Men's Basketball Ranked 55th in Pre-Season Poll

While the football season is (thankfully) just around the corner, it is never too late to start thinking about our basketball team. That being said, here is a link to a Rivals.com article that puts the Commodores in the 55 spot in a national preseason poll.

I think that their analysis is dead on- the team will high on talent but short on experience and will need to push to stay off of the NCAA tournament bubble. As the article states, I think it is safe look for most of the newcomers to step up in a big way, especially redshirt freshman Festus Ezeli. I cannot wait to see the look on the face of the opposing team when the big man and A.J. Ogilvy step onto the court at the same time.

My prediction? Assuming that all of the freshman play as expected and the veterans step up, the team will play in a third straight NCAA tournament, this time as an 8 seed. A 55 ranking is fair, but a little low in my opinion.

What do you think? Will the team prove the Rivals editors wrong and sneak their way into the top 25? Or will they tank with the absence of Shan Foster and company?

The Rivals Article

Ranking the best Commodores in recent history

Good friend Chris Lee of the esteemed VandySports.com recently counted down the top 10 Vanderbilt athletes he has covered over the last five years.

Chris provides an in-depth argument for each Commodore on his list, although you have to be a subscriber to read it. Without further ado, here it is:

1. Pedro Alvarez
2. Shan Foster
3. David Price
4. Jay Cutler
5. Earl Bennett
6. Matt Freije
7. Jeremy Sowers
8. Ryan Flaherty
9. Chris Williams
10. Derrick Byars

In addition, Chris includes his "best of the rest":

11. Dominic de la Osa (baseball)
12. Moses Osemwegie (football)
13. Jonathan Goff (football)
14. Warner Jones (baseball)
15. Justin Geisinger (football)
16. David Macias (baseball)
17. Jensen Lewis (baseball)
18. Ryan Klosterman (baseball)
19. Jovan Haye (football)
20. Matt Buschmann (baseball)
21. Corey Smith (basketball)
22. Brian Stamper (football)
23. Ryan Mullins (baseball)
24. Mario Moore (basketball)
25. Casey Weathers (baseball)
26. Mike Baxter (baseball)
27. Alex Gordon (basketball)
28. Marcus Buggs (football)
29. Cesar Nicholas (baseball)
30. Curtis Gatewood (football)

Before I share my own top 10, here are a few thoughts on Chris' list.

* I think David Price deserves to be ahead of Pedro Alvarez. Price will go down as one of the most dominant college pitchers of all-time. Price was the face of the program and led the Commodores to a SEC regular season and tournament championship in 2007. From his overpowering fastball and vicious slider to humbled and outgoing personality, we'll never see anyone quite like him again.

* I would put Earl Bennett ahead of Jay Cutler. Sure, Cutler became a first-round draft pick after a terrific senior season, but to me, they don't get much better than Bennett, who leaves as the SEC's most prolific receiver. Bennett was loved by everyone, and not just because of what he did on Saturdays. He was always approachable, always modest, always smiling. Put simply, it was impossible not to like him.

* You can't go wrong with putting David Price or Shan Foster in the top spot. I'm just fortunate to have covered both of them.

* How in the world is Mario Moore on this list, especially ahead of Casey Weathers or fellow point guard Alex Gordon? And why no Dan Cage in the top 30?

* Derrick Byars, along with Weathers, is clearly hurt by the fact that he did not play three or four seasons at Vanderbilt. Still, watching DeeBee turn to the crowd and yell "We ain't going home!" after that double-overtime thriller in Sacramento is my fondest Commodore memory. Byars played at another level that entire season.

* I think Jonathan Goff deserves to be higher on the list. Goff is the most intense and driven athlete I've met. It was always fun trying to get a quote longer than one or two sentences out of him.

OK, enough rambling. Here's my list:

1. Shan Foster
2. David Price
3. Earl Bennett
4. Pedro Alvarez
5. Jay Cutler
6. Matt Freije
7. Ryan Flaherty
8. Derrick Byars
9. Jonathan Goff
10. Alex Gordon

Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below.

Gordon, Neltner reunited in Turkey

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Former Vanderbilt basketball players Alex Gordon and Ross Neltner will be playing together for a professional team in Bursa, Turkey, reported Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper.

Neltner signed a contract earlier in the summer and Gordon followed suit last week after mulling options from teams in France and Germany.

“I always told myself that if I had the opportunity to go play with somebody I knew, I was going to take that,” Gordon said. “That came about and it’s going to be a good experience for me, being out of the U.S. and being out of my element and playing with somebody I know.

“We already have a chemistry that most people don’t have. It should be great.”

Bursa finished 12-18 last season, but you can bet that Neltner and Gordon are ready to right the ship.

“Maybe I’m a little naïve going into international basketball, thinking we can make a huge difference, but we’ve always been on winning teams,” Neltner said. “Hopefully we’ll bring that winning mindset and winning mentality over there.”

Neltner and Gordon plan to head overseas following a wedding in Indianapolis on August 9. The friend getting married? None other than former Vanderbilt teammate Dan Cage.

