Vanderbilt Sports Line

Wish I Was in Hoover

2012-05-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Something has become increasingly clear over the past couple weeks: This Vanderbilt team is downright FUN.

A 3-2 comeback victory over defending national champs South Carolina on a squeeze bunt to extend the winning streak to seven games and make it 14 of the last 17? As a wise man once said in reference to the band Crucial Taunt, "unreal."

Action continues tonight at 7:30 against third-seeded Florida.

Commodores Win 6th Straight to Advance in SEC Tournament

2012-05-23T08:54:00.000-05:00

After a 4-1 defeat of Georgia that featured spectacular defense, saw T.J. Pecoraro stand in as a "fake" DH, and took four hours to complete due to an injury to the home-plate umpire, the Dores move on to play defending national champ South Carolina at 7:30 CST tonight. Game will be televised on CSS.

Asked whether the Dores are a lock for the NCAA Tourney and how they will fare in Hoover, here's what Aaron Fitt at Baseball America had to say:

The 'Dores are a lock — take that one to the bank. That was an awfully loud finishing kick, just a furious second-half rally. I think they're very dangerous — loaded with quality arms and hard-nosed everyday players with Omaha experience. And they're brimming with confidence.

Follow Chance the Rally Beaver, @VU_RallyBeaver.

Commodores Sweep Ole Miss; All But Punch Their Ticket to NCAAs

2012-05-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

Vanderbilt's 6-3 win against the Rebels of Ole Miss means Tim Corbin's Commodores will be playing baseball in June, an all but unthinkable scenario 6 weeks ago. The Commodores finished the regular season with a 29-25 record and a conference finish of 16-14. Vanderbilt was 8-2 in the month of May, and needed all of those wins to pull themselves far enough above .500 to give themselves breathing room in Hoover. The Commodores don't have to win in Hoover to finish the season with a better than .500 record, meaning Vanderbilt will all almost certainly be in the NCAA Tournament when the Selection Committee announces their field of 64 on Memorial Day.

Before the NCAAs though, the Commodores will compete in the SEC Tournament in Hoover, starting Tuesday night as the #5 seed squaring off in the late game against #9 Georgia. Frankly, I don't fully understand all the scenarios if they win, so... there's that. Suffice it to say that Tim Corbin's team has to be one of the hottest squads in the nation and that no one wants to see Vanderbilt in Hoover or their regional. The Commodores have played themselves into the field of 64 - no small feat after a 1-7 start. They have essentially been playing "elimination games since the end of April and haven't let up yet. Here's hoping they don't any time soon.

T.J. Pecoraro's Complete Game Shutout Keeps Commodores NCAA Hopes Alive

2012-05-18T00:59:00.000-05:00

Vanderbilt hadn't won the opening game of an SEC series heading into their finale against Ole Miss. As has come to be the case as of late, just because the Commodores hadn't done something all year didn't mean they couldn't do it. It just meant that hadn't done it yet.

Sophomore T.J. Pecararo, who last year had Tommy John surgery, earned his win this season, his first complete game in college, and his first NCAA shutout. It couldn't have come at a better time. With tonight's 3-0 win over #23 Ole Miss, the Commodores are now 27-25 (14-14 in conference) and a step closer to NCAA eligibility. Vanderbilt is now locked in a 4-way tie in the SEC with the Rebels, Mississippi State, and Arkansas for seeding in the SEC Tournmant at anywhere between 6th and 9th in the 10-team field. With the exception of Ole Miss, all of the teams Vanderbilt is tied with won tonight. These four teams are all a 1/2 game back of the 5 spot from Georgia, who is wrapping up the regular season against the SEC cellar-dwelling Crimson Tide. The Auburn Tigers are 2 back of the pack with 2 to play.

The Commodores will attempt to win their 5th consecutive series tomorrow night with Sam Selman on the bump at 6:30 at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt wraps up the regular season Saturday at 2:00. A Vanderbilt win in either of their final two games means Tim Corbin's team will only have to win 1 SEC Tournament game to finish the season above .500. A sweep of the Rebels would guarantee a better than .500 record and allow me to point to an April 1 tweet and say, Mr. Tony-style, "I believe I had that."

I'll be at the Hawk tomorrow night, what's your excuse?

