Vanderbilt Commodores
SEC (24-10, 10-6)
There were very high expectations for Vanderbilt heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. Center Festus Ezeli missed the first ten games of the season and the Commodores have pretty much stayed off of the national radar. Without Ezeli, Vanderbilt went 6-4 and had losses to Cleveland State, Xavier, Louisville and Indiana State. The Commodores got hot for a little while, but they did falter once the SEC schedule got a little tougher.
Big Wins: 12/29 at Marquette (74-57), 2/28 Florida (77-67), 3/11 vs Kentucky (71-64)
Bad Losses: 11/13 Cleveland State (58-71), 12/17 Indiana State (55-61), 1/31 at Arkansas (74-82)
Coach: Kevin Stallings (13 seasons at Vanderbilt)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Commodores can beat just about anybody when they’re hitting the long ball. With Ezeli back, this team finally had an inside presence and that really opened up things for the shooters even more. Ezeli has been pretty inconsistent this season, but his presence alone helps out the Commodores on the offensive end. John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor and Brad Tinsley are all great shooters who hit over 40 percent of their attempts from long range. Jenkins is an amazing all-around scorer. Not only can he shoot, but he can use his 6-4 frame to finish around the basket. Taylor, at 6-7, has even more size and strength and will spend quite a bit of time at the charity stripe. Tinsley will generally leave a bulk of the scoring to Jenkins, Taylor and Ezeli, but the point guard can light it up too. The fact that he is such a consistent outside shooter leaves no good options for the opposing defense since they have to cover everybody on the perimeter and worry about Ezeli in the paint.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Vanderbilt’s high expectations have led to a pretty disappointing season. This is a group that has a ton of talent and will do everything relatively well. Yet, they just have not been able to finish games. Part of the problem is a horrible turnover margin. It is fine that the defense does not gamble for steals, but the experienced backcourt must do a better job keeping the offense under control and not giving away possessions. This also looks like a team that should be great on the glass. With Taylor hitting the glass hard, having a 6-4 shooting guard and power forward Lance Goulbourne doing a lot of work in the paint, Vanderbilt should be a very good rebounding team. But they are not. Ezeli is not a bad rebounder, but he struggles on the defensive glass and the Commodores will need all the possessions they can get if they hope to live up to their preseason expectations.
Probable Starters:
Brad Tinsley, Senior, Guard, 8.7 ppg, 4.2 apg
John Jenkins, Junior, Guard, 19.9 ppg, 1.2 apg
Jeffery Taylor, Senior, Guard, 16.4 ppg, 1.8 apg, 5.8 rpg
Lance Goulbourne, Senior, Forward, 8.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Festus Ezeli, Senior, Center, 10.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Kedren Johnson, Freshman, Guard, 3.1 ppg, 1.9 apg
Rod Odom, Sophomore, Forward, 2.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Dai-Jon Parker, Freshman, Guard, 1.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Steve Tchiengang, Senior, Forward, 3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.5 (49th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.2 (149, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.2 (60, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.3 (137, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.8 (10, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.0 (11, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.2 (128, 6)
Rebound Margin: 1.1 (151, 7)
Assists Per Game: 13.0 (157, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.5 (163, 9)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Vanderbilt 2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Richmond
Vanderbilt 2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Murray State
Vanderbilt 2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Siena
Vanderbilt 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over George Washington
Vanderbilt 2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Washington State
Vanderbilt 2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Georgetown
Vanderbilt 2006 NIT First Round loss to Notre Dame
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
