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?

Jim Rome loves Shan Foster

I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but Romey said Shan's his favorite player in the draft.

I can’ wait…to get to this ‘take’! I think my favorite guy in the entire NBA draft, is a guy who went 51st overall! The Dallas Mavericks stole the SEC player of the year, Shan Foster. Foster is Vandy’s all time leading scorer. A guy who routinely hit 30 foot NBA style “three bombs”! A guy who can shoot, defend, lead, and most importantly…can’t wait to play in the NBA! But, don’t take my word for it. Hit it Shan!!

Awesome! Incredible guy! Decent singer! And, the song is well…a “little cheesy”. A “little cheesy”, but so awesome! Could the kid be any more sincere and appreciative of the opportunity? No sense of entitlement there. Just love of the game! How do you know? Look around his “pad”! No oversized plasma hanging from the wall that some “booster” bought for him. Just an X-Box hooked up to a 14 inch TV and a random lamp on the floor. If Foster swung the camera around…you’d probably see a stack of cup of noodles and a hot plate.

This guy is going to do great in Dallas! He’s going to “kill it” with catch and shoots off Jason Kidd’s drives and the Dirk Nowitzki double teams. I literally can’t get that song out of my head. Much like I couldn’t get Shaq’s rap out of my head. Except, Shan’s not demanding: “Kobe, tell me, how’s my (bleep) tastes!” Or, telling me he got a vasectomy so now he can’t breed them.

Great job, Shan! We can’t wait to see you play in the NBA either.

And if you want to see a dead-on impression of Jim Rome, click here.

Not so fast: Foster still faces uphill climb

Shan Foster came one step closer to fulfilling his dream when he was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft (No. 51 overall) by the Dallas Mavericks last Thursday. Still, the 2008 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer knows there is more work to be done.

Just ask Derrick Byars, the 2007 SEC Player of the Year who went No. 42 overall in last year's draft. Byars was drafted by Portland and 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.

For every second-round success story (think Gilbert Arenas, Manu Ginoboli or Carlos Boozer), there are countless more like Byars. Put simply, the odds of making an NBA roster for a second-round pick are not good. The last four players drafted 51st overall are JameSon Curry, Chiekh Samb, Robert Whaley and Vassilis Spanoulis. Who? Exactly.

However, the 51st pick in the 2003 NBA Draft? None other than sweet-shooting Kyle Korver, a senior from Creighton, which brings us back to Foster. What exactly are his chances of sticking in the NBA?

First, here's what Dallas' owner, president of team operations, head coach and fans had to say about Foster.

The Mavs were very pleased that Foster fell to them at No. 51 as they look for shooters to play alongside point guard Jason Kidd.

"Coach Carlisle felt like shooting was the hole in this team and wanted to get a shooter to put around Jason," Mavericks president of team operations Donnie Nelson said. "We feel very fortunate Shan fell to us this late in the draft." [Dallas Morning News]

“He could earn some time because you’re always looking for shooting,” Nelson said. “That’s usually something that transfers from college.” [NBA.com]

Owner Mark Cuban said the Mavs turned down $500,000 for their pick because "we really, really like Shan."

"All you have to do is look at his YouTube tape where he had nine 3s against Mississippi State. It's incredible the range he has. [ESPN analyst] Jay Bilas said Shan couldn't hit the NBA 3, but he never even takes a college 3. I think we got a steal, but we'll see. Everybody's a hero on draft day." [DMN]

Coach Rich Carlisle is also a fan.

“We’re very happy with the guy we got. We had a list of ‘A’ candidates, ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’ and Shan Foster was the last ‘A’ on our list.” [NBA.com]

Carlisle said the Mavs need someone with Foster's perimeter shooting ability. He also likes the fact that Foster was a four-year college player and praised his maturity and basketball IQ.

"He'll have a chance," Carlisle said. "He'll have to earn it, but there's opportunity here." [Mavs Blog DMN]

Finally, Dallas fans seem to be pleased with pick, judging from their comments on a Mavs blog post. A few examples:

Rodney in Atlanta: "I'm just glad that Avery's not here anymore because this poor guy would get buried by the edge of the bench and we'd never get to see what his potential is. Like I said before. I watched this guy play many times and he has intangibles that you just can't teach. He's a very good shooter and a great feel for the game. If brought along properly, he will contribute to this team."