26-25 Never Felt So Good; Commodores Summit Mount-.500 For First Time All Year

2012-05-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

Vanderbilt had won 3 straight SEC series heading into their weekend match-up in Baton Rogue against the #4 Tigers of LSU. Make that 4 straight.

Down 1 in the ninth, Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-timing home run to right to knot the game at 4. In the bottom of the tenth, Connor Harrell roped a triple to lead off the 10th but was cut-down at home on an unsuccessful squeeze play. With runners on first and second and two outs, Tony Kemp, previously hitless on the day, knocked a single up the middle to give the Commodores a 5-4 lead. Will Clinard sat down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the 10th to secure the win.

Vanderbilt is now 26-25 overall and 13-14 in the SEC. They will host Ole Miss next weekend in a series that is critical for both teams. At 14-13, the Rebels are currently the 5th seed in the SEC Tournament field, but are only a 1/2 game up on Georiga. Vanderbilt is tied with Arkansas and Mississippi State at 13-14 for seeds anywhere from 7 to 9. Auburn, at 12-15, is just 1 game back and will host the Gators on the Plains to conclude the season. Seeds 5 through 10 are very much up for grabs, meaning there will be a lot of scoreboard watching next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

If Vanderbilt can win 2 of 3 against Ole Miss, all they will need to do is win one in the SEC Tournament to finish the season above .500. If they sweep the Rebels, they will gurantee a better than .500 record, regardless of what happens in Hoover. For a team that started the season 1-7, it is quite an accomplishment for Tim Corbin's team to be in the position they're in. There isn't a squad in America playing baseball, and these Vanderbilt Commodores hope they've still got a lot of baseball left to play.

48 games in; Commodores Finally Get Back to Even

2012-05-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Better late than never. Vanderbilt's 3-2 win tonight over Louisville was momentous on a lot of levels: first and foremost, it lifted the Commodores .500, a position they haven't been all season, after starting out the 2012 campaign 1-7. Two, Vanderbilt won the inaugural "Battle of the Barrel," a new tradition started by two teams who have played some tremendous games against one another over the last several seasons. Third, and finally, Coach Tim Corbin won his 400th game as a Commodore.

There is work left to do. Vanderbilt has to travel to Baton Rogue this weekend to take on the mighty Tigers of LSU, currently the consensus #4 team in America, before finishing the season against Ole Miss at Hawkins Field. Short of winning the SEC Tournament, to make the NCAA Tournament, the Commodores will have to win 4 of their final 6, meaning either winning both series, or sweeping at least one. Vanderbilt isn't a lock for the SEC Tournament, but are currently in the field of 10 slated to play in Hoover over Memorial Day weekend. The SEC tournament is a double-elimination affair, so if Vanderbilt does lace'em up at Regions Park at least 2 games over .500, the Commodores will need to win at least 3 games against tremendous competition over a 6-day stretch. If Vanderbilt makes it to the weekend in Hoover, they've got a shot to make the NCAA's, but it would be nice if they could make the field of 64 and had some room breathe at the same time. For a team that has had to claw its way back all season, it would be nice if they didn't head to Hoover fighting for survival. On the other hand, its possible that at this point, Coach Corbin and his guys wouldn't want it any other way.

Vandy Lands Transfer PG Eric McClellan from Tulsa (And Other Hoops Notes)

2012-05-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

Vanderbilt landed its 2013 PG recruit (basically) in Tulsa Transfer Eric McClellan. McClellan worked his way to Tulsa's starting PG in his freshman season, where he averaged 8.6 ppg. Below is a link to his stat page.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/57052/eric-mcclellan

Because McClellan is a freshman, he will have 4 years to play 3 seasons, which was likely a big reason the staff chose to focus their efforts more directly on him rather than his more well-known teammate, sophomore SG Jordan Clarkson. This signing essentially solidifies Vanderbilt at the PG spot through 2015. With McClellan and Jeter in the fold, as well as Astroth and Bright, I expect the staff's efforts to shift more directly to the front court. Vanderbilt has two targets on their radar in Jimmie Taylor, a center out of Alabama, and Maverick Morgan a PF from Ohio. Taylor would be a crown jewel in the 2013 class, but he is being heavily pursued by a number of high-major programs. Morgan has also received a number of high-major offers, but may be a bit more of a realistic target. Either way, Vanderbilt is extremely thin in the front-court with the departures of Forwards Lance Goulbourne and Jeff Taylor, as well as Festus Ezeli and Steve Tchiengang. With Josh Henderson's injury concerns and the fact that any other player at the five will be undersized (Shelby Moats/Rod Odom), front-court depth has to be priority number one for the 'Dores.

