Started By
Message
Multiple SEC Basketball GameThreads
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm
sc 65-52 final
tenn 86-41 final
Miz 68-55 final
Bama 82-62 Final
Auburn 101 - USA 58 Final
LSU 94-63 Final
Fsu 81-60 Final
Vandy 92-79 final
Duke 118-84 final
tenn 86-41 final
Miz 68-55 final
Bama 82-62 Final
Auburn 101 - USA 58 Final
LSU 94-63 Final
Fsu 81-60 Final
Vandy 92-79 final
Duke 118-84 final
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 11:15 pm
8
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm to pioneerbasketball
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:29 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm to pioneerbasketball
ABOUT LENOIR-RHYNE
• Lenoir–Rhyne is a private, co-ed liberal arts university founded in 1891 and located in Hickory, N.C.
• The Bears compete in South Atlantic Conference, which also features East Tennessee schools Carson-Newman University, Lincoln Memorial University and Tusculum College.
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is a Lenoir-Rhyne alumnus. Barnes is a Hickory native who played for the Bears from 1974-77. During those same years, Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King were starring at Tennessee.
• Barnes earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1977 and was named the college's Distinguished Alumnus in 1997. He was inducted into the Lenoir-Rhyne College Hall of Fame on Oct. 5, 2002, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Lenoir-Rhyne on May 7, 2005.
• Tennessee Director of Player Development/Video Coorindator Bryan Lentz began his career working for nine years coaching alongside his father, legendary Lenoir-Rhyne head coach John Lentz. During that stretch, the Bears won five South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles, one SAC Tournament title and made to five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. In his final two seasons at L-R, Bryan served as the Bears' associate head coach.
• John Lentz was the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne for 29 years and was college roommates at L-R with Barnes.
• Honorable mention 2017-18 All-South Atlantic Conference honoree Djibril Diallo was the best player for the Bears in 2017-18 and will be a senior this year. The guard led the team with 15.1 ppg, 4.1 apg and 1.6 spg last season, while finishing second in rebounding with 4.2 rpg. Diallo was the only Bear to start all 27 games last year.
TENNESSEE RETURNS 90 PERCENT OF ITS SCORING, SIXTH-MOST AMONG
"POWER FIVE" PROGRAMS
• After returning all five starters from last year's squad and losing only two players, the Vols have gone from one of the youngest rosters in college basketball to one of the most experienced.
• Of its 2,584 total points scored last season, Tennessee returns 2,325—or 90 percent—which ranks as the highest percentage in the SEC and the sixth-highest amongst Power Five teams.
• UT's top five from scorers from a year ago will suit up in orange and white once again this year, including all three Vols who averaged double-digit scoring in Grant Williams (15.2 ppg), Admiral Schofield (13.9 ppg) and Lamonté Turner (10.9 ppg).
• In addition to scoring, Tennessee also returns a staggering amount of its production from last season in field goals made (91.2%), rebounding (94.8%) and blocks (96.8%).
RANK POWER-FIVE TEAM % OF SCORING RETURNING
1 Washington 95.9
T-2 Iowa 94.9
T-2 Wisconsin 94.9
4 Syracuse 93.8
5 Kansas State 93.2
6 Tennessee 90.0
7 Mississippi State 87.3
• Lenoir–Rhyne is a private, co-ed liberal arts university founded in 1891 and located in Hickory, N.C.
• The Bears compete in South Atlantic Conference, which also features East Tennessee schools Carson-Newman University, Lincoln Memorial University and Tusculum College.
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is a Lenoir-Rhyne alumnus. Barnes is a Hickory native who played for the Bears from 1974-77. During those same years, Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King were starring at Tennessee.
• Barnes earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1977 and was named the college's Distinguished Alumnus in 1997. He was inducted into the Lenoir-Rhyne College Hall of Fame on Oct. 5, 2002, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Lenoir-Rhyne on May 7, 2005.
• Tennessee Director of Player Development/Video Coorindator Bryan Lentz began his career working for nine years coaching alongside his father, legendary Lenoir-Rhyne head coach John Lentz. During that stretch, the Bears won five South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles, one SAC Tournament title and made to five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. In his final two seasons at L-R, Bryan served as the Bears' associate head coach.
• John Lentz was the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne for 29 years and was college roommates at L-R with Barnes.
• Honorable mention 2017-18 All-South Atlantic Conference honoree Djibril Diallo was the best player for the Bears in 2017-18 and will be a senior this year. The guard led the team with 15.1 ppg, 4.1 apg and 1.6 spg last season, while finishing second in rebounding with 4.2 rpg. Diallo was the only Bear to start all 27 games last year.
TENNESSEE RETURNS 90 PERCENT OF ITS SCORING, SIXTH-MOST AMONG
"POWER FIVE" PROGRAMS
• After returning all five starters from last year's squad and losing only two players, the Vols have gone from one of the youngest rosters in college basketball to one of the most experienced.
• Of its 2,584 total points scored last season, Tennessee returns 2,325—or 90 percent—which ranks as the highest percentage in the SEC and the sixth-highest amongst Power Five teams.
• UT's top five from scorers from a year ago will suit up in orange and white once again this year, including all three Vols who averaged double-digit scoring in Grant Williams (15.2 ppg), Admiral Schofield (13.9 ppg) and Lamonté Turner (10.9 ppg).
• In addition to scoring, Tennessee also returns a staggering amount of its production from last season in field goals made (91.2%), rebounding (94.8%) and blocks (96.8%).