Video of the day: Foster posterizes "Fezzy-Winks"

Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer Shan Foster recently competed in two summer leagues with the Dallas Mavericks, who selected him with the 51st pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

In five games in Las Vegas, Foster averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He shot 49 percent from the field, which was tops among the Mavs' perimeter players, and also displayed a well-rounded game that had to please Dallas coaches and execs.

However, Foster's shooting stroke abandoned him in the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. In six games, the 2008 SEC Player of the Year averaged 6.5 points (good for fifth-best on the team) on just 33 percent shooting, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range.

Still, Foster was 11-for-12 from the foul line and averaged 3.2 rebounds, grabbing eight boards in the finale against Utah, 1.3 assists and 1 steal, and added one absolutely monster dunk over Utah’s Kyrylo “Fezzy-Winks” Fesenko, sparking a Jazz timeout. Feel free to replay several times.



While I am certainly not speaking from experience, posterizing an awkward white dude named "Fezzy-Winks" has to be one of the best feelings in the world. Conversely, there's probably not much worse than backpedaling awkwardly on a fast break in an attempt to protect the basket only to watch helplessly as a 6'6" NBA hopeful/talented musician with major hops skies over you on his way to the rim.

And if "The Truth" (see, is it that hard to come up with a normal nickname?) was 50-50 to earn a roster spot before that dunk, how do you cut him now?

Summer basketball update

Vanderbilt men's basketball coach Kevin Stallings spoke to the media during last week's summer teleconference and Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper has a terrific story about Stallings' expectations (or lack thereof) for next year's squad, which will welcome four talented freshman and two redshirt freshmen.

“This is probably as little an idea about a team as I’ve had going into a season in terms of the little nuances you might think about as a coach,” Stallings said. “That’s part of the exciting part of being a college basketball coach – new faces and new teams.”

VU Commodores has the full transcript from Wednesday's teleconference so I figured I'd go ahead and touch on some of the highlights.

*Stallings both expects and needs junior point guard Jermaine Beal to make another leap this season in order for Vandy to be successful.

*Not too much new information to pass along on the four freshmen -- Lance Goulbourne, Jeff Taylor, Steve Tchiengang and Brad Tinsley -- other than that they've been at summer school and working hard. "I think they've come in and tried to quietly go about their business and do things the right way and that's been very pleasing," Stallings said.

*Vanderbilt has become a very attractive destination for potential recruits, which is making Stallings very happy. "We feel like we’re getting entertained and getting interest from as high a level of players since we’ve been here," he said. "So, there's a tremendous amount of momentum that we feel in our program, and I think that the guys we recruit feel that and that's what makes things around here exciting right now."

*Stallings said he would not recruit players who say upfront that they only want to be in school for one year, but at the same, would not have a problem if he one of his players left after a season if he was ready.

"I would have encouraged A.J. Ogilvy to make himself available for the NBA draft this year if he'd have been a top 10 pick," Stallings said, "but A.J. didn't come in here saying 'I'm only going to be here for one year.' I think that kids need to come in and have the mindset that 'I'm going to be here as long as it takes for me to successfully position myself for what I need to do next, if that's four years it's four years, if it's one year it's one year.'"

*Make no mistake about it, Vanderbilt's freshmen are going to play. The Commodores return just two starters (Beal and Ogilvy), along with Darshawn McClellan, Andre Walker, George Drake, Jamie Graham (assuming he returns) and redshirt freshmen Festus Ezeli and Charles Hinkle, which means the youngsters will be given the opportunity to contribute right away.

"They're going to need to help because we're a very, very young basketball team," Stallings said. "So, they're going to need to come in and play with more maturity and at a higher level than what freshmen sometimes play at."

*Just how good is this class? "We think that from top to bottom it's as good a class as we've ever signed," Stallings said. "But, I think it's easy to get enamored with the guys who have never played. I'm always fascinated with the fact that people want to talk about the incoming guys more than they want to talk about the returning guys."

Stallings makes a great point. Right now, Goulbourne, Taylor, Tinsley and Tchiengang have no weaknesses and it's a lot more fun to talk about their potential than it is to discuss how much better Andre Walker and Darshawn McClellan will be as sophomores.

*How quickly will the freshmen be able to contribute? "I certainly don't want to put any timetables on any of them, but we feel like we have a combination of size and strength and athleticism and skill, and I think that all of those things you have to really try hard to go out and recruit," Stallings said. "The best thing that I like is I think we've gotten really good people, and guys are going to have good team attitudes, and that's what we want the most."

*I have absolutely no idea how good the Commodores will be this season, but like everyone else, I can't wait to find out. I don't think there's ever been this much excitement surrounding a team that we know so little about, which speaks to the job that Stallings and his staff have done transforming this program.

Photo [Sydney Morning Herald]

Vandy ranked 96th in college basketball prestige

During the boring summer months ESPN trise to come up with a few gimmicks to pass the time. A couple of weeks ago they did the face of every Division I school in the country, now they bring us a ranking of the prestige of all teams in college basketball.