In addition, Vanderbilt Assistant Dan Muller will be named as head coach at his alma mater (and Stallings former post) Illinois State. Muller has been integral in recruiting high level talent to Vandy, and has earned his first head coaching job. It will be interesting to see who Stallings hires as a replacement.

Vandy Lands 3-star Forward

2012-05-04T08:28:00.002-05:00

Some good news in the world of Vandy basketball. 3-star 2012 forward prospect Sheldon Jeter has committed to play for the Commies next year. Jeter, a 6'7 forward from Beaver Falls, PA can play the 3 or the 4. Rivals lists him right at 150 on its top 150 players list. ESPN grades him out as an 87 (and #71 overall small forward). Jeter's recruitment exploded pretty late in the process, but he eventually got offers from very solid basketball schools like Kansas State, Florida State, Wisconsin and Seton Hall (he also got an offer from South Carolina which might have followed from Frank Martin leaving Kansas State).

Listen, this kid probably isn't a game changer for next season. But he is a very good prospect. Vandy has 3 solid kids coming in next year (shooting guard A.J. Astroth and wing player Kevin Bright). All three are going to get a real opportunity to play and contribute as freshman.

While the 2012 recruiting class has been a disappointment, and some fear that Vandy is starting to slip back as a program, the sky is not falling yet. We still have some very talented, all-be-it young, kids coming back next year. And Stallings has always done very well with some 3-star and lower prospects. And finally, Vandy is being mentioned as possible landing spots for some excellent 4 and 5 star players for 2013 and 2014. If one or two of the 2012 kids prove to be better than expected and we see real growth from Parker, Odom, Moats, Henderson and Johnson, then this team could be a surprise NCAA team or a team that could make a long NIT run. After that though we really need a bounce back recruiting year.

Here are some of the names to keep in mind for 2013/14

1) Stevie Clark - lightening quick 5'10 point guard out of Oklahoma City (4 star, 2013)
2) Markel Crawford - 6'5 shooting guard out of Memphis (4-star, 2013)
3) Robert Hubbs - 6'4 shooting guard from Newbern, TN (4-star, 2013)
4) Juwan Parker - 6'4 shooting guard from Tulsa, OK (4-star, 2013)
5) Austin Nichols - 6'8 power forward out of Eads, TN (4-star, 2013)
6) Jimmy Taylor - 6'9 power foward/center from Greensboro, AL (4-star, 2013)
7) Dominic Woodson - 6'9 center from Texas but playing for a prep school in Vermont (4-star, 2013)
8) Jalen Lindsey - 6'6 small forward from Nashville. Lindsey is currently a 4-star player for 2014 but most expect him to end up a 5-star (top 15-25) player for the '14 class. Lindsey is Stallings chance to make up for Poythress. We got Jenkins, lost Prather, got Johnson, lost Poythress. Hopefully, we get Lindsey.

Here is the City Paper article about the commitment. I wonder what high school junior Stallings thinks we are close to getting?

Get Up. Get Up. Get Up. Get Up. Gone.

2012-04-29T19:32:00.002-05:00

The Voice Joe Fisher strikes again

So You're Saying There's A Chance: Commodores Take Series from #1 Kentucky

2012-04-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we've posted on VSL. A lot has happened: Casey Hayward got drafted in the 2nd round by the Packers, Tim Fugger got drafted by the Colts in the 7th round, and Brandon Barden signed a free agent deal with the hometown Titans. That's all great. But it's baseball season and despite a sluggish start, the Commodores are doing everything they can to claw their way back to post-season eligibility.