RANK POWER-FIVE TEAM % OF SCORING RETURNING
1 Washington 95.9
T-2 Iowa 94.9
T-2 Wisconsin 94.9
4 Syracuse 93.8
5 Kansas State 93.2
6 Tennessee 90.0
7 Mississippi State 87.3
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:31 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm to pioneerbasketball
STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina is 81-29 all-time in season openers and the Gamecocks have not lost a season lidlifter since suffering a 73-67 loss to Tennessee Tech to open the 2000-01 campaign. Carolina posted a 73-52 win in last season's opener at Wofford. Frank Martin is undefeated at 11-0 in season lidlifters during his career as a head coach (5-0 at Kansas State, 6-0 at Carolina).
> Beginning with Tuesday's matchup vs. USC Upstate, Carolina will play five games over the course of a 13-day span.
> Senior forward Chris Silva is Carolina's top returning scorer and rebounder to the floor this season after averaging a team high 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game a season ago. Silva has garnered several preseason accolades, including Preaseason All-SEC First Team honors by the media, while he was also named to the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List and the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
> The Gamecocks return 64.6 percent of their scoring from last season, just 37.9 percent of made 3-point baskets and 75.8 percent of rebounds.
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett led the Gamecocks with 18 points, hitting six of his 10 attempts from the floor, including four 3s, in Carolina's exhibition vs. Augusta. Gravett is the Gamecocks' top returning assist maker after averaging a team best 3.6 per outing in 2017-18.
FRANK MARTIN
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin enters his seventh season leading the Gamecocks and 12th season overall as a head coach in 2018-19. Martin, the 2017 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year (CollegeInsider.com), led South Carolina to its first Final Four and a school record 26 wins in 2016-17. In his 11 seasons as a head coach, Martin has led his teams to at least 21 wins seven times. Martin is a native of Miami, Fla., and a graduate of FIU.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> South Carolina returns seven letterwinners from last season's 17-16 squad, including senior guard Hassani Gravett and senior forward Chris Silva.
> Silva is the SEC's top returning rebounder after pacing the Gamecocks with 8.0 per game last season. He also averaged a Carolina high 14.3 points per game a year ago.
> Gravett, Silva and junior forward Maik Kotsar were all part of Carolina's 2017 Final Four team.
> Gravett led Carolina with 18 points in the Oct. 26 exhibition vs. Augusta University, while graduate student guard Tre Campbell added 13 points and three assists. Campbell was also 8-of-9 at the free throw line in the matchup.
> Carolina welcomes eight newcomers to its roster this season, including a pair of transfers and six freshmen student-athletes. Jair Bolden (transfer/George Washington/guard), graduate transfer Tre Campbell (transfer/Georgetown/guard), Keyshawn Bryant (freshman/guard), Jermaine Couisnard (freshman/guard), Alanzo Frink (freshman/forward), A.J. Lawson (freshman/guard), T.J. Moss (freshman/guard) and Nathan Nelson (freshman/forward) join the Garnet and Black this fall.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
> USC Upstate is led by first-year head coach Dave Dickerson. Dickerson, a long-time assistant at Ohio State under Thad Matta, was the head coach at Tulane for five seasons, and is a native of Olar, S.C.
> The Spartans are led by senior guard Deion Holmes, the team's top returning scorer after averaging a career best 15.5 per game last season. He tallied 21 double-figure scoring games as a junior, including seven with 20 or more points.
> Holmes was recently named to the Big South Second Team Preseason All-Conference squad, and the Spartans were picked to finish 11th.
> Upstate returns six letterwinners from last season, which also includes the team's top returning rebounder in Malik Moore (6.1 rebounds per game last season) and its top returning assist maker, as Jure Span dished 4.1 per game last season.
FAMILY CONNECTION
> Tuesday's matchup vs. the Spartans will not only showcase Gamecock head coach Frank Martin on one end of the court, but also his oldest son, Brandon, on the other end, as the younger Martin is a freshman forward for the Spartans this season and set to make his college debut on Tuesday night. A standout at Cardinal Newman High School in Columbia, Brandon averaged nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season, and was a three-time all-region and two-time all-state honoree. Brandon, a member of the National Honor Society, is a business major at USC Upstate.
> South Carolina is 81-29 all-time in season openers and the Gamecocks have not lost a season lidlifter since suffering a 73-67 loss to Tennessee Tech to open the 2000-01 campaign. Carolina posted a 73-52 win in last season's opener at Wofford. Frank Martin is undefeated at 11-0 in season lidlifters during his career as a head coach (5-0 at Kansas State, 6-0 at Carolina).
> Beginning with Tuesday's matchup vs. USC Upstate, Carolina will play five games over the course of a 13-day span.
> Senior forward Chris Silva is Carolina's top returning scorer and rebounder to the floor this season after averaging a team high 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game a season ago. Silva has garnered several preseason accolades, including Preaseason All-SEC First Team honors by the media, while he was also named to the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List and the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
> The Gamecocks return 64.6 percent of their scoring from last season, just 37.9 percent of made 3-point baskets and 75.8 percent of rebounds.
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett led the Gamecocks with 18 points, hitting six of his 10 attempts from the floor, including four 3s, in Carolina's exhibition vs. Augusta. Gravett is the Gamecocks' top returning assist maker after averaging a team best 3.6 per outing in 2017-18.