"And one more thing. The guy's a good player and he's smart. Vanderbilt is not for dummys. He doesn't sing half bad either."

Walter: "foster is fantastic, that was a great great pick at 51!! real good point by G, hopefully its just like Josh (Howard) where he is a conference player of the year, 4 year senior, and slips...right to the Mavs to scoop him up. the SEC Player of the year at 51, 2nd team all-american, 47% from 3 as a senior, filling a position of need for the Mavs is a tremendous pickup."

Now, let's take a look at who Foster will be competing against to make the squad:

The Mavs' 2007 second-round picks, Reyshawn Terry (6'8 SF, UNC) and Renaldas Seibutis (6'6 SG, Lithuania), played in Europe last season and Nelson said they will have a chance to make the team next season.

Joining Foster, Terry and Seibutis on the summer league team are: Keith McLeod, Aaron Miles, Derrick Low, Reggie Williams, Richie Frahm, JaJuan Smith, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Yaroslav Korolev, Charles Rhodes, James Singleton and Pape Sow.

McLeod, Miles and Smith play point guard, while Low, at just 6'2, will probably have to as well. Frahm is a journeyman SG, while Mensah-Bonsu, Korolev, Sow and Mississippi State's Charles Rhodes are forwards. However, Foster could be competing against Williams, a 6'5 SG/SF from VMI and the nation's No. 1 scorer, and Singleton, a 6'8 forward who has played for the Clippers.

And we haven't even taken a look at the Mavs' current roster, which includes:

Point guard
Jason Kidd
Tyronn Lue
Jose Barea

Shooting guard
Jason Terry

Guard/Forward
Josh Howard
Jerry Stackhouse
Devean George
Eddie Jones
Antoine Wright

UPDATE: The Mavs signed G/F Gerald Green to a one-year deal.
Forward
Dirk Nowitzki
Malik Allen
Brandon Bass
Juwan Howard

Center
Erick Dampier
Jamaal Magloire

It's important to note that Allen, Barea, George, Juwan Howard, Lue, Magloire and Wright are all free agents. DMN's Eddie Sefko expects either Barea or Lue and Wright to return, while adding that Jones could retire if the Mavs buy out the remaining year on his contract. Dallas could also sign a couple of free agents.

Therefore, Foster will be looking for playing time at the SG and SF positions behind Terry, Howard, Stackhouse and Wright, a former first-round pick out of Texas A&M who played two and a half seasons with New Jersey before coming over to Dallas in the Jason Kidd trade last year. Wright, a 6'7 SG, is a career 42 percent shooter, including 28 percent from 3-point range.

CONCLUSION

On the positive side, the Mavs genuinely seem to like Foster, who fills a need for them. They are desperately looking for shooters, which is Foster's strength. If he shoots well this summer, it will be hard for Dallas not to keep him. None of the Mavs' current players or summer league players like Terry, Seibutis, Williams and Singleton compare to Foster as a perimeter shooter.

On the negative side, Foster is pretty one-dimensional. Terry and Seibutis have had a year to develop their skills and to get faster and stronger, which means they may have a leg up on Foster this summer. If Foster struggles to catch fire from the outside, the Mavs will have a hard time finding a spot for him on the roster.

There's going to be a lot of pressure on Foster to perform this summer, but then again, no one said making it to the NBA would be easy.

Photo: [ESPN.com]

Shan Foster Now a Maverick

It took 51 tries, but Shan Foster, Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer, is now an official NBA draftee. The Dallas Mavericks, a perennial playoff team, used their only pick in the draft to take the 6'6'' scoring machine.

According to Dallas' website, it looks like Shan will vie for some serious playing time right off the bat, as he will be one of the only 3-point shooters on the team.

"We’re very happy with the guy we got," said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. Commodore Nation couldn't agree more.

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

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]

Videos of the Day: Shan Foster highlights

Going hand-in-hand with Foster's interview with the Barca Blog below, courtesy of vucommodores.com, here is a compilation of highlights from the last two seasons of the remarkable career of Vanderbilt's Shan Foster.



And, if you haven't checked it out (I don't know how you couldn't have), check out the video of Foster's 42 points against Mississippi State on Senior Night. Not being at that game will always be a regret, but when you schedule Senior Night during Spring Break, a lot of students aren't going to be there.