Although the top 10 will not be revealed until later in the week, Vandy's spot has come up at No. 96, tied with the powerhouse University of Louisiana at Monroe (not to be confused with arch-rivals the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who are in a three-way tie for 118th). These rankings are pretty arbitrary and are calculated by a somewhat overly elaborate point system that awards points based on things like winning seasons, rankings, big upsets and high draft picks over the last 25 years.

Numbers 41-50 and the rules can be found here, while the rest of the rankings are here.

FYI, Tennessee was 99th.

Derrick Byars Watch: Day 2

Vanderbilt alum Derrick Byars is looking to earn a roster spot with a NBA squad after spending the past season overseas.

The 2007 SEC Player of the Year was drafted by Portland in the second round (No. 42 overall) and was immediately traded to Philadelphia before being waived in late October. He ended up playing overseas in Germany and then in France for defending French League champion Chorale-Roanne.

Now, he's playing with the Magic in the Orlando Pro Summer League. After scoring 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including 3-for-7 from downtown, in yesterday's opener, Byars scored seven points on 3-for-5 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds in 20 minutes today.

Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee went off for 27, but the Magic still lost 100-77 as Oklahoma City featured Kevin Durant (22 points), rookie Russell Westbrook (19 points) and Vanderbilt fan-favorite Jeff Green (28 points).

The Magic have five unrestricted free agents -- Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Adonal Foyle and Pat Garrity -- and one restricted free agent in James Augustine, which means they currently have 10 players signed for next season.

However, they are expected to sign former Golden State shooting guard Mickael Pietrus to a 4-year, $24 million deal. The Magic are also looking to re-sign guard Keyon Dooling, although ownership does not want to pay the luxury tax, which is actually good news for Byars.

There is a chance that Orlando will simply look to sign a few free agents for the league minimum to fill out its roster. Hopefully DB makes enough noise the rest of the week to warrant consideration.

Photo [USA Today]

UT's new point guard can ball and rap

I'm a big fan of rap music and have been for the better part of the last decade. Used to love blasting Jay-Z and T.I. in the locker room before high school basketball games and playing Eminem (before he went crazy) on the iPod during bus rides.

I love walking down Greek Row after Vanderbilt victories as Kanye West blares from the speakers and hate when fraternities opt for the classic rock cover bands over hip-hop. And nothing beats driving fast with the windows down, bumpin' Tha Carter III.

So maybe that's why I have soft spot for Tennessee's incoming point guard Bobby Maze, also known as "Be-Amazed, B-Maze, aka, the Solution."

Maze averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game last season en route to earning junior college All-American honors at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College after playing at Oklahoma as a freshman. With Ramar Smith gone, Maze has a chance to start for the Vols. He said he just appreciates the opportunity.

"Too many people take this game of basketball for granted," Maze told Go Vols Xtra, "but I wouldn't have been the places I've been and be here if it wasn't for basketball.

"I'm very happy here. It's one of the best things that has happened for me in my life. People have no idea of the road I took to get here."

Maze arrived in Knoxville with a nickname, being called "The Solution" on the Sports Page radio show, a reference to his similar appearance to NBA star Allen Iverson, who's known as "The Answer."

Maze welcomed the nickname and uses it in this freestyle called "Put on Tennessee." While it's not nearly as good as the actual song with Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West, I've gotta give the dude some props. I know most Vanderbilt and Southeastern Conference fans are going to hate on Maze for his performance, but I thought it was pretty entertaining. Check it out for yourself.



Looks like Jermaine Beal has some competition for the best rapping point guard in the SEC. Who's down for a halftime battle between "Dolla" and "The Solution" this winter?

Q & A with Festus Ezeli

Vanderbilt's Festus Ezeli admits that he is still getting used to the spotlight. The 6-11, 245-pound center began playing basketball just three years ago and redshirted in 2007-08. Ezeli caught the attention of college recruiters last summer while playing AAU basketball for the Sacramento Pharaohs, and chose the Commodores over several teams, including Florida, Connecticut and West Virginia.

While Ezeli said he still needs to learn a lot about the game, the Nigerian native nonetheless made great strides this season, earning Vanderbilt's Most Improved Player award at the team banquet.

In between class and workouts, Ezeli recently took some time to answer some questions from The Sports VU about a number of topics, including what it's like to guard A.J. Ogilvy, a funny story about Kevin Stallings and his strengths and weaknesses as a player.

Sports VU: How are excited are you get on the court and contribute next year?
Festus Ezeli: I am excited to be able to help out the team and help push them past previous achievements. It's still just surreal to me. I don't think it has hit me yet that I'm going to be playing. I'm just really excited.

SV: I'm sure it must have been frustrating to sit out an entire season. What was it like?
FE: Yes, it really was. To put in all that work in practice, you want to go out and show what you've learned and pretty much just help out, especially during the post season.

SV: How would you describe your game? What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?
FE: Well, I think I'm an explosive big man. I try to be a big presence inside on both sides of the floor. Getting stronger has helped improve my game. I can rebound, block shots, and I'm starting to get a hang of the post game. Problem is I am still new to the game so my knowledge of it is still not as refined as most college athletes.

