Vanderbilt Sports Line

VSL and the Nashville Predators Promotions

2009-11-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

My former roommate works for the Nashville Predators, has an awesome 3-legged dog Scotter, and is generally just fantastic. She has asked to me pass long this promotional program for the "non-sales staff," where she can get an extra day off. All you've got to do is sign up for a Ticketmaster account and then get discounted tickets for Predators' home games that will be instantly emailed to you. Need to buy someone a gift? Buy them Preds tickets. Want to take a chick/dude out for a slightly unconventional date? Buy Preds tickets. Want to help out a friend of Bobby's just because? Buy Preds tickets. You've got to buy your tickets before December 31, but can get seats for games throughout the 2009-10 season.

Thanks for your support.

Stanimal's Final Thoughts on the Maui Invitational

2009-11-26T08:29:00.003-05:00

What We Learned

The Commodores play was a story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Sometimes it was brilliant, sometimes it was just ugly. Let's start with the negatives, and we'll close on the positives.

I was unimpressed with the team's defensive consistency. Like most every phase of their game, at times they showed brilliance, but they would go through long stretches of poor defensive play. They have the traditional problems of getting beat by guards with a quick first step. They struggle with physical post players. Despite our size, we have trouble ending opposing teams possessions and give up a lot of offensive rebounds. At times they seem to fall asleep. Lapses in concentration lead to the team losing their man out on the perimeter, which can lead to open threes.

I chose defense first, because they highlight weaknesses that show up on the offensive side of the court as well, particularly in dealing with physical bigs and in lapses in concentration. The team is going to struggle with physical players down low at times, and at times lapses in concentration lead to too many turnovers. They have to be more aware when they put the ball on the floor of the quickness of defenders, as too many times they had it swatted away. Additionally, the team gets too out of control at times. There doesn't seem to be much flow in the way the wings run the floor, and Dolla doesn't do a great job of calming the troops down when things are a little too hectic. To his credit, he did a much better job of that against Arizona. But our bread and butter is the top of the key pick and roll with A.J., and screening for Jenkins and Tinsley to get open looks. I'd like to see the playbook open up more to get Taylor some opportunities to cut to the basket. He had a quiet tournament due in large part to teams collapsing in the paint. Part of it is his lack of confidence in his mid-range jumper. He CAN shoot that shot, he just doesn't have the confidence it takes to MAKE it.

To extrapolate that point, the main thing we lacked through the tournament was a sense of confidence and authority. That's a product of youth, and it will come with more practice. Surprisingly enough, however, the only guy who is confident shooting the ball is Jenkins, and rightly so since he's shooting about .400 from behind the arc and is only going to get better.

As to the positives, there is little doubt this group has a lot of talent. When they're on a hot streak, they're tough to beat. They have a multitude of adept passers and can get the ball to players in space very nicely. They get to the free throw line A LOT. Missing all of the free throws was disconcerting, but I don't think it's alarming as a whole. As a team we were shooting 70% from the free throw line before we went to Maui, and as a whole I don't think we shot particularly well once we were there except for the second half against Arizona. They have some athleticism and at least three guys who are on the brink of busting loose. I'm talking about Taylor, Jenkins, and Tinsley. Taylor is going to turn into a 20-10 player at some point. Jenkins will be averaging 12-15 by the end of the season, and Tinsley will be a 14-8 kind of guy with points and assists. None of those postulations are out of their talent ability.

Where we're going

With 9 games and over a month of practice remaining until we hit SEC play, there's still time for us to gel. We may not have walked away with a tournament title, but we did well for ourselves to beat Arizona, and we picked up a win on the road against a tough St. Mary's team en route. Cincinnati looks like a tournament team this year, and there was no shame in that loss, even if it doused our expectations a bit. As we get closer to SEC play, we have some more tough games against Missou, Illinois, and Western Kentucky. This schedule should prepare us for what we're about to face in SEC play.

That's about all for now. Happy Thanksgiving to all and Go Dores!

Vanderbilt Closes Out Maui on a Positive Note: Beats Arizona 84-72

2009-11-26T00:36:00.002-05:00

Early in this game, it seemed as though we were going to see more of the same out of the Commodores. Seemingly slow, sloppy play, with no one really standing out take the game over.

Then A.J. Ogilvy snapped out of it and realized he was being guarded by a freshman.

The Big Aussie stepped up tonight in a big way and demonstrated some of the polish that his supporters have touted. Rebounds are still a concern, but a stat line of 20 points, 7 boards, 4 blocks, 2 steals and an assist is not one of a lightweight. He showed up to play tonight, and as a result this team was much better.