FRANK MARTIN
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin enters his seventh season leading the Gamecocks and 12th season overall as a head coach in 2018-19. Martin, the 2017 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year (CollegeInsider.com), led South Carolina to its first Final Four and a school record 26 wins in 2016-17. In his 11 seasons as a head coach, Martin has led his teams to at least 21 wins seven times. Martin is a native of Miami, Fla., and a graduate of FIU.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> South Carolina returns seven letterwinners from last season's 17-16 squad, including senior guard Hassani Gravett and senior forward Chris Silva.
> Silva is the SEC's top returning rebounder after pacing the Gamecocks with 8.0 per game last season. He also averaged a Carolina high 14.3 points per game a year ago.
> Gravett, Silva and junior forward Maik Kotsar were all part of Carolina's 2017 Final Four team.
> Gravett led Carolina with 18 points in the Oct. 26 exhibition vs. Augusta University, while graduate student guard Tre Campbell added 13 points and three assists. Campbell was also 8-of-9 at the free throw line in the matchup.
> Carolina welcomes eight newcomers to its roster this season, including a pair of transfers and six freshmen student-athletes. Jair Bolden (transfer/George Washington/guard), graduate transfer Tre Campbell (transfer/Georgetown/guard), Keyshawn Bryant (freshman/guard), Jermaine Couisnard (freshman/guard), Alanzo Frink (freshman/forward), A.J. Lawson (freshman/guard), T.J. Moss (freshman/guard) and Nathan Nelson (freshman/forward) join the Garnet and Black this fall.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
> USC Upstate is led by first-year head coach Dave Dickerson. Dickerson, a long-time assistant at Ohio State under Thad Matta, was the head coach at Tulane for five seasons, and is a native of Olar, S.C.
> The Spartans are led by senior guard Deion Holmes, the team's top returning scorer after averaging a career best 15.5 per game last season. He tallied 21 double-figure scoring games as a junior, including seven with 20 or more points.
> Holmes was recently named to the Big South Second Team Preseason All-Conference squad, and the Spartans were picked to finish 11th.
> Upstate returns six letterwinners from last season, which also includes the team's top returning rebounder in Malik Moore (6.1 rebounds per game last season) and its top returning assist maker, as Jure Span dished 4.1 per game last season.
FAMILY CONNECTION
> Tuesday's matchup vs. the Spartans will not only showcase Gamecock head coach Frank Martin on one end of the court, but also his oldest son, Brandon, on the other end, as the younger Martin is a freshman forward for the Spartans this season and set to make his college debut on Tuesday night. A standout at Cardinal Newman High School in Columbia, Brandon averaged nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season, and was a three-time all-region and two-time all-state honoree. Brandon, a member of the National Honor Society, is a business major at USC Upstate.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:33 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:25 pm to pioneerbasketball
OPENING TIP
• Alabama steps into the 2018-19 campaign returning four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Avery Johnson's returning letterwinners started 73 percent of last year's games and accounted for 69 percent of the total scoring, 80 percent of the total rebounds, 93 percent of the total blocks, 77 percent of the total minutes played, 76 percent of the total steals, 64 percent of the total assists, 74 percent of its made threes and 71 percent of the total made field goals.
• Alabama is receiving votes to be ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, which came on Oct. 21. The Crimson Tide received 28 votes in the coaches poll and checks in at No. 33 in the nation, while UA's 15 votes to be ranked in the AP poll was good enough for No. 35 nationally.
• Alabama is 84-21 all-time in season openers. The Tide is 46-4 when opening at Coleman Coliseum, but falls to 38-17 when beginning a season on the road.
• Alabama and Southern have not played since the 1988-89 season, 20-years-ago. They have squared off six previous times before then, facing off every season between 1912-17. In the last contest, the Crimson Tide captured a 102-87 victory over the Jaguars on Dec. 19, 1988. Prior to that game, Alabama defeated Southern 72-years before, 22-9, during the 1916-17 season.
• Southern was picked to finish sixth in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference men's basketball preseason poll, as selected by the league's head coaches. The Jaguars Senior Sydney Umude was selected for the second team preseason All-Conference. Umude came in as a transfer halfway through last season after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules.
ALABAMA BEGINS 106th SEASON OF BASKETBALL
• Alabama will begin its 105th season of basketball in 2018-19. The Tide's first season of hoops came in 1912-13. There was no season in 1943-44 due to World War II.
• The Tide has an all-time record of 1,657-1,030-1 (.617), which includes a 783-606 (.559) record in SEC play. The program's first year of play was 1912-13.
• Alabama ranks second in the SEC in league victories and all-time winning percentage.
• UA has made 35 NCAA (20) or NIT (15) appearances and has won seven SEC regular-season titles and six SEC Tournament championships.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama welcomes back three of its top four and nine of the top 11 scorers from last season's squad. Leading the list of returnees is senior forward Donta Hall, who leads all returning players in scoring (10.6 ppg). Last season, the Luverne, Ala., native topped the squad in rebounding (6.6 rpg), blocks (2.0 bpg), dunks (68) and field goal percentage (.726).
• Hall is joined by sophomore John Petty, who was one of only two players to see action in all 36 contests a year ago (Avery Johnson Jr.). Petty led the Tide last season in three-point shooting (90-of-242, .393), while also contributing 10.2 points and 1.8 assists per game in 2017-18, which both rank second-best among all returnees. Meanwhile, junior Dazon Ingram was also a force to reckon with at 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while returning as the team leader in assists (2.6 apg) and free throws made and attempted (122-of-177).