SV: What are you up to this summer?
FE: June and July we're back in school for summer classes. We have to workout also. This is the best time for that because now we can build our individual talents.

SV: What was it like going up against A.J. in practice every day? I feel like if you can guard him, you can pretty much guard any big man in the league.
FE: I mean you guys have seen play. I don't have to tell you that he is a really good player. In order for my team not to lose everyday in practice, I had to do a better job of guarding A.J. and it really improved my defensive game. I'm looking forward to guarding the other big men.

SV: What impresses you the most about A.J.'s game? What makes him hard to defend?
FE: He has great hands, quick feet and those things I'm still working on. He is such a smart player also. This combination makes him tough to guard.

SV: How honored were you to receive the team's most improved player award this season?
FE: That was my first athletic award so I was very honored. My mom arrived the day of the ceremony and she was very proud. This just fueled me to want to win it again next year.

SV: When did you start playing basketball?
FE: I first started playing about three summers ago. Played AAU in Las Vegas. Stopped playing for a while and then started again two summers ago when I realized that I loved the game.

SV: Talk about the differences between Nigeria and the U.S.
FE: There's a lot of differences. but the main thing for me is that life out here is more organized and I feel like there are more opportunities available.

SV: What made you pick Vanderbilt?
FE: Great coach, really cool teammates, crazy nice and energetic fans, awesome school. What more can you ask for?

SV: What's it like to play for Coach Stallings? Any funny stories you can share about him?
FE: Coach stallings is the best. He challenges you to make the best of your potentials and he's really smart that I just feel privileged to play for him.
Haha umm... there was the one time he told everyone to get in the key while we were playing one practice and I stood at the free-throw line. He got really hot and cursed me out haha. I got made fun of by the guys about that.

SV: Who's the funniest player on the team?
FE: We got a lotta funny guys but i think George Drake's the funniest. Just the mix of jokes and the country accent haha.

SV: Have you gotten a chance to play with any of the recruits before? If so, what are their games like?
FE: We play pickup right now with Lance (Goulbourne) and Steve (Tchiengang). Steve is a shooting and rebounding big man that can play good defense. Lance is a really athletic and big body wing. They're good players. Played with Brad (Tinsley) on his visit and he is a really good passer and a good shooting point guard. Haven't seen Jeff play.

SV: How would you rate your first-year at Vanderbilt -- the classes, the city, the fans, parties, etc.?
SV: It's been great. Much different than I thought. It's been really fun.

SV: What's something most fans wouldn't know about you?
FE: That I'm kind of shy, still getting used to the spotlight.

Video of the Day: Move over Usher, Shan Foster to go platinum

In his spare time, Shan Foster decided to write a song about the upcoming NBA Draft (Thursday at 7 p.m. CT). "The Truth" never ceases to amaze us.



Here are the lyrics to Foster's new hit single "I can't wait to play in the NBA"

I can't wait to play in the NBA (2X)

I'm waiting for the draft
working hard to improve to my craft
From New Orleans to Tennessee
I'm the best at shooting the three
I'll take you off the dribble, pass my man
I'm in the lane, now watch me slam

I can't wait to play in the NBA (2X)

Just as a kid, watching TV
Already knew what I want to be
Started off as just a dream
But my family believed in me
Played for Vandy, for USA
But now I'm headed to the NBA

I can't wait to play in the NBA (4X)

Man, I'm going to miss Shan Foster. He is projected to land in the second round (No. 54 by ESPN's Chad Ford). Listening to Foster perform, you realize that a) he has a pretty good back-up plan if this basketball thing doesn't work out and b) he really wants to play in the NBA. We're certainly pulling for him.

How great would it be if Foster performed this live on ESPN on draft night? "From New Orleans to Tennessee, I'm the best at shooting the three." It doesn't get much better than that.

Link: ESPN The Magazine

Keegan Bell hates robots

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a big fan of Keegan Bell and wish him nothing but the best at UT-Chattanooga. He has a passion for the game of basketball, a "gym rat" if you will, and I have no doubt that he will have a fine collegiate career.

Still, I couldn't help but laugh when I came across this article from The Huntsville Times. Let's try to attack this piece Fire Joe Morgan style (lines from the actual story in bold).

Unhappy with Vandy's 'robotic' style, he seeks freedom at new school.

Basically, coach Kevin Stallings is a big fan of The Jetsons and made his players watch old episodes instead of game film to become more like robots on the court. Also, he got a kick out of handcuffing Keegan to one of the baskets after practice so it's easy to understand why the point guard desperately wanted to be free.

Despite the allure of playing SEC basketball, point guard Keegan Bell needed a change.

Plus he really wanted to give the Dores an extra scholarship to sign point guard Brad Tinsley.

Though he was in line for a starting role with the Commodores next season, Bell didn't feel suited for Stallings' style of play.

"(The guards) became more robotic, more slow style," Bell said. "Fast-break and more up and down is what I want to do. I have a certain style of how I play."

Yeah, remember when Jermaine Beal was in the middle of executing a fast-break and stopped on a dime to do the robot? That was tight.

