Sportaholic College Basketball: What's wrong with the Vanderbilt Commodores?

This was a season that started off with the dreaded high expectations moniker for the Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball team. This was a team that that was coming off a 23-11 season that ended in disappointment after a 2nd round tournament loss to underdog Richmond. Despite the tasting that bitter pill of defeat early in the tourney the Commodores returned its core players including likely NBA draftees John Jenkins, Jeffrey Taylor and Festus Ezeli who all opted to remain in college for another shot at the NCAA tournament. They seemed poised for a deep run and started the season ranked number 7 in the nation on the strength of their experience and the best players coming back for one more year with Kevin Stallings.

However, things have not worked out as planned so far this year and its not even close. The Commodores have stumbled out the blocks to a 7-4 record. Now it’s hard to fault them on their two losses to highly ranked teams like Xavier and Louisville but their other two losses against the likes of Cleveland State and Indiana are a different story. The team seems lacking in the finishing department as they have led in the last minutes of all their losses. It’s hard to fathom why this team isn’t better in crunch time with a player in Jeff Taylor that is as versatile as any in the country and a dead eye shooter in John Jenkins who led the SEC in scoring last year. They are sorely missing the inside presence of Ezeli who has been sidelined the entire year with a sprained knee. He gives the ‘Dores a much needed presence in the post that helps spread the floor for their shooters like Jenkins, Taylor, and Brad Tinsley and also tremendous for them on the defensive side of the ball. I have been waiting since last year for Taylor to emerge as the guy with his skills and defensive prowess but he just doesn’t seem to want to take on that role even as a senior. Even Jenkins seems to shy away from taking the last shot and that’s really shocking when you see him light up teams for 20 and 30 points. He has such a beautiful stroke and shoots with ease so it really bothers me that he hasn't stepped up and become the guy.  No one the team wants to be the guy and when you have a team full of followers and not leaders you know what to expect as result.

Although the loss of Ezeli is a big one, the Commodores still be better than what we’ve witnessed so far from the. Ezeli can’t make them perform better in late game situations and neither can he in most cases be the guy who takes the last shot. A lot of Vanderbilt fans are beginning to point the finger of blame to Head Coach Kevin Stallings. Stallings is in his 13th year at the helm of the Vanderbilt program. His hard edge task master mentality toward his players rubs some the wrong way. But this is a coach that has won two SEC coach of the year awards (2007 and 2010) and has taken Vanderbilt to two Sweet Sixteen’s. Most critics of Stallings say he has a hard time of maximizing his team’s abilities as evident by recent rash of early tournament exits and some of his big time recruits not panning out. The Commodores under Stallings has seemingly always been a team with high expectations that disappoint every year and this season would be the greatest of them all with what most would call his best ever roster. Stallings is very blunt guy and tells it like it is. This is what he to say about John Jenkins after their loss to Indiana State: "They did a good job of getting up on John," Stallings said. "He was too quick to try and pinch off shots. There was no rhythm to our offense, but we had no rhythm the whole week of practice."

Whoever is to blame the Commodores need to crank it up as the season if they hope to meet those lofty goals that were made when the season started. Someone other than Coach Stallings has to become the voice of authority for this team. Rather it be Jeff Taylor, John Jenkins, Brad Tinsley or whoever. Vanderbilt teams since forever have been labeled as soft and nothing has changed from what we have seen so far. The team really misses Ezeli who is their muscle but can’t just rely on him to do everything in the post. They have to develop some intestinal fortitude when a guy like Xavier guard Tu Holloway goes off for 10 points in overtime. This team is just too talented to have the type of mental lapses it has during the most important times of the game. The beauty of this whole thing is that have plenty of more games to figure it out. They will get another crack at a top 25 opponent in Marquette. The Golden Eagles just suffered their first loss as LSU pulled the upset 67-59, so naturally they will be looking for blood after losing to one SEC team.