• Senior Riley Norris returns for his graduate year after receiving a medical redshirt last year, and joins senior Avery Johnson Jr. (36 games played, 4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds per game), junior Daniel Giddens (4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds) and a trio of sophomores in Herbert Jones (4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game), Alex Reese (4.2 points, 32.4 percent from three) and Galin Smith (2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.7 blocks per game) as veteran players who will look to make key contributions for the Crimson Tide in 2018-19.
• Junior guard/forward Tevin Mack will be eligible after sitting out the 2017-18 season as an NCAA transfer. Mack, who played his first two seasons at Texas, played in 48 games in his two seasons at Texas and finished with double-digit points 16 times including three games of 20 or more points. Mack led the team in 2016-17 in scoring average (14.8 ppg) and three-point percentage (.391) despite playing just 15 games.
• Alabama steps into the 2018-19 campaign returning four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Avery Johnson's returning letterwinners started 73 percent of last year's games and accounted for 69 percent of the total scoring, 80 percent of the total rebounds, 93 percent of the total blocks, 77 percent of the total minutes played, 76 percent of the total steals, 64 percent of the total assists, 74 percent of its made threes and 71 percent of the total made field goals.
• Alabama is receiving votes to be ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, which came on Oct. 21. The Crimson Tide received 28 votes in the coaches poll and checks in at No. 33 in the nation, while UA's 15 votes to be ranked in the AP poll was good enough for No. 35 nationally.
• Alabama is 84-21 all-time in season openers. The Tide is 46-4 when opening at Coleman Coliseum, but falls to 38-17 when beginning a season on the road.
• Alabama and Southern have not played since the 1988-89 season, 20-years-ago. They have squared off six previous times before then, facing off every season between 1912-17. In the last contest, the Crimson Tide captured a 102-87 victory over the Jaguars on Dec. 19, 1988. Prior to that game, Alabama defeated Southern 72-years before, 22-9, during the 1916-17 season.
• Southern was picked to finish sixth in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference men's basketball preseason poll, as selected by the league's head coaches. The Jaguars Senior Sydney Umude was selected for the second team preseason All-Conference. Umude came in as a transfer halfway through last season after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules.
ALABAMA BEGINS 106th SEASON OF BASKETBALL
• Alabama will begin its 105th season of basketball in 2018-19. The Tide's first season of hoops came in 1912-13. There was no season in 1943-44 due to World War II.
• The Tide has an all-time record of 1,657-1,030-1 (.617), which includes a 783-606 (.559) record in SEC play. The program's first year of play was 1912-13.
• Alabama ranks second in the SEC in league victories and all-time winning percentage.
• UA has made 35 NCAA (20) or NIT (15) appearances and has won seven SEC regular-season titles and six SEC Tournament championships.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama welcomes back three of its top four and nine of the top 11 scorers from last season's squad. Leading the list of returnees is senior forward Donta Hall, who leads all returning players in scoring (10.6 ppg). Last season, the Luverne, Ala., native topped the squad in rebounding (6.6 rpg), blocks (2.0 bpg), dunks (68) and field goal percentage (.726).
• Hall is joined by sophomore John Petty, who was one of only two players to see action in all 36 contests a year ago (Avery Johnson Jr.). Petty led the Tide last season in three-point shooting (90-of-242, .393), while also contributing 10.2 points and 1.8 assists per game in 2017-18, which both rank second-best among all returnees. Meanwhile, junior Dazon Ingram was also a force to reckon with at 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while returning as the team leader in assists (2.6 apg) and free throws made and attempted (122-of-177).
• Senior Riley Norris returns for his graduate year after receiving a medical redshirt last year, and joins senior Avery Johnson Jr. (36 games played, 4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds per game), junior Daniel Giddens (4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds) and a trio of sophomores in Herbert Jones (4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game), Alex Reese (4.2 points, 32.4 percent from three) and Galin Smith (2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.7 blocks per game) as veteran players who will look to make key contributions for the Crimson Tide in 2018-19.
• Junior guard/forward Tevin Mack will be eligible after sitting out the 2017-18 season as an NCAA transfer. Mack, who played his first two seasons at Texas, played in 48 games in his two seasons at Texas and finished with double-digit points 16 times including three games of 20 or more points. Mack led the team in 2016-17 in scoring average (14.8 ppg) and three-point percentage (.391) despite playing just 15 games.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:34 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
Mizzou Men's Basketball launches its 113th season after reaching its first NCAA Tournament since 2012-13 a season ago. The trip to the Big Dance was the program's 27th all-time. Head caoch Cuonzo Martin became the 59th head coach in NCAA history to lead three different programs to the NCAA Tournament (Cal, Tennessee).
Last season, Martin led Mizzou to 20 wins and a tie for fourth place in the SEC, Mizzou's best finish in league play since placing second in the Big 12 in 2011-12. Martin has seven 20-win seasons in 10 years as a head coach.
Mizzou is looking for its fourth consecutive win in a season opener. Mizzu coaches are now 17-2 in debut games after Martin opened the 2017-18 campaign with an emphatic 74-59 victory over Iowa State. Mizzou has won 11 of its last 12 season-opening contests.
Mizzou is 90-22 (.804) in season openers with wins in 23 of its last 26 such games.
The Tigers face with off with Central Arkansas for the second time in program history on Tuesday. The first meeting came on Dec. 18, 2010, when Mizzou prevailed, 116-63. The Tigers set Mizzou Arena records for points (116), field goals made (45) and assists (33) in that impressive win. It marked just the eighth time in program history Mizzou scored 116 points or more in a game.
Mizzou is 14-2 against Southland Conference opponents with the last loss coming to Sam Houston State on Nov. 14, 2005.