And what style is that exactly, Keegan? The one where you make 32 percent of your shots and hoist ill-advised 3-pointers? Or the one where you get beat so badly off the dribble that you force the team to play zone, which makes it harder for you guys to rebound and therefore fast-break?

And one more thing. I came across an old interview where you said, "And then the style of play, I really liked how they push it up." Except that you weren't talking about UT-C; you were talking about those robotic Dores. Weird.

After Stallings granted Bell his release, the transfer drew interest from Notre Dame, Oregon and Oklahoma State. But an April meeting with University of Tennessee-Chattanooga coach John Shulman won over Bell and convinced the Hazel Green High graduate that he could thrive at a mid-major.

Riiight. And besides, those other schools play like robots anyways.

"I mean, Keegan was a top-20 point guard in the nation, a starter on the varsity since eighth grade, and the big boys were after him," Shulman recalled. "He was like a high school folk hero."

Yup. Just like Tim Tebow. Only better.

Toward season's end, however, he felt Vandy's guards were given less freedom to create.

I always thought the reason for Vandy's struggles were because its guards couldn't defend, but what do I know?

"You can't argue with the success Coach Stallings has had there, but Vandy's very structured, and we're not as structured," Shulman said.

By not as structured, I think you mean not as good, but whatever. And, Shully, please don't go where I think you're about to go. If you watched Vandy play AT ALL, you would know that it no longer runs the offense that begins with "P."

Consider this fact: the Dores had the third highest adjusted tempo/pace in the SEC, behind only Tennessee and Ole Miss. Or how about this: the Dores were second in the SEC in scoring with 80 points per game. So again, I'm warning you.

"We're more of a ball-screen, motion team - not the Princeton offense that Vandy runs."

As Mark Jackson would say, "You're better than that!"

"With us, we can ball-screen for Keegan, and he can create and make plays."

Exactly. Because Stallings would fine players for setting ball-screens for Keegan (once he made Keegan's roommate and good friend A.J. Ogilvy cry after he fined him $3,200 for setting 32 screens in one practice). And, of course, "making plays" was out of the question.

Bell absorbed message-board criticism on a Vandy fan site after calling himself "a flashy player," comparing his style to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash, and saying that Stallings wasn't receptive to plays such as "between-the-leg passes."

Hey, he's talking about us! We're famous!

That confidence didn't fluster Shulman, who on two occasions Tuesday referred to Bell as "a Steve Nash-type player."

In all seriousness, please stop with the Steve Nash references. Yes, they are both white. We get that. But, Steve Nash is a two-time MVP and a future Hall-of-Famer, one of the best point guards to ever play the game. Keegan Bell is ummm....not. And besides, Nash said he's a big fan of Astro.

Bell expects wide-open game at Chattanooga [Huntsville Times]
Photo [USA Today]

Homecoming in store for Foster?

How sweet would it be to play alongside Chris Paul? And, on top of that, for your hometown team? Shan Foster may get the chance.

Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer and the 2008 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year impressed the New Orleans Hornets in a predraft workout Tuesday. The Hornets have the 27th pick in the NBA Draft, which takes place on June 26.

Foster, who struggled somewhat during the NBA predraft camp in Orlando, seems to be a good fit for the Hornets, according to coach Byron Scott.

"We think (starter) Mo Peterson did a heck of a job, but we really need a shooting guard that's really athletic and can get up and down the floor," Scott said.

"He can flat out shoot it, and he moves extremely well without the ball. He has a very high, good IQ on the basketball court, knows how to play. He was pretty good all the way around, but when we went three-on-three, he was even better. So that was very exciting just to see this kid come out and play.

"When you get MVP or Player of the Year in the SEC, that says a lot, as well. It holds a lot because you know he's probably basketball-ready, especially for the NBA."

Foster, who grew up in Kenner, La., and attended Bonnabel High School, would undoubtedly be thrilled to play in front of friends and family, and, of course, to be drafted in the first round.

"The thing with Shan that is so impressive is that he has had an outstanding career at Vanderbilt," said Hornets general manager Jeff Bower. "He has great combination of experience, size and scoring ability, and those are all big assets for him."

Foster will work out for several teams over the next two weeks as he tries to secure a spot late in the first round or early in the second. While Foster's ball-handling needs improvement, NBA teams are looking for role players who have certain skill sets and there is no question that he can shoot it with the best of them.

Often times people tend to focus much on what players aren't, instead of what they are. What Shan Foster is is a terrific shooter with good height and athleticism, which is something that all teams are looking for.

Make sure to check back here for more NBA Draft coverage over the next two weeks.


Foster impressive in workout [The Times-Picayune]
Third Saturday in Blogtober [Photo]

Athletics Facilities Makeover: Vanderbilt Edition

I had a chance to watch the Vanderbilt press conference outlining the facility upgrade plan yesterday and came away very impressed.

You had the who's who of Vanderbilt in attendance -- Vice Chancellor of University Affairs and Student Athletics David Williams, Board of Trust Athletics Committee Chair John Ingram, football coach Bobby Johnson, men's basketball coach Kevin Stallings and women's basketball coach Melanie Balcomb -- all sounding optimistic about this university's future.