The Dores got a good performance out of Jermaine Beal too, as he scored 18 points, dished out 5 assists, and picked up a couple of steals. Jeffery Taylor came out of this one with a double-double on 13 points and 10 boards. Cannot underrate Andre Walker's performance either, getting 8 points and 7 boards while contributing 3 assists.

The game wasn't without concerns. Poor free throw shooting made this a lot closer than it should have been. The team is still inconsistent, going through long stretches where they are unable to score and seem to play sloppy defense. That's going to dig us into some holes we can't get out of.

But for every period of slump, we seem to get a flash of just how great this team can be when things are clicking. The last 10 minutes of basketball (which I rewatched on DVR), were the best of the tournament for our team. That's encouraging to see the Dores finish strong in the final ten minutes of their third game in three days against a talented but young Arizona team.

There's plenty to work on when the Dores get back to Nashville before their game next Wednesday against Mizzou, but Stallings has to be pleased about his team's recovery. Especially since we lost to a Cincy team that barely lost the entire tournament.

Arizona v. Vanderbilt: Open Thread

2009-11-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

You can track the live stats here (click on the Vanderbilt/Arizona game) and listen to the live audio here. The game will also be aired on ESPNU.

I won't be watching live, but for those of you who are, please comment and share your take with VSLNation.

Arizona v. Vanderbilt for 5th Place in Maui: Who Ya Got?

2009-11-25T11:35:00.003-05:00

Vegas has Vanderbilt as a 4 point favorite. I'm shocked.

Bobby's Thoughts on Chaminade; Looking Ahead to Tomorrow

2009-11-25T00:04:00.003-05:00

It wasn't until the second half of the Chaminade game that Vanderbilt played the kind of game that Commodore fans have been expecting. The fact that it came against a Division II opponent doesn't, in my view, diminish the significance of the "switch going off." Vanderbilt played pretty bad in the first half, especially when you consider that we got out-rebounded 26-19 to a decidedly smaller team (the complete stats can be viewed by clicking here). We were only up 6 to a gutsy, but ultimately bad team. Still, we pulled it together in the second half and blew the game wide-open, scoring 24 straight, and holding the Silver Swords scoreless for over 10 minutes. While Festus Ezeli got the credit for being the spark, I really think it was John Jenkins who was responsible. He hit some shots, crashed the boards, and drove the lane a couple times (although not always connecting). In short, he played like a man with a purpose. The last time we saw that was Jeffrey Taylor against St. Mary's last Friday. A.J. was O.K, but he still needs to get hungrier. I thought Jimmy Dykes made a great point about big men (I'm not sure if it was specifically related to Ogilvy or not): they've got to want the ball so bad that they've got to be willing to say in a time-out "if someone doesn't get me the ball the next time down the floor, I'm knocking someone out)." That's fire. A fire that A.J. is currently not playing with.

I continue to be unimpressed with Jermaine Beal's play at point guard. The team is not getting into an offensive flow, and he looks to me at least, to be looking for his shot more than he should. That is doubly true on fast breakes. I count at least 5 4 on 3, 3 or 2, or 2 on 1 situations this tournament where Dolla was running a break that culminated in him chucking up a three. That's not a very well executed break, especially if the 3 is taken by the guy who is leading the break and it never gets into anyone else's hands.

Taylor played pretty uninsprired, and took some bad shots. I've heard he can knock down perimeter jump shots in practice. That's fine, but he can't do it in games and that is not, at least right now, his strength. We've got shooters, we need a slasher. Jeffrey firing 3's is not a recipe for success. Tinsley also struggled, although I think Douglas James is a little harsh. Brad, right now, is a better floor general than Jermaine. Either way, I think it's only a matter of time (perhaps as early as tomorrow) where we see John Jenkins starting over Brad. If that happens it will force either a) Jermaine to play a more conventional #1, or b) Stallings to sit Dolla in favor of Brad or even Charles Hinkle.

The second half was very fact in terms of pace, but the fact that Vanderbilt only managed 3 free throws the entire game is extremely disconcerting. This team has some very good interior players. A.J., Festus, and Steve T., can all score with their backs to the basket or playing in the interior paint. Them, plus JT slashing has to be net more than 3 free throws.