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 (4/1)

We wish it was an April Fool's Day joke that Keegan Bell was instead returning for his sophomore season. Brett Hait notes that Bell's relationship with Stallings had been getting worse, and we discuss what this means.

Within this piece, it becomes clear that Bell couldn't operate with the sort of freedom under Stallings that he hopes to earn elsewhere.

Maurice Patton offers his take of the situation and notes that Bell could go anywhere.

Foster joins Stephen Curry as a second team AP All-American.

Vanderbilt Golfer Jon Curran received SEC Male Golfer of the Week honors after a terrific tournament.

South Carolina's search for a coach to replace Dave Odom ended on Monday with the hiring of Western Kentucky coach Darrin Horn.

In case you missed our...

• Discussion regarding Keegan Bell's decision to transfer.
• Q&A's with Jamont Gordon, Caleb Cotham, Curt Casali, Merideth Marsh,Jonathan White, Christina Wirth, Shea Robin, Vijay Paul, Ryan Preston.

Commodore Banter (3/24)

Men's tennis earned a big win over No. 23 Alabama.

Goodbye to the Saints, as they lost to Villanova.

Shan Foster finds himself at the top of the second round in this mock draft.

Our friends over in Knoxville inch closer to a match-up against the Tar Heels with the win over Butler.

Kevin Stallings says that the 'Dores overachieved this year. I'm not sure it was so much that as it was =a function of the schedule being so bloody easy.

The City Paper recaps the weekend for Vanderbilt sports. Within this piece there's word that the defense shut down the offense in the weekend scrimmage.

Commodore Banter (3/20)

One mock draft puts Shan Foster in the lottery. Another lists him in the middle of the second round. After what happened to Byars last year, I don't think there's any doubt Foster finds himself in the second round.

Forget the rhetoric, odds are in Vandy's favor to advance to the second round, writes Brett Hait.

The Commodores' offense keeps chugging away, clubbing Lipscomb 12-4 on Wednesday.

Kevin Stallings continues to draw praise from the press.

Georgia's highly improbable run in the SEC tournament may have saved Dennis Felton's job, writes Stewart Mandel.

ESPN's Pat Forde offers his best and worst case scenarios for all 64 teams. Here's take on Vandy is pretty funny.

Mike MacAdam writes that playing teams like Memphis, Syracuse, and Stanford has given Siena confidence. How does a 101-58 blowout loss to Memphis inspire a team?

It's been quite a while since Vanderbilt has returned to the tourney in back to back years, as Maurice Patton writes.

Joe Biddle explains that Vanderbilt must rebound better to reach the Sweet 16.

Unlike most experts, Gary Parrish likes the Dores, even if it's not sexy.

In case you missed our...

• Q&A's with Jamont Gordon, Caleb Cotham,Curt Casali, Merideth Marsh, Jonathan White.
• Ask a 'Dore with Parker Hanks and Josie Earnest.
• Billy Donovan has gone mad: Exhibit A, Exhibit B.

Foster, Gordon leave quite the legacy

When a sweet-shooting swingman from Kenner, La., and fiery point guard from Pensacola, Fla., first met, they never could have imagined that they would eventually make up the core of the most successful senior class in Vanderbilt history.

But, fast forward four years, and that's the reality for Shan Foster and Alex "Red" Gordon.

Even more impressive than their 85 victories, 2,999 combined points and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, however, is the way in which the friends have almost single-handedly changed this program's identity.

"I've told these seniors that they're going to go down as the group that's changed the program the most from the time they got here to the time they left," said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, "and I think that's a heck of a legacy."

To read my full story on Foster and Gordon from vucommodores.com, click here.

A couple of thoughts that I didn't have room for in the piece:

• Asked who changed their temperament more -- the players or coach -- following the 2006 season, Foster said it was was a combination of both, to which Stallings responded, "The players changed their temperament more. I’m not that much different." That drew a big laugh from the media in attendance.

• It was also fascinating to listen to Stallings talk about his relationship with Gordon."I get on Red’s butt hard," Stallings said, "but every day he walks into the gym, he says, 'What up, old man?' He and I must have a real strained relationship." Priceless stuff.
  

Underrated Stallings deserves praise

After being bounced by LSU in the SEC Tournament in 2006 -- a painful year for players, coaches and fans -- a local columnist asked Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings about the state of the Commodore program.