Tim Corbin's team took a big step towards submitting mount-.500 by doing something no other team had done all season: take a series from the #1 Kentucky Wildcats. Vanderbilt's 6-1 win came with major fireworks as the Commodores exploded for 5 runs in the bottom half of the 8th to reclaim a lead they had surrendered in the top half of the same inning. With with Commodores leading 2-1 and the bases loaded, senior Connor Harrell, who has struggled most of the year but who had been hitting the ball better lately, delivered the knockout punch in dramatic fashion, sending a towering home-run over the fence in left center. As I said on Twitter, Joe Fisher's call coaxing the ball over the wall is another classic from The Voice and one we will be sure to post as soon as it's up on VUCommodores.com (hint, hint).

The win today lifted the Commodores to 21-23 (9-12 in conference) with 10 games to play. The Commodores will play 6 of their next 7 away from Hawkins field with 3 games in Knoxville, 1 game at home against Louisville, and then 3 in Baton Rogue, before wrapping up the regular season against Ole Miss, May 17-19. VUHawkTalk, the proprietor of When [It] Strikes Me and VSLNation's Vanderbilt Baseball guru (and fellow Dutchmen), and I agree that the Commodores realistically need to finish this season 7-3 to feel optimistic about finishing the year at .501 or better (the magic number for NCAA Tournament eligibility). That won't be easy, but definitely doable for a team that should have some confidence after taking down the #1 in the country.

The SEC Tournament's field has expanded from 8 to 10 teams, meaning Vanderbilt is still above the cut line. With their loss today, Tennessee dropped to 7-14 in conference and is 2 back of both Georgia and Vanderbilt for the final spot in the field. The dynamics of the SEC race make next weekend's showdown between in-state rivals that much more important. For the Commodores, they need wins to inch closer to .500. Winning next weekend's series in Knoxville is critical if Vanderbilt has any chance to overcome their early (and mid) season struggles to get into the NCAA Tournament. For Tennessee, losing the series to the Commodores would all but eliminate them from the SEC Tournament. Losers of 7 straight, the Volunteers will be a desperate team next weekend. Desperate teams are dangerous, especially given the history between these two squads.

There's still baseball left to be played and Tim Corbin's Commodores aren't done. Attention must be paid...

Jenkins Declares for the NBA Draft

2012-04-10T13:12:00.000-05:00

This really should come as no surprise, but John Jenkins is putting his name in the hat for the NBA Draft in June.

John leaves Vandy as the 10th all-time scorer in Vandy history, and second all-time in three-pointers made.

I'll never forget the day that John verbally committed to Vandy, his impressive performances as a freshmen, particularly his single-handedly carrying us to victory in Gainesville (where he had 18 points and went 6-9 from three), and a plethora of amazing performances that made Vandy one of the best programs in the SEC over the past three seasons.

In my opinion, John made the right decision to leave. The kid is an absolute flamethrower of a shooter who has gotten better defensively and offensively each of his three years. He is the very definition of a specialist, and for that reason, teams are going to give him a long hard look. You heard it here first folks, John Jenkins will have a long career in the NBA.

On behalf of VSLNation, thank you John for your efforts with the basketball program and for your class in representing Vanderbilt. Best of luck for you in your career!

At Least There's Football

2012-04-09T12:19:00.001-05:00

We all knew it was going to be a rebuilding season for Tim Corbin's Commodores, but I don't think anyone could have predicted that halfway through the SEC schedule Vanderbilt would be sitting in dead last place. Alas, after dropping the weekend series to Mississippi State on a walk-off RBI in the bottom of the 9th, this is where we find ourselves. Despite boasting some great individual performances from guys like Tony Kemp, Anthony Gomez, and Tyler Beede, the Dores have won exactly one (1) away game this year, and it took some 12th-inning heroics on Saturday to make that happen. That said, on paper at least there are still some very winnable series (Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee) left on the calendar. Not quite time to abandon all hope yet, but count me in the "not holding my breath" category.

It feels bizarre to be saying this as a Vandy fan in April, but at least we have football. CJF already has received verbal commitments from a pair of four-stars, there are two practices open to the public this week, and the B&G game is set to kick off at 6 pm this Saturday.

It's approximately 72 degrees in Nashville and across most of the Southeast. Things can only be so bad.

Unless, of course, you're an Arkansas fan.