Mizzou (20-13) was the nation's third-most improved team record-wise in 2017-18.
Mizzou went 13-3 at home last season, its best mark since going 17-0 in 2012-13. Mizzou Arena boasted the nation's highest attendance increase for the second consecutive season and the Tigers ranked 13th in nation in average attendance per game (15,061).
Last season, Martin led Mizzou to 20 wins and a tie for fourth place in the SEC, Mizzou's best finish in league play since placing second in the Big 12 in 2011-12. Martin has seven 20-win seasons in 10 years as a head coach.
Mizzou is looking for its fourth consecutive win in a season opener. Mizzu coaches are now 17-2 in debut games after Martin opened the 2017-18 campaign with an emphatic 74-59 victory over Iowa State. Mizzou has won 11 of its last 12 season-opening contests.
Mizzou is 90-22 (.804) in season openers with wins in 23 of its last 26 such games.
The Tigers face with off with Central Arkansas for the second time in program history on Tuesday. The first meeting came on Dec. 18, 2010, when Mizzou prevailed, 116-63. The Tigers set Mizzou Arena records for points (116), field goals made (45) and assists (33) in that impressive win. It marked just the eighth time in program history Mizzou scored 116 points or more in a game.
Mizzou is 14-2 against Southland Conference opponents with the last loss coming to Sam Houston State on Nov. 14, 2005.
Mizzou (20-13) was the nation's third-most improved team record-wise in 2017-18.
Mizzou went 13-3 at home last season, its best mark since going 17-0 in 2012-13. Mizzou Arena boasted the nation's highest attendance increase for the second consecutive season and the Tigers ranked 13th in nation in average attendance per game (15,061).
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:35 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
LSU enters the second year of the Will Wade coaching era off an 18-win season a year ago in which the Tigers advanced to the second round of the NIT. The Tigers are young but talented after the LSU staff brought in the No. 4 ranked recruiting class in the 247 composite ratings.
Naz Reid, a 6-10 freshman from Asbury Park, New Jersey, was named to the Abdul-Jabbar Watch List for big men, while returning sophomore point guard Tremont Waters was named to the Bob Cousy watch list.
Waters is a preseason first team All-SEC selection and has been named to the Naismith and NABC POY watch list as well after averaging 15.9 points and 6 assists a year ago as a freshman. He passed out 198 assists, the second most in any season by a Tiger and 40 more than the previous mark for freshman at LSU (158, Ben Simmons, 2016).
Coach Wade’s two-point guard system he likes to run might be stretched to three at times as Skylar Mays returns for his junior season. Mays averaged 11.3 points and 2.9 assists last year. Freshman Ja'vonte Smart from Scotlandville could be used as a possible third point guard on the floor if Coach Wade elects to go that way.
Southeastern won 22 games last year, 15 in league play for Coach Jay Ladner who enters his fifth year as head coach in Hammond. This will be the 13th time the teams have met with LSU holding an 11-1 advantage. The last meeting was in November 2013. Southeastern has played a public exhibition game and defeated Delta State, 68-63. Moses Greenwood led Southeastern with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
This is the first of four straight games at home to open the 2018-19 season. The Tigers will play UNC Greensboro on Friday at 7 p.m., Memphis on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
Naz Reid, a 6-10 freshman from Asbury Park, New Jersey, was named to the Abdul-Jabbar Watch List for big men, while returning sophomore point guard Tremont Waters was named to the Bob Cousy watch list.
Waters is a preseason first team All-SEC selection and has been named to the Naismith and NABC POY watch list as well after averaging 15.9 points and 6 assists a year ago as a freshman. He passed out 198 assists, the second most in any season by a Tiger and 40 more than the previous mark for freshman at LSU (158, Ben Simmons, 2016).
Coach Wade’s two-point guard system he likes to run might be stretched to three at times as Skylar Mays returns for his junior season. Mays averaged 11.3 points and 2.9 assists last year. Freshman Ja'vonte Smart from Scotlandville could be used as a possible third point guard on the floor if Coach Wade elects to go that way.
Southeastern won 22 games last year, 15 in league play for Coach Jay Ladner who enters his fifth year as head coach in Hammond. This will be the 13th time the teams have met with LSU holding an 11-1 advantage. The last meeting was in November 2013. Southeastern has played a public exhibition game and defeated Delta State, 68-63. Moses Greenwood led Southeastern with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
This is the first of four straight games at home to open the 2018-19 season. The Tigers will play UNC Greensboro on Friday at 7 p.m., Memphis on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:37 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
THE SETUP
• Florida and Florida State meet in the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Show-
down to open the 2018-19 season, the fi rst time since 2000-01 that the
teams square off in the opener.
• Florida has won 27 straight season openers, last losing at South Florida
in the 1990-91 season. Two season openers during that streak have been
true road games, one at Florida State to tip the 2000-01 season and the
other at Navy in Mike White’s Florida debut to open 2015-16.
• The Gators look to snap a four-game series skid against Florida State.
2018-19 AT A GLANCE
• Florida looks to make it three straight NCAA Tournament bids this year and will have all but two letterwinners
back from a team that fi nished third in a historically tough SEC last season.
• The Gators will play a minimum of 12 games against preseason AP Top 25 teams this season, including seven
road contests.
• KeVaughn Allen and Kevarrius Hayes will be the Gators’ two fourth-year seniors, while last season’s leading
scorer Jalen Hudson (15.5 ppg) also returns after testing the NBA Draft waters this spring.