"I thought that our program right then was on the verge of making a jump...and (that) we’re on the doorstep of some good things happening," Stallings said. "I’m sure anyone who read what I said then thought I was crazy, but I just felt like we really had an opportunity because of guys that were coming in. I just felt like that we were getting ready to enter a state of a healthy mindset in our program."

Looks like Stallings was right.

Vanderbilt has advanced to two consecutive NCAA Tournaments and become a school that's recognized by college basketball fans across the nation, something that shouldn't be taken for granted.

"I joke with people from time to time, saying that when I was recruited by Coach Stallings and Coach (Jeff) Jackson, who’s at Furman right now, the first time I met them I had never heard of Vanderbilt," said senior Shan Foster. "Like ever."

While the players like Foster were undoubtedly responsible for the turnaround, so too was Stallings.

"The thing that I took out of my recruitment was that I was coming to play for a great guy that knew the game of basketball and that he was dedicated to his team and making his players better," Foster said of Stallings. "Any time you have a coach that dedicated and really shows that he cares, success is coming, and I really felt that. It’s been a great honor to be a part of."

Stallings admitted that achieving this type of success took more time than he anticipated.

"Having worked at Purdue and Kansas and Illinois State, all three of those programs can be fixed more quickly when they’re broken than Vanderbilt can because of the nature of the school and the nature of the kids that you can and cannot get into school," Stallings said. "It just took longer here."

With all the recent success the Commodores have enjoyed, it’s easy to forget that life hasn’t always been this good for the Black & Gold.

Fans were quick to criticize Stallings when thing weren't going well. Now it's time to give one of basketball's most underrated coaches the credit that he very much deserves.

Commodore Banter (3/18)

Join our Facebook group and our Facebook tournament bracket.

Tim Corbin commented on one of Vandy's top recruits for next year, who we hope won't be entering the MLB draft.

Bruce Pearl gives props to the SEC in an interview with Stan Crawley.

The RPI should be RIP, writes Steve Phillips.

Shan Foster wins AP Player of the Year and Ogilvy earns an Honorable Mention.

Don't forget about women's basketball in the state of Tennessee. There are four pretty darn good teams in the NCAA women's tournament.

Nick Calathes was picked as the Freshman of the Year in the SEC, think Billy Donovan knows?

Martin Fennelly offers a nice little profile of Siena. It's funny how the Commodores' recent success in the tournament changes the dynamics in such a way that the Vanderbilt has suddenly become a powerhouse basketball school.

"Even if they get by Siena in the first round...," writes Seth Davis. Give me a break.

Five of five experts agree, Siena over Vanderbilt in the first round according to SI's latest mock brackets.

Alex Gordon has changed the face of the Commodores, and has helped make it a winning program, writes Maurice Patton.

Vanderbilt has a difficult road ahead, first playing a team of extremes in Siena, and then potentially facing one of the nation's most underrated teams in Clemson, writes Paul Rugani.

Women's lacrosse gets back on track against Cornell.

Ogilvy will be guarded by the "three headed monster," writes Mike MacAdam.

Did you know that Siena students are on spring break this week? Not sure if that will help or hurt them.

For Siena, "fear is not in the vocabulary."

6'7'' Josh Duell, who has guarded Stanford's Robin Lopez and Rider's Jason Thompson three times this season, has another big challenge in Ogilvy.

Siena's fans are old.

One Indiana blog wants no part of Kevin Stallings in the Hoosiers' search for a coach.

In case you missed our...

• Q&A's with Jamont Gordon, Caleb Cotham, Curt Casali
• Ask a 'Dore with Parker Hanks and Josie Earnest.
• Billy Donovan has gone mad: Exhibit A, Exhibit B.

Foster named AP Player of the Year

Unlike last year, the Associated Press got it right Monday, naming Vandy senior Shan Foster the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.



Here are some more videos you should check out:

• Foster's 2007 and 2008 highlight reel
• Foster's spotlight feature
  

Foster, who received the same honor from the league's coaches last week, joins Dan Langhi as the only Commodore in school history to win the award from both the media and coaches. Byars received the award from the coaches, but not the AP in 2007.

The choice was really a no-brainer, as Foster leads the SEC in scoring, 3-point field goals made, and 3-point field goal percentage, and he's been named a first- or second-team All-American by a number of publications.