Sure, Vanderbilt may never win the "arms race" of athletics facilities, particularly in the sports-obsessed and booster-rich Southeastern Conference, but we don't want to, nor could we afford to. What this project proves to me, as well as the coaches in attendance, is that the administration is committed to winning and providing the programs with the necessary resources to do so, which is all you can ever ask for.

"I'm really pleased that over the last five or 10 years we have changed the perception of Vanderbilt from lovable losers to serious competitors," Ingram said. "That's what we want to be and I think that's where we'll stay."

With improved facilities, coaches believe that their programs will be able to take the next step. For Balcomb and Stallings, it's getting from the Sweet 16 to the Final Four (Stallings is already talking national titles). For Johnson, it's qualifying for a bowl game. Corbin has already seen what renovations can do for his program. The improvements to Hawkins Field have enabled him to attract the nation's top recruits and thus contend for a national title year in and year out.

Here's Vanderbilt's five-phase, $55-million, self-funded project:

Phase I - $11 million-$12 million (currently under way)

• Memorial Gym Basketball Locker Rooms
• Vanderbilt Stadium Facility Renovation:
Work will include a new exterior stadium facade between Gates 2 and 3; renovation of the eastside stadium concourse; and exterior/interior paint and interior signage to Stadium Press Box/Suite Tower
• Hawkins Field Baseball Stadium Expansion: $3 million-$3.3 million
• Football Synthetic Surfaces at John Rich Practice Facility and Wedgewood Recreation Field: $2 million

Phase II - $11 million-$12 million

• McGugin Center Renovation:
Work will include construction of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, renovation of position and team meeting rooms for football, and renovation of the athletic training room.
• Vanderbilt Stadium Renovation:
Work will include rebuilding of Gates 2 and 3; exterior facade along Natchez Trace; and development of a plaza in front of Gate 2.

Phase III - $7 million-$8 million

• Vanderbilt Stadium:
Plans call for the renovation of Gates 1 and 4 in north endzone of stadium along with construction of plaza area.
• McGugin Center:
First phase of renovation to support staff of Stratton Foster Academic Center area, and renovation to football coaches' offices, support staff offices and coaches' locker rooms.

Phase IV - $16 million-$18 million

• Vanderbilt Stadium:
Work will include construction of north endzone building and seating; addition of synthetic turf in stadium.
• McGugin Center:
Renovation of the football locker rooms, equipment rooms, and athletic training room; Olympic Sport locker rooms and meeting rooms will be constructed on second floor.

Phase V - $1 million-$2 million

• McGugin Center:
Renovation and expansion of Hendrix Room dining facility; addition of offices and suites.

Thanks to VUCommodores, which has all the latest on the project:

Facilities Upgrade Central (pictures, videos, timeline, etc.)
Official Press Release
Quotes from press conference

Vandy to receive major renovations

In less than an hour (9 a.m. CT), Vanderbilt Athletics officials will hold a press conference to detail the multi-million dollar Athletic Facility Project. You can watch the press conference live in All Access (Free) on vucommodores.com.

The Tennessean reports that it is a $50 million, five-phase plan for upgrading Vanderbilt Stadium, Memorial Gym and Hawkins Field over the next five years. The project includes:

• Memorial Gym: Renovation of locker rooms, postgame press conference area, training room and weight room.
• Vanderbilt Stadium: Renovation of concourses, entrance areas (above) and exterior painting.
• Hawkins Field: Construction of permanent seating outside right-field fence and possible extension of seating area down first-base line.
• John Rich Practice Facility: Installation of new synthetic turf.
• Hall of Fame: Construction of new athletic Hall of Fame

Officials said that project is centered around football upgrades.

"I think people will be very excited about the changes to Vanderbilt Stadium, aesthetically — just creating more of a Commodore atmosphere, a family atmosphere," said chancellor Nick Zeppos . "We've got a series of very exciting projects."

Stallings excited about program's future

Vanderbilt men's basketball coach Kevin Stallings was a guest on 104.5 The Zone last Friday and sounded very optimistic about the direction of his program. You can listen to the interview here.

This comment should certainly have Commodore fans excited:

"Our staff has really done a nice job in the last few years of continuing our efforts to upgrade our talent level. With the guys that we've added this year and the other guys we have in the freshman class, I think we've got some things going now to where once we grow this team up -- I don't expect us to be ready to contend for a National Championship next November or December or anything. But, I really believe once we have a chance to get these guys some real experience, I think we have a chance to have an outstanding and one that's maybe as good as anyone we've ever had here."

Here are some of the other highlights from the interview:

On Festus Ezeli
If Festus continues to become the player that he has indicated that at some point he will be, he'll be a weapon. He's 6'10" with a wingspan of 7'5" who is going to change how the game is played around our basket defensively.

On the future
We're accumulating some different kinds of talent than we've had in the past and it's going to be excited to see where it all leads.