Sad News

2012-04-04T09:55:00.002-05:00

This story appeared in today's Tennessean. Vanderbilt Baseball Coach Tim Corbin issued the following statement:

"This stops you right in your tracks. These are life occurrences that can't be explained...there are no 'do-overs.' We are all deeply saddened for Gloria, Tony, his brothers and sister as well as the many friends that Stephen had. All we can do is be supportive for the family and be there for them."

VSLNation's thoughts and prayers go out to the Gant family.

Vanderbilt was the last team to beat Kentucky

2012-04-02T22:42:00.001-05:00

A fact Commodore fans should both take pride in and will inevitably go back to and ask "what if" when thinking about Vanderbilt's 2011-12 campaign.

Fuller Sticking Around....Henderson Needs Surgery

2012-03-30T19:40:00.003-05:00

Jeff Lockridge reported today that Kyle Fuller will be sticking around for his junior season. If your thinking what's the big deal? He hardly played this year and got passed on the depth chart by a true freshman. Well you would be partially right. Yes Kedren Johnson will be the started next season but Fuller is the only other point guard on the roster and will little to no Power Forward/Center depth, this team is going to be incredibly guard dependent. Also Kyle is an excellent defender, he is lightning quick, and was a highly rated recruit out of high school. Some kids just take a little longer to develop and feel comfortable at the next level. And with already losing 5 seniors and most likely John Jenkins, keeping a kid with identifiable skills and 2 years in the program can only help. If the kid can gain some more confidence on the offensive zone than I think he could be one of the underrated impact players for a team with low expectations but incredibly important for the future of Commodore basketball.

Also in the article was news that CKS hasn't closed the book on bringing in another couple of recruits and that the only Center on the roster needs to have surgery on his foot. A big guy with feet problems is never good.

Danny O'Brien Transfering to Wisconsin; Randy Edsall is Still Awful

2012-03-28T15:19:00.002-05:00

Here's the story from CBSSport.com's Bruce Feldman. Danny O'Brien, "I want to congratulate you on your new [school] and I'm sure you'll do very well and good luck to you. Especially since your interests don't conflict with [Vanderbilt's]."

John Jenkins, All-American

2012-03-27T09:07:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to John Jenkins for being named a 3rd Team All-America by the Associated Press. Jenkins is the first Commodore to win the honor since Shan Foster in 2008.

Closing the Book on the Basketball Season

2012-03-27T07:49:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have already done this. I know that we at VSL are trying to do so. But for me, I needed a few days extra to really put the basketball season behind me. Like many of you, I feel a little unfulfilled, with the team that many had thought for so long would propel the program to greatness falling short of that ultimate hope. Yet I do look at the program and where it is, what it has done in the past four years, and I appreciate the level it has reached. While we fell short in the NCAA Tournament, we are at a position where it won't be as hard to get back to our chance, and we have these seniors to thank for that.

Let me start by saying the obvious: Vanderbilt will probably regress over the next couple of seasons. Despite the fact that there are 5 Rivals150 players remaining on the roster and 3 ESPNU 100 players, the loss of likely six players (barring a long shot that Jenkins comes back) coupled with our youth will result in a rebuilding year or two. With coaches a couple of years into their program's development (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee) and new proven coaches coming in (South Carolina), Vanderbilt will likely fall back from its firmly established perch as the third-best program in the SEC. The fact of the matter is, at a school like Vanderbilt, it happens. Few academic elite schools can create a winner year-in and year-out without experiencing blips. Outside of Duke, Vanderbilt is at least, presently, one of the more consistent, having reached the tournament 5 of the past 6 years. That being said, success has rightfully become an expectation amongst the Commodore faithful, and while the youth in our program should be cut a little bit of slack, it will be up to them to maintain the consistent success that the program has enjoyed over the past 6 years.

With that said, Vanderbilt fans can rightfully look at the glass as half-empty or half-full. The half-empty side looks at the struggles our freshmen and sophomores had this year, looks at the recruiting stars of this incoming class, and sees a massive drop-off from the program's current precipice. From this view, the inability of the seniors to get to the second weekend of the tournament is especially painful. Many will question whether Kevin Stallings will ever get another group capable of reaching the Elite Eight, or dare I say the Final Four, ever again. I certainly cannot guarantee it, nor can CKS himself. It is a distinct possibility that the program regresses to a midling-SEC squad hopeful to be on the bubble by early March. Ignoring it would make no sense.