"The Truth" will undoubtedly go down as one of Vandy's all-time greats and he will leave as the school's all-time leading scorer, as well the leader in 3-point field goals made and attempted. He is also two points shy of becoming only the 22nd player to reach the 2,000-point barrier in SEC history.

Click here for the rest of the first and second teams. Freshman center A.J. Ogilvy was named as an honorable mention selection.

Commodore Banter (3/17)

Here's what Vegas says about the odds.

Who do you think is Vanderbilt's X-factor?

Some seem to think Tennessee was snubbed a 1-seed for its less than dominating run in the SEC tournament, writes Matt Wilson.

Siena is pretty excited to be a No. 13 seed, writes Mike MacAdam.

One analyst left Vanderbilt off his top 25 but listed Shan as an All-American.

Shan Foster still sees the Dores as underdogs, writes Brett Hait.

Matt Jenkins lists Tennessee as the team to hate and Siena as a sleeper in his blog. When I read articles like this, it's funny how different characters size up sleepers. What goes into their thinking? Sometimes I think it's merely that someone thinks a team could upset a higher seeded team, making it a sleeper team!

Happy birthday, Vanderbilt!

In case you missed our...

• Ask a 'Dore with Parker Hanks and Josie Earnest.
• Kevin Stallings should try stand up.

Know Your Saints: Previewing Siena

The seedings are done, the brackets are set, and now it's time to play some basketball. As always, the top teams in the tourney are household favorites such as UCLA, North Carolina, and Duke. But at the same time, there are a bunch of scrappy, lovable underdogs who burst onto the national scene by virtue of winning hallowed league tournaments such as the Big Sky or the MEAC.

Anyways, our Commodores have drawn one of those mysterious underdogs in the Siena Saints, who went 13-5 in the MAAC (no, that's not a typo, that's the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), and 22-10 overall. So, who are these Saints? And where the hell is Siena? Read on, my friends, read on...

For starters, Siena is located in Loudonville, New York, which is just outside of Albany (interesting fact: I have been going to Loudonville for Thanksgiving since I was about 5 years old. It's a pretty nice place). It is home to about 3,000 undergraduate students and, according to their website, "admission to the college is competitive." A bad omen for Vanderbilt: Siena is affiliated with the Catholic church, so they will have God on their side. Then again, we have Shan Foster.

Alright, now to the basketball. The regular season MAAC co-champs clinched a tourney seed by blowing out Rider in the championship game by 21 points. Key wins include a shocking 79-67 victory over Stanford in November, and... that's really it. The only other big-time opponents that Siena has played are Syracuse, St. Joseph's, and Memphis, and the Saints lost those contests by a combined 58 points.

Siena is young- only one senior is on the roster- and have a trio of high scoring players who average over 15 points a game. Sophomore Edwin Ubiles leads the squad with 17.3 points a contest and classmate Alex Franklin is tops on the team with 8.0 boards a game.

What Siena lacks is size, as their resident big man, junior Josh Duell, stands at a "mere" 6'7'', the same height as Andre Walker. They do have three guys that are 6'9'', but none of them are significant contributors. And Franklin, their top rebounder, is shorter than Shan Foster at 6'5''. As long as A.J. Ogilvy gets plenty of touches, we should be fine.

People on the Siena bandwagon (including that stupid guy on CBS) may point to their excellent guards when arguing for an upset. I have one thing to say to these foolish people: Please. Do they really think that Jermaine Beal, Alex Gordon, Shan Foster, and Keegan Bell can't handle anything that Siena will throw at them? As an added bonus, the emergence of Jamie Graham as a super lock-down defender and energy guy will certainly help to stifle Ubiles and company.

Siena has a pretty good basketball tradition. This is their fourth dance in program history, the last coming on 2002, where they beat Alcorn State in the play-in game. They also placed third in the NIT tournament in '94.

So, now you know everything you ever wanted to about this quaint little college in upstate New York.

Commodore Banter (3/14)

Rivals.com lists Shan Foster as the No. 1 shooting guard in America, ahead of players like Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, and Chris Douglas-Roberts.  

Vanderbilt may be one of the few SEC schools that doesn't get Martin Luther King Day off, but did you know that the first black varsity athlete in the SEC was a Commodore?

Shan Foster is a star on and off the court and finds himself on his teammates' iPods, writes Ray Glier.  