Looking ahead to Arizona tomorrow, this report from STATS via The Sporting News is a must read. Arizona, in 2 games, has looked a lot better than Vanderbilt. They are young, but they are very athletic, they like to play up and down, and they've got shooters who can make you pay. I would hope that if CKS decides to press, he is more willing to call it off tomorrow than he was against the Bearcats on Monday. The 1-2-2 zone would be very effective at slowing down the Wildcats. The problem is, as always this season, rebounding. The player to watch for the Wildcats is Nic Wise, who scored 30 in Arizona's 91-87 win, including 16 of his team's final 19 points. Wise is a 5'10, senior guard who the Commodores will have to contain. Jermaine needs to use his height and his defensive skills to man-up on Wise when Vanderbilt goes man. Talyor's length should also (hopefully) help to contain Wise at the top of the 1-2-2 zone. Jamelle Horne is also scary, as he connected on all 5 of his 3 point attempts, and scored 17 points.

The fact that Cincinatti beat, pretty convincingly, a good Maryland team certainly helps Vanderbilt. The story is now, "The Bearcats are a Surprise," instead of Vanderbilt sucking. With that said, I think a 1-2 record in Maui will be incredibly disappointing. A win tomorrow against a good Arizona team that will only get better as the year progresses, could allow us to salvage this trip and have some confidence moving into a pretty difficult stretch in December, with games against Missouri, DePaul, Illinois, and Western Kentucky all within the 10 days of each other. The question will be, which Commodore team shows up tomorrow? The team that played 3 quarters against Cincy and Chaminade and got out-classed, or the team that played the second half against the Silver Swords who looked like the team we were all hoping they'd be. We'll know tomorrow at 7pm eastern, 6 central on ESPNU.

Chaminade Open-Thread

2009-11-24T15:01:00.001-05:00

It's all Gravy from here...

2009-11-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

VSL just got their 7,000th unique visitor of the month, catapulting us above the magical SEC blogger threshold, and perhaps punching our ticket into the press box. Don't worry, once we are there will be sure to condescend to the littles and make you feel like you know nothing about sports and are lucky to hear our amazing insights.

Keep the hits coming!

Bobby's Thoughts on The Cincy Loss

2009-11-24T00:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday's loss to Cincinnati team was difficult to watch and certainly takes the bloom of a team that Commodore fans have desperately been waiting for since the football team lost to Army in mid-October. But it's not the end of the world and it's not cause for panic. At least not yet. Before responding to the comments from the open thread, I'll make a few observations. First, and this is so ridiculously obvious, that I'm remiss even to write it. But alas, you cannot win games when you get out-rebounded by 21. That was the margin: 53-32. That is atrocious. We'd make a good defensive stand, they'd get a rebound; we'd force a bad shot, they'd get a rebound; we'd take a shot (good or bad), they'd get a rebound. You get the idea. If there is anything to be concerned about long term, it's this team's inability to get rebounds and limit opponents to 1 shot a possession. That prevents you from getting back in games, and it prevents you from putting games away, two things that have happened already in this nascent season. Second, with the exception of a few possessions where the ball would go down to A.J. and he'd either make a move, or kick t out, we had no offensive cohesion. It almost looked like Ted Cain and Jimmy Kisler made the trip to Maui. Papa O'Shea, in between letting me know how badly Vanderbilt was getting out-hustled, made a good point: we never ran plays to get Jeff Jenkins free. He's the best shooter on the team and was 4-9 from the field, including 3-6 from downtown (numbers that were sterling compared to the rest of the team). How about running him off some screens? Something.

Now, to the comments from the open-thread. I think VandyGold28 is pretty dead on. Specifically, the press didn't work because it didn't force turnovers, and force got us playing at a tempo where we were out of control. I thought the 1-2-2 zone was much more effective and actually gave us several chances to get back in the game. The problem was our inability to rebound out of the zone and capitalize on good defense and slowing down the pace of play. The Bearcats were not comfortable in the half-court, but if when we gave them multiple shots, they almost always made us pay.

Eric Adams, who has a very good blog that you should check out, is right. I lobbied Mrs. O'Shea for a trip to Maui, I think she was right to veto (and since she never reads this, I can admit that without hearing "I told you so").

Thomas, the answer is no, the Bearcat defense is not that good. But when you miss lay-ups (at least 7 or 8 within 3 feet), fail to run an offense, and play too fast, you're going to miss a lot of shots.