• Allen, who led the Gators in scoring in 2016-17, is already in Florida’s top 30 all-time leading scorers and looks
to return to All-SEC form, while Hayes is one of four men to block 60 shots in a season for UF, doing so each of
the past two seasons.
• Keith Stone gives the Gators another experienced frontcourt player as a skilled scorer with a versatile off ensive
game. Stone started 26 games last season and averaged 8.8 points per game.
• Reserve big man Gorjok Gak underwent off season arthroscopic knee surgery to address soreness and stiff ness
that hampered his minutes and productivity last season, while Dontay Bassett took signifi cant strides during
his freshman campaign to become a reliable post presence.
• Mike Okauru saw his minutes increase throughout his freshman campaign, sharing backup point guard duties
with Allen. Meanwhile, Deaundrae Ballard showed fl ashes of his exceptional skill as a scorer and showed
growth throughout his freshman campaign.
• Isaiah Stokes missed all last season recovering from a torn ACL suff ered in high school. Stokes brings a combi-
nation of strength and fi nesse to the post with a soft touch around the basket and the ability to step out and
hit a jumper.
• Chase Johnson played four games last season before his season was derailed due to concussions. Johnson
received a medical redshirt and gives the Gators a talented rebounder and athletic driver with size.
• The trio of incoming freshmen all bring their own high-level skill to table, as Nembhard is one of the top
distributors in the class, Johnson brings elite athleticism, while Locke is regarded as the best pure shooter
in the class
• Florida and Florida State meet in the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Show-
down to open the 2018-19 season, the fi rst time since 2000-01 that the
teams square off in the opener.
• Florida has won 27 straight season openers, last losing at South Florida
in the 1990-91 season. Two season openers during that streak have been
true road games, one at Florida State to tip the 2000-01 season and the
other at Navy in Mike White’s Florida debut to open 2015-16.
• The Gators look to snap a four-game series skid against Florida State.
2018-19 AT A GLANCE
• Florida looks to make it three straight NCAA Tournament bids this year and will have all but two letterwinners
back from a team that fi nished third in a historically tough SEC last season.
• The Gators will play a minimum of 12 games against preseason AP Top 25 teams this season, including seven
road contests.
• KeVaughn Allen and Kevarrius Hayes will be the Gators’ two fourth-year seniors, while last season’s leading
scorer Jalen Hudson (15.5 ppg) also returns after testing the NBA Draft waters this spring.
• Allen, who led the Gators in scoring in 2016-17, is already in Florida’s top 30 all-time leading scorers and looks
to return to All-SEC form, while Hayes is one of four men to block 60 shots in a season for UF, doing so each of
the past two seasons.
• Keith Stone gives the Gators another experienced frontcourt player as a skilled scorer with a versatile off ensive
game. Stone started 26 games last season and averaged 8.8 points per game.
• Reserve big man Gorjok Gak underwent off season arthroscopic knee surgery to address soreness and stiff ness
that hampered his minutes and productivity last season, while Dontay Bassett took signifi cant strides during
his freshman campaign to become a reliable post presence.
• Mike Okauru saw his minutes increase throughout his freshman campaign, sharing backup point guard duties
with Allen. Meanwhile, Deaundrae Ballard showed fl ashes of his exceptional skill as a scorer and showed
growth throughout his freshman campaign.
• Isaiah Stokes missed all last season recovering from a torn ACL suff ered in high school. Stokes brings a combi-
nation of strength and fi nesse to the post with a soft touch around the basket and the ability to step out and
hit a jumper.
• Chase Johnson played four games last season before his season was derailed due to concussions. Johnson
received a medical redshirt and gives the Gators a talented rebounder and athletic driver with size.
• The trio of incoming freshmen all bring their own high-level skill to table, as Nembhard is one of the top
distributors in the class, Johnson brings elite athleticism, while Locke is regarded as the best pure shooter
in the class
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:38 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
AUBURN, Ala. – The wait is over. The 2018-19 season is here.
No. 11 Auburn begins its journey with a test against in-state foe South Alabama Tuesday night. The action is set to get underway inside Auburn Arena at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network.
"This will be a really challenging opener for us," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "South Alabama is good. (Head coach) Richie Riley is really good.
"They return four starters from a year ago and they bring back 83 percent of their offense. … It's a good team. They're really going to challenge us."
The Tigers, meanwhile, boast a strong nucleus that returns following a 26-win season en route to the Southeastern Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 seasons.
"I'm very excited," senior guard Bryce Brown said. "This is my last year, my last go-round with my guys - my brothers. It will be real interesting to see what we have tomorrow and how much energy we have tomorrow. I know I'm going to come out and probably be more fired up than I have been just because I know this is my last year stepping on the court."
Auburn and South Alabama are set to reignite a rivalry that dates back to 1972. The Tigers lead the overall series 5-4, including the last two results in 2006 and 2001.
Auburn is coming off a 76-62 exhibition victory vs. Lincoln Memorial Nov. 2. In that game, Jared Harper led the way with 22 points, while Chuma Okeke added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Tigers are on the back end of a doubleheader as the Auburn women's basketball team begins its season in a matchup with Grambling at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on the Auburn Sports Network, while Mike Morgan and Andy Kennedy will describe the action on SEC Network.
Following the season opener, the Tigers entertain No. 25 Washington for a top-25 showdown Friday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 p.m. CT.
No. 11 Auburn begins its journey with a test against in-state foe South Alabama Tuesday night. The action is set to get underway inside Auburn Arena at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network.