Billy Donovan didn't have very nice things to say about his team, writes Mark Schlabach.

Ross Neltner will try to avoid being the Chris Webber who fatefully called a time-out when his team didn't have one, explains Jerry Tipton.   

Vanderbilt has  all the ingredients to make a run in the NCAA tournament, writes Jim Mashek.

Commodore Banter (3/13)

Nick Evans explains the strengths and weaknesses of this Vanderbilt squad heading into tournament play. Hard to imagine that the team shot a ludicrous 40% from downtown this year.

How good is the Women's tennis team? Taka Bertrand, who rotates between playing three and four on the team, earned SEC player of the week honors for her stellar play in an upset win over Georgia Tech.

Sporting News recognized a certain Dore in its All-American teams.

Don't have a TV? Good news: Joost with the backing of CBS will be broadcasting the NCAA tournament online for free.

Windy Hall wrote a little quiz to separate the true SEC fans from the pretenders.

Alex Gordon plays for more than himself and his school, writes Antonio Gonzalez.

The SEC tournament begins today for the Dores, and they will be trying to right the ship, as Maurice Patton writes.

Preview: Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

This time a year ago, things looked at least somewhat promising for the Auburn basketball program. Finishing 7-9 in the SEC (the West division co-champs were 8-8) and returning all five starters, maybe things were looking up. Fast forward, and the Tigers have the appearance of a team who wants the season to be over. They’ve lost their last four conference games and five of the last six. Just 4-12 in the SEC, the message boards are beginning to question coach Jeff Lebo. Since Auburn is, quite frankly, a football school, Lebo seems safe, but it does show the tenuous state of Auburn basketball. How does all that play out tomorrow against Vanderbilt? Here’s a look at the keys for each team.

Auburn

Get off to a good start: Arkansas jumped on Auburn early last Saturday, building a 22-point lead and cruising to a double-digit victory. If their heads aren’t in it early, a few Shan Foster threes could build a similar deficit for Auburn.

Rebound: Leading rebounder Kavourtney Barber broke his hand early in the season. Barber probably would have presented a match-up problem for Vanderbilt, as well as several other teams in the SEC had he been able to play. He was also leading the nation in field goal percentage at the time of his injury at 72 percent.

The rest of the team has struggled filling in his shoes, and Arkansas outrebounded them 39-25 on Saturday. They average just 32.7 rebounds a game, last in the SEC. And while Vanderbilt is not a great rebounding team, giving A.J. Ogilvy extra opportunities to score could cost Auburn.

Shoot better: This seems obvious enough. The Tigers have shot just 39.4 percent from the field in their current losing streak. Still, Vanderbilt has allowed teams who were previously struggling with their shooting to find their stroke…

Vanderbilt

Defend better: …which leads to this point. Previously struggling Patrick Beverly found his stroke against Vanderbilt three games ago. Alabama shot 50 percent in the first half of Saturday’s 78-73 loss and was lights out in overtime. There were several defensive lapses against Mississippi State, which led to Charles Rhodes and Jarvis Varnardo getting easy dunks. Shoring up the defense is key. Frank Tolbert also scored 32 points in Vanderbilt's previous 78-71 victory over Auburn in February, so he is someone to watch out for.

Guard play: Jermaine Beal is 4-23 in his last three games. Alex Gordon is 5-26 in the same three games. Nine of 49 from your two starting guards, even if you have Shan Foster, won’t cut it in March. Simple as that. Beal and Gordon spent more time than usual on the bench in the second half on Saturday, and the reasons were pretty clear as to why.

Attitude: In his radio interviews after Saturday’s loss to Alabama, Coach Kevin Stallings spoke of players pouting on the bench about playing time and having their own agendas. This isn’t a good tone heading into the postseason, but Stallings also said he was ready to turn things around in practice, which makes Thursday particularly interesting. For the past two seasons, Vanderbilt has had remarkable chemistry, and it would be a shame to see it unravel at the climax of the season. But anyone who knows this team and Stallings knows that it’s fully capable of regrouping.

Bottom line: A lot of what happens Thursday depends on whether Auburn shows up. Do they want to keep playing or do they want to pack it up for the year? If their listless performance against Arkansas is any indication, the Commodores should be fine. Eric already put a score up, and I’ll just say I have no reason to disagree with it.