Colin, Anonymous, and Joseph's takes are really, however, the inspiration for this post. Tonight's loss was bad. This was a great change for Vanderbilt to look good on ESPN2, show off their top 25 ranking, and demonstrate that this team was for real. But, the fact that we lost to a pretty good Cincinnati team is not reason to panic. Besides Jenkins forcing an offensive foul on Taylor (at least I think it was Taylor) and turning the ball over in the second half when Vanderbilt was making a mini-run, I thought he played well, especially given he's played 3 games in college. He didn't force the issue,took good shots, and hit some big threes. I do agree 100% about Beal who I thought played a terrible game, despite leading the Commodores in scoring. He's the senior leader on the team. He's the point guard. And the fact that we were never able to get into an offensive rythm and were playing out of control for much of the game is a direct reflection on him. Colin's take on A.J. is fair, but also (perhaps) premature. There's no doubt A.J. has to be a bigger part of the offense for this team to be successful. He's playing timid out there at times, and other times isn't taking good shots. Worse, sometimes when he is playing aggressively and taking good shots, they just aren't falling. He suffered a concussion that might have affected him more than we realize. He hasn't been impressive and needs to step it up, but I really think the Dawid comparisons are extremely pre-mature and completely unsupported by the facts.

This game should have been a wake-up call. Cincinnati is a good, athletic team who really did take it to us all night. They are the kind of team we are going to be facing night in and night out in the SEC. But, we also beat a good St. Mary's team who is also probably going to be in the conversation come March. We are 2-1 with a chance to get 2 more wins in games against opponents from either the Big 12, the PAC 10, or the Big 10 depending on how the Arizona/Wisconsin game ends up. Is it what we came for? Absolutely not. But it's also not the end of the world. Vanderbilt teams under Coach Stallings have had a tendency to start slow and lose games they shouldn't have. Remember the 2006-07 season where Vanderbilt started out 2-3 with losses to Georgetown, Wake Forest, and Furman, only to squeak by Toledo in OT? We were a shy referee on a Jeff Green 3-step from being in the Elite Eight. There is reason to be upset, but I think a modicum of perspective is needed before we start lamenting the missed opportunities of a season less than 10 days old.

Vanderbilt plays Chaminade today at 1:30 eastern, 12:30 central on ESPN2. We lose that game, and ignore everything I've said above. The sky, will in fact, be falling.

Post-Game Thoughts after the Cincy Loss

2009-11-23T19:52:00.001-05:00

We'll weigh in later, but what did you think about tonight's 67-58 loss?

Live-Blogging the Maui Invitational Round 1: Vanderbilt v. Cincinnati

2009-11-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Maui Invitational: Vanderbilt v. Cincinnati

Vanderbilt Cracks ESPN and AP Top 25

2009-11-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Breaking in at #24 in both polls. Let's earn it today.

VSL Gets You Ready: Previewing Vanderiblt/Cincy (Maui Round 1)

2009-11-22T20:00:00.001-05:00

Cincy hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2005, but Athlon thinks this is the best team Coach Mick Cronin has had since returning to his alma mater. They’ve predicted the Bearcats will finish 8th in the Big East, and be “one and done” in the Tournament (for what it’s worth, Joe Lunardi has the Bearcats as the “next four out,” behind the Commodores).

Leading the charge for the Bearcats are senior guard Deonta Vaughn, a 6’1 All-Big East selection and sophomore 6’9 forward Yancy Gates, selected to last year’s All-Big East Rookie team and considered a “budding low-post scorer.” Redshirt freshman 6’1 point guard Cashmire Wright, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, is joined by Lance Stephenson, who signed with the team in July. Stephenson is 6’6 and averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists playing for Jesus Shuttlesworth’s Abraham Lincoln High team in Brooklyn. Oh yeah, Stephenson is also the all-time leading scorer in the history of New York State with 2,946 points. Rounding out the Bearcats starting line-up is Steve Toyloy, a 6’8 senior, who is averaging 4 points and 7 boards in 23 minutes.

Cincinnati struggled in their opener against Prairie View A&M, winning 69-62 after overcoming a 38-30 halftime deficit. With that said, Bearcats were much more convincing in their next game, beating Toledo 92-68 and controlling the game throughout.

For all intents and purposes, the Bearcats go 8 deep, and have some fire off the bench in the form of 6’6 forward, Rashad Bishop, a junior from Newark, NJ, 6’3 guard Larry Davis, and 6’3 sophomore guard Dion Dixon. Nashville native Darnell Wilkins is also on the Bearcat roster, but has seen relatively little action (20 minutes) this far.

Coach Cronin’s squad is not a particularly good free-throw shooting team (62.9%), but they are a team that likes to shoot the three. In fact, they’ve attempted 56 shots in 2 games, making 30.3% of those attempts. They have a 12.5/game rebounding advantage over their first two opponents, and are turning it over 13.5 times. The comparisons stats are not that illustrative give their relatively weak opponents.