"This will be a really challenging opener for us," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "South Alabama is good. (Head coach) Richie Riley is really good.
"They return four starters from a year ago and they bring back 83 percent of their offense. … It's a good team. They're really going to challenge us."
The Tigers, meanwhile, boast a strong nucleus that returns following a 26-win season en route to the Southeastern Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 seasons.
"I'm very excited," senior guard Bryce Brown said. "This is my last year, my last go-round with my guys - my brothers. It will be real interesting to see what we have tomorrow and how much energy we have tomorrow. I know I'm going to come out and probably be more fired up than I have been just because I know this is my last year stepping on the court."
Auburn and South Alabama are set to reignite a rivalry that dates back to 1972. The Tigers lead the overall series 5-4, including the last two results in 2006 and 2001.
Auburn is coming off a 76-62 exhibition victory vs. Lincoln Memorial Nov. 2. In that game, Jared Harper led the way with 22 points, while Chuma Okeke added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Tigers are on the back end of a doubleheader as the Auburn women's basketball team begins its season in a matchup with Grambling at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on the Auburn Sports Network, while Mike Morgan and Andy Kennedy will describe the action on SEC Network.
Following the season opener, the Tigers entertain No. 25 Washington for a top-25 showdown Friday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 p.m. CT.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:40 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
When it was announced last season that the State Farm Champions Classic would move up a week and start the 2018-19 college basketball season, there was obviously a ton of excitement and hype based on the history of the four programs. Fast forward to game week and the hype has grown exponentially. There are a number of reasons why.
First, one needs to look no further than the rankings beside each teams' names. UK enters the season ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll while Duke will start the season at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. The significance? Not only is it the first time UK has opened the regular season vs. an opponent ranked inside the AP Top 25 since Nov. 15, 1996 (the third-ranked Wildcats fell to 20th-ranked Clemson 79-71 in overtime), it's the first time Kentucky has been a part of an AP top-five matchup since Nov. 17, 1979.
The opponent for that game? None other than Duke (No. 3), which defeated the Wildcats (No. 2) 82-76 in overtime in the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.
As a matter of fact, according to STATS, this will mark just the seventh time in AP Top 25 history that two top-five teams will meet one another in their respective season openers and the first time since 1994 when John Calipari's No. 3 UMass team toppled No. 1 Arkansas 104-80.
UK (regardless of its ranking) has played a top-10 opponent to open a season four other times, posting a 2-2 mark in those games.
The excitement for this game also grew as the two schools -- as they often do recently -- locked up the nation's top two ranked recruiting classes. Nearly a third of the top 30 players in ESPN's class of 2018 rankings play at Kentucky (five) or Duke (four).
UK leads the all-time matchup with Duke 12-9 with a number of memorable moments. While most are quick to point to the infamous Christian Laettner shot in 1992, the Wildcats have some unforgettable victories over the Blue Devils, most notably the 1978 national championship game and a double-digit Kentucky comeback in the 1998 Elite Eight to get to the Final Four and eventually the program's seventh national title.
Remarkably, both teams have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 in 10 of the last 13 meetings of these two teams, including this season.
All told, UK has been featured in a top-five AP matchup in the Champions Classic on three other occasions.
• Nov. 12, 2013 - No. 2 Michigan State 78, No. 1 Kentucky 74
• Nov. 18, 2014 - No. 1 Kentucky 72, No. 5 Kansas 40
• Nov. 17, 2015 - No. 2 Kentucky 74, No. 5 Duke 63
UK is 5-3 overall when both teams are ranked in the top five under Calipari. As for this matchup and its Champions Classic implications ...
Winner Takes Champions Classic Lead
In an event that features the titans of college basketball, Kentucky and Duke have the opportunity Tuesday to take sole possession of first place in the series' total wins. The two schools enter Tuesday's showdown with identical 4-3 records in the State Farm Champions Classic.
• The series is tightly bunched. Behind UK and Duke, Kansas and Michigan State each have 3-4 records
• This will be the third meeting between the Wildcats and the Blue Devils but the first since UK defeated Duke 74-63 in Chicago in 2015. The Wildcats are 1-1 vs. the Blue Devils in the Champions Classic
• The matchup in Bankers Life Fieldhouse should bring back positive memories for Big Blue Nation. The last time the Champions Classic was in Indianapolis in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in 2014, UK stomped Kansas 72-40 to spark one of the best seasons in UK history. That 2014-15 team went on to a 38-0 record before falling in the Final Four in -- of all places -- Indianapolis, just down the street at Lucas Oil Stadium.
First, one needs to look no further than the rankings beside each teams' names. UK enters the season ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll while Duke will start the season at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. The significance? Not only is it the first time UK has opened the regular season vs. an opponent ranked inside the AP Top 25 since Nov. 15, 1996 (the third-ranked Wildcats fell to 20th-ranked Clemson 79-71 in overtime), it's the first time Kentucky has been a part of an AP top-five matchup since Nov. 17, 1979.
The opponent for that game? None other than Duke (No. 3), which defeated the Wildcats (No. 2) 82-76 in overtime in the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.
As a matter of fact, according to STATS, this will mark just the seventh time in AP Top 25 history that two top-five teams will meet one another in their respective season openers and the first time since 1994 when John Calipari's No. 3 UMass team toppled No. 1 Arkansas 104-80.
UK (regardless of its ranking) has played a top-10 opponent to open a season four other times, posting a 2-2 mark in those games.
The excitement for this game also grew as the two schools -- as they often do recently -- locked up the nation's top two ranked recruiting classes. Nearly a third of the top 30 players in ESPN's class of 2018 rankings play at Kentucky (five) or Duke (four).