The half-full side says that while we are not able to immediately enjoy the fruits of the seniors labor, we will see them in the future, much like we did with the senior classes of old. These seniors did a whole heck of a lot that hasn't been done at Vanderbilt in a long time, if ever. They made 3 straight tournament appearances. They consistently placed in the top 5 of the SEC all three seasons. They won an enormous statement game against a hated rival to capture an SEC Tournament Championship, something that hadn't been done since 1951. They ran with the absolute best in non-conference play. They still have a great deal of talent, with their backcourt of the future completely intact and some talented wings coming into the program (I contend that Kevin Bright will surprise a whole lot of people). Finally, Stallings is not quitting on the recruiting trail. This year's group, as documented by numerous analysts, is not really deep. It has a lot of star power at the top end of the rankings, but lacks great pop further down the list. Stallings shot high and missed. Poythress choosing Kentucky hurt. But Stallings is already attacking recruiting for 2013 and 2014, and this time people won't be able to use his lack of NBA players as a weapon against him (yes, at least one of the big three will be playing in The Show).

Much like their play from game to game, even from 5-minute stretch to 5-minute stretch, these seniors gave us a lot of joy and a lot of disappointment. Regardless of that, they left every bit of what they had out on the floor, and they represented Vanderbilt with the utmost class. They deserve praise for those efforts, and thanks for everything they've done for the program. No matter where the program goes, I will always be thankful, at the very least, for that one awesome day where they captured that SEC Tournament title.

Commodores Win Rubber-Match; Take Series from #18 Georgia

2012-03-25T15:50:00.002-05:00

The Commodores beat the Dawgs of Georgia 5-3 to take the weekend series. Vanderbilt is now 9-15 overall and 2-4 in SEC play.

Vanderbilt will see Tennessee Tech Tuesday, before hosting the National Champion Gamecocks of South Carolina for a 3 game set this weekend. When [It] Strikes me does a fantastic job covering the Commodores and if you're on Twitter and not following VUHawkTalk, you seriously need to re-evaluate your life choices.

That is all, it's baseball season VSLNation, so get excited. This team is young, but they've got a lot of talent. When Tim Corbin's team turns it around, you can circle this weekend as when they did their about-face.

Initial Thoughts on the Wisconsin Loss

2012-03-17T21:59:00.004-05:00

I'm not really sure where to begin. I think the place to start is by thanking this senior class for a tremendous 4 years. There were certainly disappointments along the way, but I have nothing but gratitude for the way these guys played, the effort they put in, and the way they represented Vanderbilt university. To Jeffery, Lance, Brad, Festus, and Steve, thank you.

Tonight was a difficult game. Wisconsin is a good and disciplined team and they were able to dictate the pace of play. That was a major reason why they won. Another reason was because the Badgers played tremendous perimeter defense and did something hardly any other team had been able to do all season: contain John Jenkins. The SEC scoring leader the last two seasons was held to 13 points on 3-13 shooting including 2-9 from 3. He could never get going, in part because of how effective Wisconsin was in shadowing him.

The final stats are what they are and show that this was a close game between 2 quality teams. I won't belabor going over them because I'm not sure I've got much to add to them. Again, they are what they are.

The Shot. John Jenkins attempted a 3 pointer with 4 seconds left. Vanderbilt was down 2. It was probably his best look all night. And he missed. It happens. There was some chatter about whether Stallings should have called a time out when Lance grabbed the rebound with 16 seconds left as Gasner's free throw missed. It's a philosophical coaching decision whether to call time-out in that situation. Some people think you call time to set up an offense, others think you don't in order to prevent the defense from getting set. Whatever side of the divide you fall, whether Stallings called time out or not had zero impact on the final result. Jenkins got a great look at the basket. He just missed. If they'd called time-out, Stallings would have called the exact same play only this time the Wisconsin defense might have been able to deny Jenkins the way they had all night.

What happened after the miss will haunt Commodore fans for some time. Jeff Greene's missed travel this was not. But it was bad. Really bad. Astonishingly bad.