With Wright and Vaughn in the backcourt, the Bearcats will look to run and play up-tempo, something the Commodores have also done early on.

For their part, Vanderbilt has certainly played better opponents than the Bearcats given their game at St. Mary’s. 2 games in, Vanderbilt is shooting 40.6% from downtown, 70% from the line (although some misses last night almost proved costly), and getting out-rebounded by an average of 6.5 a game, a stat that has to worry Kevin Stallings (to say nothing of Stanimal). Vanderbilt goes 10 deep, with relatively little drop-off, meaning the Commodores are well equipped to run if that’s what the Bearcats want to do.

As happy as Commodore fans have been with the play of Jeffrey Taylor and Dolla Beal early, the play of A.J. Ogilvy has certainly been a source of concern. If Vanderbilt wants to force Cincinnati (and the rest of their Maui opposition) to play in the half-court, Ogilvy will have to be more of a factor than he has been thus far.

Against St. Mary’s, Vanderbilt did a great job withstanding their outstanding first-half play and (CORRECTION) leading by 1 at the half. And, while the Commodores were able to build a 14 point lead early in the second, they weren’t able to hold it, and were in serious jeopardy of letting last the game slip away. Given the Bearcats talent, I’m not sure the Commodores would be so lucky if they allowed Cincinnati to “hang around.” This is all to say, Vanderbilt, if given the opportunity must do what they weren’t able to do against the Gaels, and what they were only able to do late against Lipscomb: put’em away.

Should be a good one. We’ll be live-blogging the game and hope you’ll join us. Send details on any VSL Nation gatherings taking place and we’ll be sure to post them here, on our Facebook Fan Page, and on our Twitter feed, twitter.com/VSLNation.

Live-Blogging the Maui Invitational Round 1: Vanderbilt v. Cincinnati

2009-11-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

The game will be televised on ESPN2 starting at 5:30 eastern, 4:30 central. We'll be hosting our second ever live-blog with me, Seamus, Stanimal, and hopefully you. To add a wrinkle, it's possible (internet connection permitting) that I'll be live-blogging on location in New York City with the some of VSL's most loyal readers. Details to come.

Vanderbilt/Tennessee Open Thread

2009-11-21T19:32:00.002-05:00

Based on the announcers, you'd think Jonathan Crompton was in the running for the freaking Heisman.

Vanderbilt Survives: Beats St. Mary's 72-70

2009-11-21T01:23:00.002-05:00

Vanderbilt built a early second half lead of 57-43, but barely escaped with a 2 point win after St. Mary's missed a three pointer to win the game with 2 seconds left. Brad Tinsely hit the first of 2 three throws, but missed the second, giving the Gaels a chance to win the game. Overall, a great game for the Commodores, who head to Maui 2-0 and with a legitimate test under their belts. For the second game in a row, Jeffrey Taylor lead the Commodore attack, scoring 19 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and stealing 4. Dolla Beal hit some key shots late and finished with 16 points. Andre Walker had 14 on 6-8 shooting. Brad Tinsely was the Commodore floor general, handing out 8 assists in 28 minutes.

Vanderbilt turned it over 17 times (as did St. Mary's) and were a disappointing 14/22 from the charity stripe, a fact that almost cost the Commodores the game.

A.J. Ogilvy was not a factor, scoring just 2 points on 1-6 shooting in 22 minutes of action. Festius was equally unimpressive going just 2-5 and grabbing only 3 boards in 11 minutes. In total, A.J. and Ezeli combined for 6 points and 10 boards, hardly the kind of numbers we are expecting from the 5 spot. Compare that to Omar Sahman for St. Mary's, who scored 25 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in 35 minutes.

A win's a win, and Vanderbilt has to be happy to remain undefeated. We'll have more tomorrow and (hopefully) a preview of Vanderbilt's first round game in Maui against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

St. Mary's Open Thread...

2009-11-20T23:16:00.002-05:00

We won't be live-blogging, but for those listening online, on the radio, or following on live stats, we've set up an open thread for VSL Nation to comment during the game. I know some of your are listening, why not do it with us?

Dores-Vols Preview: "Oh, the Humanity"

2009-11-20T10:35:00.008-05:00

Is Bobby Johnson on the verge of being right back where he started? This is Johnson's eighth season as head coach at Vanderbilt, and a matter of months ago it seemed as if he had all the pieces in place to turn the proverbial corner with Vanderbilt's football program. On New Year's Eve, the Dores won their first bowl game since 1955 and capped off the program's first winning season since 1982, with a freshman QB at the helm for the finale no less. We've all heard it before -- needless to say, things were looking up for Commodore football.