For the fans of the Commodores this was suppose to be the season of all seasons for them as they looked finally ready to get over the hump and make a possible Final Four run but if they don’t develop a late game go to guy and continue to play as soft as they have, they will limp into the tournament with a lower seed and set up another possible 1st round exit. Maybe it was the high expectations that have led to them faltering. Ezeli will come back soon so we will get a better gauge of what team is to become. Here is hoping that they get their act together once he does. The problem with Vanderbilt these days are the Commodores themselves. They have to look into the mirror and realize that they are just a better team than the one we’ve seen one quarter into the season.

Local College Basketball Beat

Tennessee welcomed back coach Bruce Pearl this weekend with a loss to Florida. The loss stung because it drops UT to 5-5 in the SEC and a tie for fourth place in the east. Tennessee had it chances as they were up by as much as eight points in the second half and got a strong performance from sophomore Scotty Hopson who scored 22. UT shot 49 percent from the field easily their highest mark in SEC play and forced 14 turnovers. That should be enough to win the game but the gritty Gators roared back and the Vols let them by not knocking down there free-throws. The Vols have had trouble all season closing out close games as they lost to Alabama and Florida the first time in similar fashion. If the Vols (15-10) are to make a run at the NCAA tournament it has to start Wednesday against South Carolina. Pearl knows this as he tries to ease himself from his 8-game suspension, Pearl stated “Late-game offensive execution to win games is an area we have scored very poorly in,” Pearl said. “I hope that we can learn from some of those mistakes and do a better job of closing them out down the stretch.” UT also has to get better play out of starters Tobias Harris who only had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Melvin Goins, the starting point guard had 7 points with NO assists. The time is now for the Vols to get hot make their run for the tournament. The team that shows up in South Carolina will tell us all that we will need to know Wednesday night.

Vandy got a stirring performance from super sophomore Jeff Jenkins as he just assaulted the Kentucky defense from long range. Jenkins went off for 32 as the Commodores were able to hold off the Wildcats. What made the performance even more awe-inspiring was the text Jenkins got from his mother who said he needed to score at least 25 or more for Vandy. Jenkins did more than that with a dazzling array of spot up jump shots and coming off ball screens to knock down a career high six three-pointers. Vandy also got help from big man Festus Ezeli as he chipped in with 14 and Brad Tinsley added 11. The Commodores are as dangerous a team as they come when Jenkins is shooting the ball well. Jenkins is living up to the billing he had come out of high school as one the best shooters in the country. Vandy stands at 18-6 and 6-4 in the SEC good enough for second in the rugged east division. The Commodores seem to have a nice blend of athletes and shooters that play well together. When you throw in the presence of Ezeli in the middle it makes for a team that could make a run in March. Jenkins seemed to know the importance of beating perennial SEC and national power Kentucky as he stated I told Coach I must’ve been dreaming because this can’t be real. Especially being from here you see a lot of great games against Kentucky,” Jenkins said. “To be a part of that part of that legacy now is something special.” Vandy faces Georgia this Wednesday in what will be another test for the streaking Commodores.

Tennessee Lady Vols 65 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores 57: This was another classic is this epic women’s rivalry. In a game that was eerily similar to they previous meeting this season, the Commodores couldn’t have asked for a better start as UT couldn’t make anything in the first half. The Lady Vols scored a whopping 15 points in the first half on 20 percent shooting as the Commodores built an 11-point lead. But things changed in the second half for the lady Vols upon the insertion of backup point guard Lauren Avant. She seemed to spark the lady Vols as they went on a tear and scored 50 points in the second half. The slow start could be attributed to the fact that UT had played 3 games in the last 7 days. The Vandy lead was 39-28 before UT would go on a 16-3 run and never look back. Avant scored on a lay-up and added the free throw and then added a three-pointer to spark to the Vols. Jence Rhoades of the Commodores led all scorers with 15 but it wasn’t enough. The lady Vols always seem to find a way to pull out the win on the Commodores and this time wasn’t different. Vandy coach Melanie Balcomb summed it up the best as she stated "You hold somebody to 15 and then they score 50?”."I mean 20 might not have been enough at that point. The frustrating piece, until the last eight minutes we were beating them, and they're the No. 4 team in the country and there's a lot to be said for that." Both teams are in action this Thursday as the lady Vols take on the South Carolina Gamecocks and Vandy face the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs.