Festus Ezeli was mugged under the basket, by not one, but two Wisconsin Badgers. As Stallings pointed out in his post-game press conference, the big man had already missed the front end of a 1=and-1 a minute earlier. There was no guarantee he'd have made both shots to tie the game at 59. But that doesn't matter. It was an egregious no-call in a game abysmally officiated.

The Refs. I hate to do this, but I really can't help myself. I'm not doing to say that we lost the game because of the officiating. But they certainly didn't help. The missed mauling of Festus under the basket was only the final example of a game that was, at best, inconsistently called. First and foremost, the officials changed the complexion of the game by saddling Jeffery Taylor and Brad Tinsely with foul trouble in the 1st half on offensive foul calls that simply weren't there. The pendulum has shifted too far against offensive players in college basketball and it should be addressed as soon as possible (Jay Bilas, we need you, buddy). As I mentioned in my post-Harvard recap, charges and offensive fouls are called with too much frequency. Any contact initiated by the offense seemed to warrant a whistle, at least it did in the 1st half when Vanderbilt had the ball. In total, 5 offensive fouls were called against the Commodores in the first 20 minutes (their only turnovers of the half, I believe). Maybe I'm crazy, but I think you'd be hard pressed to say there should be 5 offensive fouls called on both teams in an entire game. To earn a charge, the defensive player has to be set and establish position. Absent the lowering of a shoulder or a push-off, it's either a block or a no-call.

To me, the most egregious call of the night was the push-off called against Brad in the second half with 8:42 remaining. There was incidental contact at best and a arm that wasn't even extended that sent Brad to the bench with his 4th foul of the contest. Brad hit a 16 foot jumper with the Commodores down 4 that was negated by an offensive foul call that even the announcers were unable to see. As I mentioned, that was Brad's 4th. He went to the bench, Wisconsin scored a bucket on the next possession and went up 6. Vanderbilt didn't score again until the 6:07 mark. The ticky-tack nature of this call, when compared to other contact that wasn't called (the last and most noteworthy example being the no-call under the basket at the end of the game) is what's so frustrating.

Also, the 3rd foul Jeffery was whistled for is not a foul. It was good defense. If you were going to call Jeffery for blocking, Brad's disallowed jumper should have been an and-1. You can't call offensive fouls all night against Vanderbilt and whistle JT there.

A Bad 2:30. The start of the second half was a critical period of time for the Commodores. Down 1 at the half, we came out aggressive with Jeffery knocking down a jumper to give Vanderbilt its first lead of the game at 33-32. On the very next possession, Festus made a great play to get a steal. The Commodores turned it over on the next 4 possessions, allowing the Badgers to reclaim the lead, re-establish momentum (that was clearly shifting to Vanderbilt after Brad's 3 at the end of the 1st half to cut the lead to 1), and open up a 7 point lead. Wisconsin turned 4 turnovers into 8 points and ensured the Commodores would be playing from behind all half.

Kevin Stallings' guys fought back and stayed in the game, but this 2:30 between Commodore shot attempts (Jenkins was fouled on a 3 and connected on 2 of 3 free throws) was perhaps Vanderbilt's best opportunity to take control of the game. They didn't.

The zone. The 2-3 zone was incredibly effective. As anyone who was watching with me can attest (as well as those of you who participated in the live-blog knows, I thought we should have gone to it sooner. Credit where credit is due, once Vanderbilt switched to the zone, Wisconsin still hit 2 big treys with the shot-clock winding down from deep. Still, there was no doubt that the zone negatively effected Wisconsin and affected their offensive rhythm.

What was devastating for the Commodores was their inability to grab a defensive rebound on Wisconsin's penultimate possession. down just 2 points. Down 2, the Badgers missed 2 threes that resulted in long rebounds neither of which Vanderbilt was able to haul in. Part of it was bad luck and part of it was the product of the zone. Who knows what happens if the Commodores grab Ryan Evans' miss with 49 seconds remaining, but that's a question many fans will be asking themselves as tonight's result sets in.