My what a difference three months of misery can make. Now there are plenty of excuses to be made and no shortage of explanatory storylines: losing highly touted transfer WR Terrance Jeffers-Harris to academic ineligibility; losing key players to injury; playing 12 straight weeks without a break; trying to implement a new style of offense with personnel who were not recruited to play that style of offense...I'm sure there is more I'm leaving out. No one would accuse CBJ of just completely misplaying a perfect hand of cards.

But one storyline that should have everyone's attention is the fact that we are on the precipice of going 0-fer in SEC games for the first time since CBJ's first season at the helm (2002). We've won at least one SEC game every season since 2003, the year we beat Kentucky at home, tore down both goalposts, and paraded them down West End Ave. Ah, memories. In 2004 we were awful but beat Mississippi State 31-13 and only lost to UK by 1 and UT by 5. In 2005 we went 5-6 with Cutler under center, posting a 3-5 SEC record. That year we beat UT in Knoxville 28-24 and "lost" due to a manifestly corrupt celebration penalty in double-OT to Florida. Beating UF or MTSU that season would've put us in a bowl. In 2006 it looked like we took a half-step backward, ending up 4-8 overall, but we spoiled Georgia's homecoming and oh how sweet it was. In 2007 we got back on track with a 5-7 finish, barely losing 20-17 to Georgia, 27-20 to Kentucky, and 25-24 to UT (again, any of which would have sent us to a bowl). I need not repeat what happened last year, but it included a 4-4 SEC record and when viewed in light of the previous seasons' progress, it appeared to be the natural culmination of a Johnson Era marked by continuous improvement and genuine competitiveness.

So where the hell are we now? 0-7 in the SEC, 2-9 overall, and riding a seven-game losing streak (including one to Army) since beating Rice on September 26. The CBJ success train appears to have been derailed, and this may sound weird, but part of me can't decide what's the better outcome tomorrow in terms of getting us back on track.

On the one hand, winning would keep the streak of SEC-win seasons alive and provide some semblance of satisfaction in potentially stifling rival UT's bowl chances. On the other hand, I would hate for Vandy fans and boosters to see it as a moral victory and a sign that all is well in Commie Country. The fact is, changes need to be made. We're getting good recruits and have played fairly consistently good defense the past several years (although we've GOT to get better against the run), but no one can deny that we've been absolutely abysmal on offense. CBJ is loyal to a fault to this coaching staff and I'm afraid that a win over UT might close an otherwise-open door for him to give the axe to Ted Cain, who clearly has no idea how to prepare an offense. This atrocity of an offense is not inevitable: look at Stanford, Northwestern, Wake Forest, and other schools with similar recruiting environments who are able to move the football. The continuation of the present state of affairs is not a viable option in my mind, and I believe that message needs to be conveyed to CBJ, with the utmost respect, win or lose against UT.

So obviously I want us to win tomorrow. With Myron Lewis and Pat Benoist out of the lineup, Fowler's planned blitz packages will need to be REALLY good for that to happen, because it's clear that even the bright spots of Warren Norman and Zac Stacy will not be enough to carry this woeful offense to victory. Nonetheless, UT is mediocre and criminal and Crompton is just a disastrous head case -- so I'll go ahead and predict a streak-saving win for us. I just hope a victory doesn't lessen the pressure to make some changes in the offseason. Is VSL Nation with me on this?

This has been a long and ranting post, so thank you to any of you that slogged through it with me. The question I will leave you with is this: At what point do we need to start worrying about CBJ, one of the most respected coaches in all of college football, throwing up his hands and heading for greener pastures (read: Clemson, UVA)? Some have opined that that should've happened already. Others have noted that if CBJ stayed on for 2010 he'd be the first head coach in SEC history to return for a 9th season after a losing record through 8 seasons. In any case, one can't help but wonder how long anything can go untouched before it starts to spoil. In the words of Newman the Postman, "Oh, the humanity."

VSL Hotline: The End is Near, Edition

2009-11-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Vanderbilt wraps up what has been an incredibily disappointing football season Saturday in Knoxville. While a win would feel great, I'm not sure that beating the hated Vols would be enough to turn salvage this season in the minds of the Commodore faithful. Although if UT stays stuck on 5 wins because they can't get by either the Commodores of the Wildcats of Kentucky next week, that would certainly be something.