On Jeff Taylor
Very athletic small forward and a guy that knows how to play. High energy level, plays hard, very good competitor, likes to win, has a knack for scoring the ball. We think Jeff can impact our team immediately.

On Brad Tinsley
We tried to recruit him last summer, offered him a scholarship and he ended up signing with Pepperdine in part because his AAU coach was hired there as an assistant. The staff got fired this year so Brad was released from his letter of intent and reopened his recruiting and I think our presence last summer really helped us this time around.

A number of Pac-10 and SEC and ACC schools recruited Brad. He's a point guard that's about 6'4" that can also play the 2. He's an outstanding shooter and passer and his shooting and passing skills will certainly give him a chance to impact our team immediately as well.

On Steve Tchiengang
A power forward from Cameroon originally. About 6'9", great body, real long arms, very good range from deep. The new 3-point line shouldn't be an issue for him. Plays hard, plays physically, has a chance to make an impact because of Ross Neltner's departure.

On Lance Goulbourne
A combo-forward, about 6'8". Went to The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey, one of the finest academic high schools in the country. Nationally ranked tennis player as a 15-year-old. Great athlete. Both he and Jeff are as good of athletes as we've ever had here. Very mature kid who understands the big picture.

On Jordan Smart
We actually may end up giving Jordan a scholarship for this year. As it stands, we'll only have 11 guys on scholarship so we may actually put him on scholarship for one year. I'm not allowed to comment further on him because he hasn't signed a letter of intent.

On the incoming freshman class as a whole
We're excited about the class and think that all four of them at varying degrees will have opportunities to make an impression on our team next year.

Video of the Day: The Truth

There may eventually be a better basketball player to put on a Vanderbilt jersey, but I doubt we'll ever see a better person than recent graduate Shan Foster. The school's all-time leading scorer recently sat down with the Barca Blog to talk about a number of topics, including his growth over the past four years and unforgettable performance on Senior Night. Enjoy.

Commodore Banter (5/16)

The Vanderbilt baseball team earned a spot in next week's SEC Tournament last night when Tennessee beat South Carolina, but that didn't mean coach Tim Corbin was happy. Who can blame him?

The Commodores blew a 6-4 lead in the eighth, surrendering a pair of two-out, two-run homers to fall 8-6 to Florida in the first of a three-game series. They are now 37-16 overall and 15-12 in the SEC, which is good for the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament.

Still, they'll need a strong finish if they want to host another Regional. In Baseball America's most recent NCAA Tournament projections, Aaron Fitt has the SEC receiving nine bids and Vanderbilt earning a No. 2 seed, while adding that they have the best chance to move up.

Vanderbilt fans know D.J. Moore is good, but did you know that he is the top-ranked junior cornerback and projected second-round pick in next year's draft, according to collegefootballnews.com?

In other words, take a good look at Moore this fall because it might be your last chance, writes Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper. Within this piece, Hait discusses a couple of future Commodores -- John Jenkins (basketball) and Jay Fullam (football).

Hait also a fantastic piece on the fact that the state of Tennessee has become a basketball hotbed.

He points out that 11 of the nation’s top 100 prospects have committed to play at Tennessee, Vanderbilt or Memphis, the most of any state. The main reason? Three great coaches in Kevin Stallings, Bruce Pearl and John Calipari.

There are some great quotes about Stallings:

“There’s not a better salesman in the country than Kevin Stallings as far as the quality of education at Vanderbilt and the city on Nashville,” ESPN college basketball analyst Jimmy Dykes said. “Everything you have to overcome at Vanderbilt, he’s able to do that.”

“At Vandy, they’ve been extremely inventive,” said Mike DeCourcy, college basketball writer for The Sporting News.. “They’ve taken the right transfers. They’ve gone overseas. They’ve evaluated beautifully. I’ve always believed Kevin Stallings to be a terrific strategist. I think he carries that over into his recruiting.”

In this interview, Bruce Pearl says he hates Memorial Gym. Stop whining, Bruce.

Should NBA remove minimum-age rule?

Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn does a great job articulating what we have been discussing here regarding the recent O.J. Mayo investigation. It's a must-read.

Essentially, Winn has two main points:

First, that USC coach Tim Floyd isn't dumb or naive enough to not have connected the dots and known that Guillory-arranged goods would be dirty. He had hoped the situation wouldn't implode and now that it has, Floyd and the rest of the USC athletic department are going to plead ignorance. While Winn says the Trojans deserve major penalties, he wouldn't be surprised if the NCAA and its mostly powerless investigative unit fails to prove any culpability for Floyd or USC.

Second, Winn questions the purpose of the NBA's minimum-age rule, which was adopted two years ago.

Winn lists some of the parties, beyond Guillory and BDA, who benefited by forcing super talents like Mayo and Michael Beasley to come to school for a year.

-USC, from ticket sales, Mayo jerseys ($75 each), increased exposure
-Magazines, from featuring Mayo on their cover
-TV Networks, from televising Mayo's games
-The NCAA, from "getting higher TV ratings due ratings due to the presence of young stars such as Mayo, Beasley, Kevin Love and Derrick Rose."