Sportaholic Mid-Week Speed Drills: Nashville Preds Update, Tennessee State Fairgrounds News, Vandy Basketball and Recruting News for UT and Vandy.

National Signing Day: Tennessee Vols Head Coach Derek Dooley is charging hard at the finish line on national signing day. The second year coach has closed on three 4-star recruits over the last 48 hours including the top ranked player in the state Antonio Richardson of Pearl-Cohn. UT also signed Cameron Clear out of Memphis as the Vols are doing a good job closing the borders of the state and keeping the talent in Tennessee Orange. The other top recruits for the Vols include Curt Maggit from Florida, DeAnthony Arnett from Michigan, Maurice Couch a JUCO transfer from Kansas, Marcus Jackson from Florida, Marlin Jackson from Florida and A.J Johnson of Georgia. The Vols have a total of 27 commitments and are ranked 11th by Rivals.com in the nation and 10th by scouts.com. The Vols needed to beef up their defensive line and secondary and by all indications they have emphatically did so with these signings. Recruiting in the SEC is as cutthroat as it gets but it appears Dooley can hold his on against the big boys of Nick Saban, Les Miles, Mark Richt and Gene Chizik. Derek Dooley and his staff did one heck of a job for Tennessee and should reap the benefits next fall. For a complete list of all the UT signings click this link: http://www.utsports.com/signingday/

Vandy’s new Head Coach James Franklin also did a tremendous job for the Commodores as he reined a few surprise recruits to his first class. The biggest issue facing Vandy was quarterback and they addressed that by signing Lafonte Thurgood, a 4-star stud from Virginia Beach, VA. He should come in and immediately compete for the QB position. Franklin also snuck in on Dillon Van Der Wall of Westlake Village California. He originally committed to Arizona State but after meeting with Franklin changed over to Commodore black and gold. Vandy has a solid class following the late start they got due to coaching search. To see Vanderbilt’s full list click this link: http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/2011-signing-day.html

Predators Update: The Nashville Predators have 31 games left to make their playoff push and things didn’t get started the way they would have liked against the Calgary Flames last night. The Preds, losers of their last 3, lost in a shootout battle thanks to Rene Borque as he scored the only goal in the shootout.



The Preds led 1-0 off the strength of a Patric Hornquist goal going into the 3rd period, only to see their lead be erased as Matt Stajan and Corey Sarich each tallied goals for Calgary. The lost dropped the Preds to 5-4-1 over their last 10 games. Nashville had been 6-2 in shootout games entering this contest but just couldn’t come away with the victory this time around.



“At least we got one point, but there comes a point where we've got to figure out how to lock things down. There are 31 games left, and if we're not going to...” Said defensemen Shea Weber.

The Preds look to get back in the win column this Thursday as the take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