Bryan Mullen has a story in today's Tennessean about the re-vamped Tennessee defense under Monty Kiffin. Which is good news, because given Vanderbilt' offensive successes this season, I think a stout, fast defense is just what we need to see if it's possible to actually end a game with negative points. Much like Vanderbilt, UT enters the game with injuries. The man most likely to make Vanderbit's offense "go," or at least score some points is Warren Norman, who needs just 17 more yards to break Hershel Walker's record for most all-purpose yards by a freshman. According to a WBIR story,linebacker LaMarcus Thompson, defensive back Dennis Rogan and linebacker Rico McCoy will all be game time decisions for Saturday. As it stands, Vanderbilt is a a 17 point road dog with a 45.5 over/under.

Today's one and only truly "must-read" comes from Commodore Nation's Ryan Schultz. Ryan writes about the "Forgettable season" of Andre Walker last year that included a season-ending injury, and more important and tragically, losing his mother Jane. It's a great piece. We're glad to have Andre back on the court, but can all appreciate and sympathize with what he's been through.

VSL has a preview on tonight's St. Mary's game here. The Tennessean's Jeff Lockridge has a story about A.J. Ogilvy and the fact that he is very familiar with many of the Gaels he'll face tonight.

That's all for now. Big night for the Commodores, this will be a good opportunity to see what we've got.

I'm Back!!!!!! And the Commies Get Another Football Commit.

2009-11-19T23:54:00.002-05:00

Hey guys. Not sure if anyone noticed but I have been absent from the blog for a couple months. First I was cramming for the NY State bar (which I just found out I passed) and then I drove cross country and 2/3rds of the way back (car died in Chicago and I flew home to finish the trip). Anyway I'm back and excited to get back to talking Vandy sports.

While the football season has been a disappointment to say the least, it looks like CBJ is putting together another solid recruiting class (despite the recent de-commitment of our top guy Davis Dudchock). Good news is that the coaching staff didn't wait long to replace Dudchock, as they just picked up a verbal commitment from Athlete Blake Gowder. The Georgia product plays TE and LB, and according to Vandysports.com he has been told he will be coming in with a chance to play on either side for the Black and Gold.

Rivals ranks him as a 2 star while ESPN has him as a 76 (and the 96th rated Athlete). Gowder replaces Dudchock as the 21st commit.

VSL Gets You Ready: Previewing Vanderbilt/St. Mary's

2009-11-19T19:10:00.006-05:00

Vanderbilt starts their trek west tonight against the 2-0 St. Mary's Gaels from the West Coast Conference. This game will not be televised, but can be listened to online with Dave Lewis (filling in for Joe Fisher who will be in Knoxville) on the call, or be watched via webcast through St. Mary's (PPV). The game tips at 11:30 eastern, 10:30 central, and 8:30 local.

This will be only 1 of Vanderbilt's only 2 bona fide "road" games before starting SEC play (Maui doesn't count since everything, save Chaminade is traveling) in January, and should be a good test and even better tune up for this team headed to the Invitational. So what should we expect from the Gaels?

St. Mary's enters the game 2-0 after beating New Mexico State 100-68, and San Diego State 80-58. Neither game has been particularly competitive as the Gaels have gotten off to early leads, out-scoring their two opponents 83-47 in first. As such, it's clear Vanderbilt will have to start fast.

The Gaels only return 1 starter from last year's 28-7 NIT team, that saw Patty Mills turn pro and 6’8 C Diamon Simpson graduate. In all, the Gaels lost their starting point guard, and a total of 44.9 points and 22.2 rebounds a game. Still, despite losing 4 of 5 starters, the Gaels are not without experience. Of the 5 starters, 3 are red-shirt seniors, 1 is a junior, and 1 is a true freshman.

The biggest impact player for St. Mary's is 6'11 C Omar Samhan, who averaged 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, and was voted to the First Team All-WCC. In the Gael's last game, the red-shirt senior dropped an impressive 17 points along with grabbing 16 rebounds. Festus, who is likely to start for the second straight game as Kevin Stallings tries to limit A.J.'s minutes early, will certainly have his hands full. However, this game will be a great chance to see just how much Ezeli has progressed. For Vanderbilt to be successful, Festus will have a stay out of foul trouble and limit force one of the other Gaels to beat the Commodores.,When A.J. is in the game and matched up with Samhan, this is likely to be film viewed by NBA scouts.

Samhan isn't St. Mary's only weapon however. PG Mickey McConnell filled in for Mills last season when he broke his hand, and will certainly benefit from that experience this season. This year, he's averaged 18 a game, but dropped 24 against San Diego State. The 6 footer is certainly the engine that makes the Gaels go. Jermaine Beal will be matched up against the junior. Jermaine has a year of experience, and 3 inches on McConnell. Still, it always seems the Commodores have a difficult time containing small, slashing guards.

