than there are at the Grand Ole Opry. It could be that they are there to watch the team with the most international flair, as Vanderbilt’s roster includes players from Nigeria, Australia, Sweden, and Cameroon. The international playing experience has served the Commodores well, as they have been in the bottom half of the Top 25 most of the year.Vanderbilt is led by senior guard Jermaine Beal. He is a guard in every sense of the word, a floor general who leads the team, and who can shoot. He has shot about 150 three-pointers this year, and is hitting those at a 39% clip. He averages 14.8 points per game. Right behind him in scoring is sophomore guard/forward Jeffery Taylor, who averages 13.9 points and 5.3 boards a game.
The most compelling thing about Vandy is their outstanding center play. They have twin towers – two centers that are 6’11”. Junior A.J. Ogilvy averages 13.3 points and 6 boards per game, and he has 40 blocks on the season. Sophomore back-up center Festus Ezili is right behind with 36 blocks per game.
Coach Kevin Stallings has one luxury that many coaches would wish for – he has smart kids on his team, and I mean SMART (have you checked academics requirements for Vanderbilt lately?). They are disciplined and well-coached, which means they could make a strong run come tournament time.
Two reasons Vanderbilt will make the Elite Eight:
1. This team can shoot free throws in their sleep. Five players on the team shoot better than 72% from the foul line. If they have a lead late and their opponent has to foul, put one in the win column for the ‘Dores.
2. They have a deep bench. Beal leads in minutes played at 31 per game. There are five other players who average more than 20 minutes, and 3 who play 13.2, 13.1, and 10 minutes. Having a deep bench, with which the level of play does not fall off significantly, will help Vandy in a tournament format.
Two reasons Vanderbilt will not make the Elite Eight:
1. They play in the SEC. With the exception of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, the rest of the SEC is down this year. So, winning in the SEC is not the same as winning in, say, the Big East. The lack of play against high-quality opponents day in and day out could be a disadvantage.
2. They are inexperienced on the March Madness stage. Coach Kevin Stallings has only led his team to the Big Dance in 2 of his 8 years on campus. He will have to guard against his players’ stage fright for them to be successful.