Vandy Basketball: Florida 65 Vandy 61: The Commodores traveled to Gainesville for a national televised ESPN game against Florida. Vandy shot the ball well early and took an early lead. Jeff Jenkins showed why he is the SEC scoring leader, as he scored a game high 22 points on an array of acrobatic lay-up, runners and three-point shots. However the Dores continued to give the Gators second chance shots as Florida annihilated Vandy on the boards 42-29. Chandler Parsons of Florida was the thorn that stuck Vandy all game as he tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds, Vandy simply didn’t have an answer for his offensive versatility. Vandy’s big men added to their misery as Festus Ezeli, Steve Tchiengang, and Jeffrey Taylor all fouled out during the game which left the Commodores front-court paper thin. Without the big men to protect the basket, the 6-9 Parsons begin doing his damage in the paint. He drove toward the lane and hit a jumper that put Florida ahead 60-59. Florida got a big three-pointer from guard Kenny Boynton on their next possession to go ahead for good. Jenkins would get another shot for Vandy but air balled a three-point attempt. From my view it clearly looked like a foul was committed by Boynton but no call was made by the ref. Boynton all but admitted fouling after the game saying I think I got him, but I think on the other end they missed some fouls, too,” Boynton said. “If they called it, they called it. I think I jumped too high and he kind of tried to draw it. It was a foul, but they missed it.” Vandy Head Coach Kevin Stallings also had some input about the late-game no call “I’m pretty sure there was a reason there was an air ball,” Stallings said. “I’m not saying our guys shot an air ball. I think there might have been a reason.” The lost coupled with their defeat at the hands of Arkansas this weekend marks the first time Vandy (15-6 3-4 SEC) has lost consecutive games all year. Vandy looks to regroup and they face South Carolina this Saturday.

Tennessee Fairgrounds Racetrack Is Safe.... For Now: The demise of the Tennessee fairgrounds have been greatly exaggerated as the Metro council ratified a bill to keep the fairgrounds in business. This comes after a very public outcry that included some of the biggest race-car driver names in Tennessee with the likes of Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip coming on board to save the track. This is good news for all local sports fan as a piece of nostalgia Nashville was saved. The track is one of the oldest in the country as it has been around since 1904 and has hosted Winston cup (Sprint Cup now) from 1958 to 1984. It would have been a shame to see it be demolished but looks like the local support saved it. Give yourself a pat on the back Nashville.

Editor's Note: Don't forget to check out my latest articles on Onetribenashville.com as well.

Local College Basketball Beat

UT Men: The Tennessee Vols men’s basketball team escaped with a win against the Georgia Bulldogs. Escaped is the best way to put it as the Vols needed a last-second shot from big man Brian Williams to seal the victory. Tennessee was down by as many as 17 before turning the game around. The Vols were led by Junior Scotty Hopson and Freshman Tobias Harris who both had 15 points. Tennessee’s roller-coaster season continues as they now are 12-6 and 2-2 in SEC play. The Vols started the season off hot at 6-0 after winning the pre-season NIT and beating Big East heavyweights Pittsburgh and Villanova but they are just 6-6 over their last 12 games. The embattled Bruce Pearl will be back on the sidelines for their next game against the eight ranked Uconn Huskies. The Vols have been successful in beating Big East teams this year but they will need Pearl and any other help as they try to stop PG Kemba Walker, as he has been on a tear this entire season. Speaking of Pearl, he is four games in to his SEC mandated suspension of eight games. Stephen Pearl was the subject of Georgia fans as they chanted “Where’s Your Daddy?” but the Vols got the last laugh with the victory. The Vols travel to Uconn this Saturday. The return of Pearl and the spectacular play of Walker should make for an entertaining game. Make sure you tune in.

Vandy’s Men: After dropping their first two SEC road games, Vandy defeated Ole Miss 84-74 at Memorial Gym. The Commodores were led by super soph John Jenkins’s 20 points and big man Festus Ezeli’s 16. Lance Gouldbourne had a career high 15 rebounds.After a hotly contested first half, Vandy opened the second half on a 12-3 run and seemed on the verge of pulling away. The Rebels would not go away though as they staged a 14-3 run also that put them ahead 66-65. Dundrecous Nelson of Ole Miss fueled the run by scoring eight straight points, hitting two-straight from 3-point land and making a pair of free throws. Vandy would not be denied this victory as Jenkins sank another one of his silky smooth 3-pointers on the Commodores next possession and they would never trail from that point. The ‘Dores are now 13-4 and 2-2 in SEC play. They face Southern Methodist this Saturday. Go Commodores