Ben Allen, a 6'11 red-shirt senior Aussie is averaging 12 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. Rounding out the senior class is 6'4 guard Wayne Hunter, who is averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 boards a game. Rounding out the starting 5 is freshman Matthew Dellavedova, another Aussie (1 of 5 on the team) who has averaged 18 points and 3.5 assists in two contents. I would suspect Brad Tinsely will be matched up against Dellavedova. Also worth mentioning are St. Mary's talented threesome of freshmen: Tim Williams, Trey Anderson, and Collin Chiverton, who all redshirted last year. Based on the first two games, it seems as if the Gaels go 8 deep, with 3 guys getting between 11-17.5 off the bench. With that said, I'm not sure how indicative these numbers are given how light the Gaels' competition has been.

Because St. Mary's starts 2 6'11 guys, it wouldn't surprise me to see some twin towers action from A.J. and Festus, however given the athleticism and size of Andre Walker, Steve Tchiengang, and Lance Goulbourne, I imagine there will be a lot of combinations on the floor for the Commodores.

It's hard to know just how good the Gaels are given the lack of competition they've faced. St. Mary's is averaging 90 points a game, is holding their opponents to 37.6% from the floor, and 24% from downtown. A concern for me after the Lipscomb game was Vanderbilt's turnovers. The Commodores turned it over 18 times against a somewhat undersized Lipscomb team. The pace on Monday was, at times, frantic, in part by design as Vanderbilt looked to press the Bisons. Given their depth, I wouldn't be surprised to see Vanderbilt try and play up-tempo, but if they are going to do that, they've got to take care of the ball better than they did Monday.

With only 1 game, it's very hard to know what to expect from the Commodores. Certainly, Jeffrey Taylor played the kind of game that Vanderbilt fans loved to see. 20 points and 7 rebounds (5 offensive) in 23 minutes is great. Beal dropped 17 and only turned it over twice (but also only had 2 assists). Brad Tinsley and A.J. were also in double figures with 10 and 13 points respectively. CKS was also able to show off is team's depth by having 9 guys play at least 10 minutes (with Steve Tchiengang getting 9 minutes of run). Lance Goulbourne had an extremely efficient game that deserves a shout-out: 9 points (2-2 from the field, 1-1 from downtown) in 16 minutes.

I know the San Francisco chapter of VSL Nation will be gathering, pre-game, and attending the game in Moraga, CA, we'll be listening for your cheers and Joe Fisher's acknowledgment.

Editor's note: I've made corrections based on errors point out by the commenters.

"I Saw the Rock and Roll Future...

2009-11-19T00:58:00.004-05:00

And it's name is Bruce Springsteen." This was the lede written by Jon Landau in Boston's Real Pape in 1974, in what has become one of the most famous lines in rock criticism...ever. Landau went on to leave rock journalism and become Bruce's manager. So for him, pretty good career move. But I digress...

Tonight's Bruce concert in Nashville was, in my mind, the greatest show I've ever seen. Not only did the Boss play the entire Born to Run album, but he also sprinkled in "Santa Clause is Coming to Town," and (supposedly for the first time ever) Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." For the record, I called Cash.

Anyway, I know this has utterly nothing to do with Vanderbilt sports, but my wife is asleep, my dog is a dog, and I've got to share my jubilation with someone.

We'll get back to basics tomorrow with Vanderbilt.

Until then, Tramps Like Us...

Myron Lewis Out for the Tennessee Game

2009-11-18T21:07:00.002-05:00

Sucks for the guy to have to sit out his last game as a Commodore, particularly in a season of such turmoil. Myron still has legitimate pro potential, and I look forward to seeing how he ends up in the draft.

Bobby and Bruce...A Night Well Spent

2009-11-18T16:55:00.003-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. O'Shea will be joined by Mr. and Mrs. Jersey Hopkins at tonight's Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Sommet Center in Nashville. Bruce will be playing the entire Born to Run album during the show, as well as other classics (and hopefully some country favorites...Ring of Fire anyone?). As a bonus, Little Steven will be doing a simulcast on SiriusXM before the show.

Jealous?

Can We Start Making Fun of Kentucky Yet?

2009-11-17T00:12:00.002-05:00

They did get by Miami (OH) 72-70 with a last second shot by freshmen John Wall. At one point Miami (OH) lead by 18 points.