In conclusion. I'm sure this reads like sour grapes and I would fully admit there are a lot of "ifs" "ands" and "buts" throughout this post. Like the box-score, it is what it is and there's probably no way to avoid it if you aren't wiling to say definitively, "the better team won." Wisconsin deserves a lot of credit. They played their game and ended the night with more points than Vanderbilt did. As Kevin Stallings says, it's a math contest not an art contest, and tonight, our numbers didn't add up. My reflections and opinions are not meant take anything away from Bo Ryan's Badgers. Instead, they are simply offered to explain the reasons why I am incredibly pissed that we lost this game.

The agony and the ecstasy of being a fan have been on display these last two weeks for Commodore games (if not since actually becoming a fan). Reliving and dissecting the game is what fans do, especially those with blogs.

The floor is open, VSLNation.

Vanderbilt's Post Wisconsin Game Press Conference

2012-03-17T21:36:00.001-05:00

Here's the link. Again, the NCAA won't allow you to imbed the video, so you'll have to settle for the link.

Commodores Fall 60-57

2012-03-17T19:28:00.002-05:00

It was a good battle, but the Commodores could never get over the hump. A disappointing end to a great (but roller coaster season). We'll have more coverage later tonight. I'll say this, the officiating in this game was truly abysmal. Anthony Jordan continues to stick it to the Commodores.

2012 NCAA Tournament Live-Blog: #5 Vanderbilt vs. #4 Wisconsin

2012-03-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

2012 NCAA Tournament Live-Blog: #5 Vanderbilt vs. #4 Wisconsin

VSL Gets You Ready: Previewing Vanderbilt vs. Wisconsin

2012-03-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

#5 Vanderbilt takes on #4 Wisconsin in the "third" (second) round of the NCAA tournament. The game tips at 6:10 ET/5:10 CT.

Wisconsin is a computer's dream when it comes to efficiency and performance. The Badgers rank in the top 25 in offensive efficiency, and are #4 in defensive efficiency. Part of this is because the Badgers love to make every possession count, and like to slow the game down to a crawl. Wisconsin plays at an adjusted tempo of 58.4, which is only slightly faster than one team, Western Illinois. Bo Ryan's system relies heavily on fundamental defensive basketball, slowing the pace down, forcing tough shots in the half-court, and capturing defensive rebounds. On offense, the Badgers are primarily a three-point shooting squad, though Jordan Taylor adds an additional factor with his ability to get to the rim. In all, this will be an interesting match-up of strength vs. strength, which is why Vegas has the Commodores at nearly a push line of -1.5. KenPom likes the Badgers a bit more, giving us a 34% chance of winning the game.

Bo Ryan's squad is very disciplined, and the key will be in not letting them dictate the pace. If this game is low-tempo, Vanderbilt will have to match Wisconsin's efficiency, which can be done but is the best way for Wisconsin to win the game. Wisconsin does not turn the ball over much at all, only 15.2% of their possessions. The key weakness to exploit will be if Vanderbilt can get to the offensive glass. For as disciplined as Wisconsin is, they are not as athletic at the 3-5 spots as Jeff, Lance and Festus. Ryan Evans is a very good defensive rebounder and may get a good opportunity to limit Jeff's put back attempts, but Festus and Lance should have opportunities against the less athletic Jared Berggren and Mike Bruesewitz. If Vanderbilt can create second-chance opportunities, they can win the game.

Also of note is that Wisconsin does not draw a lot of fouls. This should allow us to keep most of our athletes on the floor for an extended period of time. Wisconsin's three-point defense has been well-documented, though as Seamus points out, Wisconsin allows 36% on road/neutral courts and hasn't faced as proficient a 3-point shooting team as Vanderbilt all year. I think the three keys to this game will be to shut down Ryan Evans (likely by placing Taylor on him), pound into the paint and let Fez attack Berggren, and finally, try to come up with a way of mitigating Jordan Taylor's offensive output without getting JJ too tired. As Bobby notes, and while Wisconsin is reliant on the three, I wouldn't be surprised to see us play some zone to try and keep Jordan Taylor out of the lane. He will get his, but as long as he doesn't go ape and we have taken Ryan Evans out of the game, Vanderbilt should have a good opportunity to win the game.

VSL will be live-blogging the action (and having a pint or two on this fine St. Patty's Day). Come join in if you're not out and about.

Who Ya Got: #5 Vanderbilt vs. #4 Wisconsin

2012-03-17T08:00:00.000-05:00