Tennessee Lady Vols and Vanderbilt Lady Commodores: The two elite women teams in Tennessee faced off with UT taking the victory 68-56. The fifth ranked Lady Vols (17-2) were just too much for Vandy (12-6) as they jumped out to a 21-5 on the strength of a 18-0 run. The Lady Vols held Vandy to a season low 18.9 percent shooting in the first half of the game. Vandy would go down by as many as 22 points before they were able find there groove and begin to mount a small comeback. The Commodores would cut to lead to 64-56 thanks to a Jasmine Lister 3-pointer but that would be as close as they would get as UT closed the game out scoring the last four points. Meighan Simmons continued her hot play and led the Vols with 17 points. Angie Bjorklund and Glory Johnson both chipped in with 14 points a piece. The lost continued Vandy’s woes at Thompson-Boling arena as they dropped to 0-26 in games played at the venue.



Both Teams will be in action this Thursday as the Lady Vols travel to Columbia to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Vandy women come back to Nashville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Sportaholic Mid-Week Speed Drills

The Nashville Predators seem to be cooling down after their hot start. They lost last night to the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 to extend their season high losing streak to 3 games. The veteran defensemen Ed Jovanoski posted a hat trick for the Coyotes. Nashville had been the NHL’s best team in one-goal games, going 23 straight without losing in regulation, dating to Feb. 9 but were unable to pull this one out. The Preds entered the 3rd period up 3-2 but allowed two power play goals, one by Lee Stempniak and another one to Ed Jovanski. Steve Sullivan had a breakway before the two goals were allowed in the 3rd but could take advantage of it.Pekka Rinne did have 28 saves in the losing effort. "We did a decent job, but we’re going to need to find a way to win some games here,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said. The Preds looking to get back on their winning ways begining this Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Vandy's and Tennessee's men basketball teams both began their season on on the right note. The 23rd ranked Vols defeated Brevard 91-42. Scotty Hopson led the Vols with 17 points and super freshman Tobias Harris added 16 as UT looks to put the Bruce Pearl allegations to the side for the moment. Vandy defeated Alabama-Birmingham 69-53. Sophomore Jeff Jenkins sparked the Commodores with 19 and Jeffrey Taylor chipped in with 11. "I think it was just what we hoped to get in an exhibition game - a team that's well coached and stuck with their plan," said head coach Kevin Stallings of Alabama-Huntsville. "

Tennessee Volunteers football team will start freshman QB Tyler Bray for the first time vs. Memphis this year. With the Vols going nowhere this year (2-6, 0-5 SEC) this was the logical move for coach Derek Dooley. I'm very high on Bray. I like his arm and moxie. He showed what he could do against Georgia this year, making some beautiful throws and showed confidence. The future is now in Knoxville and it looks bright at QB with Bray at the helm. Check out Bray's cool tattoo as well: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Headlinin-Tyler-Bray-and-his-amazing-back-tat-;_ylt=AnV6qVqo.g4Sut_c_2luYz3ynYl4?urn=ncaaf-281854

Vandy's football team welcomes Florida to town this weekend. The Commodores will try move on without leading rusher Warren Norman. Norman dislocated his right wrist in a loss to Arkansas on Saturday. Vandy's offense has already been dreadful this year, scoring 18.2 ppg this season while generating 286.8 total ypg, so it going to be tough sledding without their top back.

The talk of town has been the Randy Moss signing. Everyone seems to be excited to see what's in store for the Titans. It's good that they have a bye week to get Moss acclimated to the team. I'm still curious to see which Moss will show up here in Nashville. I think coach Jeff Fisher will get the best out of him though. He has way more control of his team than Brad Childress. I look for the Titans to have a special package for him when they face Miami in two weeks. Chris Johnson will benefit the most because you can't put eight in the box versus Moss. Do so at your own risk. The arrival of Moss came at the right time, with sources close to the team reporting that Kenny Britt could be out for 6 to 8 weeks.