Which brings us to Winn's conclusion:

"When one takes off the basketball blinders and looks back at the recent Freshman Era, it's hard not to feel guilty about promoting the age limit as a positive thing, about trumpeting these stars as real collegians. Let players on the take jump straight to the NBA, if only so colleges don't have to deal with the Guillorys of the underworld and the rest of us don't have to endure the charade of labeling characters like Mayo 'student-athletes.'"

So that's my question to you guys: Should the NCAA remove its minimum-age ("one-and-done") rule?

I think Sonny Vaccaro makes it pretty clear how he feels about the rule in his interview on the Dan Patrick radio show. You can listen to it here.

A few of the highlights:

SV: "You have to blind-deaf not to understand that these kids are coming for one year and not to understand that there's really no dedication to the school they're going to. There's nothing that ties them to the school forever....When everyone's making money...and the kids are getting dreck, Dan, it's a very easy formula to understand. I'll say this till I die: It's not a fair system. They shouldn't be in school to begin with and there should not be a one-year purgatory. There's no way that should be human. It's not right."

SV: "My point is this: let them go out of high school. If they don't get drafted, let this institution called the NCAA take them back with open arms and then make them sign an agreement: you have to stay for three years. You eliminate the hypocrisy."

DP: It's not a "student-athlete" any more. It's an "athlete-student" and the NCAA should drop this nonsense.
SV: That's the fight I'm fighting and what I'm trying to get the public to understand. Just don't come down and beat on the kids. The most egregious parties are the universities and the NCAA."
DP: I know. The phrase "student-athlete" an oxymoron.

SV: "The kids are not innocent. There's no innocence to this at all. But they're put into a situation by the NCAA and by the NBA that they wouldn't have to be put in. Allow them to go pro. The one-year-and-out thing is the biggest fraud that the NCAA has ever come up with."

I don't know about you, but I'm in full agreement with Sonny. And he's not the only one who thinks that way.

Bobby Knight called it "the worst thing that's happened to college basketball since I've been coaching" and the New York Times' Harvey Araton agreed.

Araton also touched on the underlying racial element to this issue when he said this:

"After all these years, I am happy to agree with Knight on something, especially an issue that has long troubled me: the paternalistic attitudes regarding athletes and college, self-servingly tailored to keep a large base of African-American basketball players from having the same choices as high school graduates in baseball and hockey."

I know people don't usual like to talk about race, but I think Araton makes an interesting point.

Additionally, as CBSSportsline's Gary Parrish points out, "the make-it-to-the-NBA rate for top 10 high school prospects is remarkably high," which means there is no good reason that these highly-skilled players should be forced to spend a year in college pretending to be student-athletes when they're already good enough to play at the highest level.

Video of the Day: O.J. Mayo Investigation

The fact that prized high school and college athletes are receiving improper benefits from runners and agents shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.

Still, ESPN's "Outside the Lines" investigation of USC basketball player O.J. Mayo was too thorough to ignore. Here's a clip of the show in which reporter Kelly Naqi interviews Louis Johnson, a former member of Mayo's inner circle. I think it says a lot about the state of big-time college athletics as a whole.



I'm off to the dentist, but feel free to keep the discussion going on the post below and I'll be back later this afternoon. Hopefully.

Mayo allegations speak to state of NCAA

The story isn't surprising, but revealing nonetheless.

Former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo received thousands of dollars in cash, clothes and other benefits while he was still in high school and during his one year in college, a former Mayo associate told ESPN's "Outside the Lines."

ESPN's investigation was thorough as illustrated by Kelly Naqi's well-reported story.

This story is about much more than O.J. Mayo. It speaks to the nature of the NCAA, which has become nothing like the "amateur institution" that it wants us to believe.

"This is way bigger than some 'brand' and money and all of this stuff," said Louis Johnson, a former member of Mayo's inner circle. "He played within the rules of the game, and this is the game. Runners, agents, shoe companies, other elements -- this is the game. … Once you're in the game, you're in the game. There's no turning back."

ESPN's Pat Forde couldn't agree more.

In his latest column, Forde says that USC and coach Tim Floyd have no excuses.

An excerpt from his column:

You have to assume USC simply didn't want to know. Didn't want to know the extent to which runners already had set their hooks into their highest-profile basketball recruit ever. The Trojans knew they were in this deal for one year before Mayo turned pro, and they probably just averted their gaze, hoping nothing blew up and the victories would pile up.

It's a scenario playing out right now on many other campuses nationwide, guaranteed. Agents and their runners are identifying who can play as early as college scouts are, and they're commencing the jockeying for position. And we all know what wins most of those turf wars: money and favors. Most topflight young basketball players have at least been offered plenty before college, even if they haven't accepted it.

It's a problem the NCAA desperately needs to get a grip on if college basketball is going to maintain even a hint of a legitimate relationship to higher education. The sport's repeatedly pilloried reputation took another big hit with this revelation, but perhaps it will spur other Louis Johnsons to tell the truth about what's going on in college hoops and youth basketball.

I couldn't have said it better myself.