSS (regionally) - Wednesday, January 14 at 4:00 p.m. CT
For the season schedule, including air dates for Melanie Balcomb's show, click here.
No ordinary teenager
If you missed Saturday Night Live last weekend, host Neil Patrick Harris paid tribute to his former teenage genius alter ego, Doogie Howser, M.D., with this digital short below.
The only thing missing was a cameo by Vinnie Delpino.. "Hey Doog!!"
The only thing missing was a cameo by Vinnie Delpino.. "Hey Doog!!"
Pre-Order March to Music City DVD
Vanderbilt's first bowl victory in 53 years capped off a historic season for Head Coach Bobby Johnson and the Commodores! Re-live the magical moments from the 2008 season including the 5-0 start, national ranking, ESPN College Game Day on campus, and the thrilling win over Boston College in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Catch exclusive interviews, behind the scenes footage, game highlights, radio calls, and bowl events of this memorable season. "March to Music City" is a keepsake for all Vanderbilt fans....Go Dores!CLICK HERE to pre-order your copy now. Starts shipping in late January 2009!
Stallings' Call-In Show Tonight
Kevin Stallings' Call-In Show airs live from 6:30-7:30 p.m. CT Monday night at the Commodore Grille. Listen locally on 104.5 the Zone or online on VUcommodores.com. For more info, Click Here.
Vanderbilt (11-4, 0-1) will return to the court Wednesday to host Georgia at 7 p.m. CT inside Memorial Gym.
Vanderbilt (11-4, 0-1) will return to the court Wednesday to host Georgia at 7 p.m. CT inside Memorial Gym.
CSS to replay WBB win over UT
Did you miss Vanderbilt's 74-58 win over the Lady Vols yesterday? Then tune in to watch a replay of the game on CSS today at 11:30 a.m. CT.
Stand up and shout
Recognize these guys?Chris DeGeorge, Adam Smotherman, T.J. Greenstone, Larry Smith and Joel Caldwell had an up-close view of the women’s basketball team’s impressive 74-58 victory over Tennessee Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gym.
The football players arrived over thirty minutes prior to tip-off to secure their seats in the front row of the student section. It was the perfect location to give the Commodores an extra boost of vocal support against their in-state rivals.
“We're real good friends with the team,” Greenstone said, "and it’s just a lot of fun to come out here and watch them play. They deserve our support.”
Student-athletes from several other Vanderbilt sports were also in attendance to cheer on their peers, a true sign of the camaraderie between teams throughout the athletic year.
“We all go to class and play our respective sports,” Greenstone added. “Everyone is just rooting for each other. We're all in it together.”
One side note -- It’s no surprise that Greenstone’s been coming to the women’s basketball games regularly since he was a true freshman in the fall of 2007. His mother, Mary Beth, played basketball at Edinboro University and his older sister, Mindy, is a senior forward for North Greenville (S.C.) University.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A long time coming ...
Women's basketball head coach Melanie Balcomb hadn't beaten Tennessee since she coached Xavier to a victory over the Lady Vols in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.Until today.
No. 24 Vanderbilt used a 20-4 run in the second half to roll past the seventh-ranked Lady Vols 74-58 in front of 9,650 fans packed inside Memorial Gym.
The victory snapped Tennessee's 16-game winning streak in the series, and more importantly, pushed the Commodores to 2-0 in the SEC as they chase for that coveted regular season title.
Balcomb talked about what the win meant in her postgame press conference, and Tennessee coach Pat Head Summitt offered praise for the Commodores in defeat.
Melanie Balcomb:
"Here's all I have to say. I guess I can finally smile for once."
"I never relax. I was tense until the clock hit zero. I just told the girls that we can never let up, never relax. We have to win every possession. This is all starting to be a blur already, but I remember hugging Tina (Wirth) and (Jennifer) Risper and saying 'we did it!'"
Pat Head Summitt:
"Vanderbilt was the better team from tip off to the end. They had an incredible ability to take us off the dribble. This is the most aggressive Vanderbilt team we have ever played and definitely the most aggressive team we've played this season. You have to give Melanie credit. You can't take a thing away from Vanderbilt. We simply did not go out there and represent. We've been playing a half a game, instead of a full 40 minutes. We need to go back and get our defense better."
For more reaction including video highlights, interviews and photos, click here.
Balcomb talked about what the win meant in her postgame press conference, and Tennessee coach Pat Head Summitt offered praise for the Commodores in defeat.
Melanie Balcomb:
"Here's all I have to say. I guess I can finally smile for once."
"I never relax. I was tense until the clock hit zero. I just told the girls that we can never let up, never relax. We have to win every possession. This is all starting to be a blur already, but I remember hugging Tina (Wirth) and (Jennifer) Risper and saying 'we did it!'"
Pat Head Summitt:
"Vanderbilt was the better team from tip off to the end. They had an incredible ability to take us off the dribble. This is the most aggressive Vanderbilt team we have ever played and definitely the most aggressive team we've played this season. You have to give Melanie credit. You can't take a thing away from Vanderbilt. We simply did not go out there and represent. We've been playing a half a game, instead of a full 40 minutes. We need to go back and get our defense better."
For more reaction including video highlights, interviews and photos, click here.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Injury keeps Ogilvy out of Kentucky game
Sophomore center A.J. Ogilvy did not play in Saturday's 70-60 loss at Kentucky after aggravating an injury to his right heel during yesterday's practice.
Head Coach Kevin Stallings commented on Ogilvy's status in his postgame press conference:
“We knew A.J. wasn’t going to be able to go this morning. He hurt his foot yesterday in the first 15 minutes of practice. He sat out of the remaining part of practice. We hoped it would get better in time for the game, but obviously it didn’t. As a result, we didn’t score very many points inside today. He is certainly our best low-post player but that is not to say that if he played then the outcome of the game would be any different.”
Ogilvy's foot injury caused him to miss the first game of his career against Saint Francis on December 31. He returned to the lineup in Vanderbilt's following outing at UMass. He leads the Commodores in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (7.2) this season.
Head Coach Kevin Stallings commented on Ogilvy's status in his postgame press conference:
“We knew A.J. wasn’t going to be able to go this morning. He hurt his foot yesterday in the first 15 minutes of practice. He sat out of the remaining part of practice. We hoped it would get better in time for the game, but obviously it didn’t. As a result, we didn’t score very many points inside today. He is certainly our best low-post player but that is not to say that if he played then the outcome of the game would be any different.”
Ogilvy's foot injury caused him to miss the first game of his career against Saint Francis on December 31. He returned to the lineup in Vanderbilt's following outing at UMass. He leads the Commodores in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (7.2) this season.
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