UK leads the all-time matchup with Duke 12-9 with a number of memorable moments. While most are quick to point to the infamous Christian Laettner shot in 1992, the Wildcats have some unforgettable victories over the Blue Devils, most notably the 1978 national championship game and a double-digit Kentucky comeback in the 1998 Elite Eight to get to the Final Four and eventually the program's seventh national title.
Remarkably, both teams have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 in 10 of the last 13 meetings of these two teams, including this season.
All told, UK has been featured in a top-five AP matchup in the Champions Classic on three other occasions.
• Nov. 12, 2013 - No. 2 Michigan State 78, No. 1 Kentucky 74
• Nov. 18, 2014 - No. 1 Kentucky 72, No. 5 Kansas 40
• Nov. 17, 2015 - No. 2 Kentucky 74, No. 5 Duke 63
UK is 5-3 overall when both teams are ranked in the top five under Calipari. As for this matchup and its Champions Classic implications ...
Winner Takes Champions Classic Lead
In an event that features the titans of college basketball, Kentucky and Duke have the opportunity Tuesday to take sole possession of first place in the series' total wins. The two schools enter Tuesday's showdown with identical 4-3 records in the State Farm Champions Classic.
• The series is tightly bunched. Behind UK and Duke, Kansas and Michigan State each have 3-4 records
• This will be the third meeting between the Wildcats and the Blue Devils but the first since UK defeated Duke 74-63 in Chicago in 2015. The Wildcats are 1-1 vs. the Blue Devils in the Champions Classic
• The matchup in Bankers Life Fieldhouse should bring back positive memories for Big Blue Nation. The last time the Champions Classic was in Indianapolis in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in 2014, UK stomped Kansas 72-40 to spark one of the best seasons in UK history. That 2014-15 team went on to a 38-0 record before falling in the Final Four in -- of all places -- Indianapolis, just down the street at Lucas Oil Stadium.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:43 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:26 pm to pioneerbasketball
Vanderbilt Basketball Quick Hitters
This is the 116th year of Vanderbilt basketball, with the first season taking place in 1900-01. There were no teams in 1904-05 and 1905-06.
Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew and his staff will welcome the highest decorated recruiting class in the program's history this fall in point guard Darius Garland, forward Aaron Nesmith, and forward/center Simisola Shittu. Garland and Shittu were consensus five-star prospects, and Nesmith was a four-star recruit who won the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year award, beating out highly touted center Zion Williamson, who eventually signed with Duke.
Drew, now in his third season, led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Nashville, marking the first time in the history of the program a first-year Vanderbilt coach led his team to the tournament.
Vanderbilt returns eight letterwinners and two starters from a year ago, with rising sophomore guard Saben Lee leading the way after averaging 10.6 points per game in 2017-18. Senior Joe Toye, who has played significant minutes in his first three years with the Commodores, averaged 5.7 points per game. Other returnees include sophomore Maxwell Evans, junior Clevon Brown, sophomore Ejike Obinna, and sophomore walk-on Isaiah Rice.
Junior transfers Matt Ryan and Yanni Wetzell will also suit up for the black and gold after sitting out last season. Ryan is a 6'8 forward who transferred from Notre Dame and Wetzell is a 6'10 center who last played at St. Mary's College in Texas.
The Commodores have had five NBA Draft picks since 2012 - Wade Baldwin IV (17th, Memphis Grizzlies), Damian Jones (30th, Golden State Warriors), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta), Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State), and Jeffery Taylor (31st, Charlotte) in 2012.
Matthew Fisher-Davis, Riley LaChance and Jeff Roberson each departed Vanderbilt as 1,000-point scorers. Each were four-year players for the Commodores who advanced to the postseason on three different occasions (2015 NIT, 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournaments). LaChance finished 15th on Vanderbilt's all-time scoring list with 1,476 points, Roberson 20th with 1,373 points, and Fisher-Davis 31st with 1,219 points. There has been only one other class of Vanderbilt players to have three 1,000-point scorers - the vaunted "F Troop" - Butch Feher, Joe Ford and Jeff Fosnes in 1976. Fisher-Davis (Windy City Bulls) and Roberson (Maine Red Claws) are now playing in the NBA G League, while LaChance has taken his talents to play professionally in Poland.
Besides Fisher-Davis, LaChance and Roberson's departures, junior guard Larry Austin, Jr. graduated with a Vanderbilt degree in May and transferred to Central Michigan as a graduate transfer and will be eligible immediately for the Chippewas. Sophomore guard Payton Willis transferred to Minnesota and will sit a year for the Golden Gophers, while redshirt sophomore big man Djery Baptiste left the team to concentrate on his studies at Vanderbilt, where he will graduate with an undergraduate degree in December and play at UMass beginning in January as a graduate transfer.
The Commodores played nine games in 2017-18 against a ranked opponent - USC (#10/#10), Virginia (RV/#25), Seton Hall (#20/#20), Arizona State (#5/#6), Tennessee (#24/#23; #22/#21), Kentucky (#21/#20; #21/#22) and Auburn (#11/#13). The four ranked non-conference opponents were the most by a Commodore team since 1988, when Vanderbilt also played four (11/22 - # 2 Michigan, L, 66-91; 11/27 - #16 Ohio State, L, 82-97; 11/30 - #13 Louisville, W, 65-62; 12/7 - #8 North Carolina, L, 77-89).
Roberson was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches in 2017-18. He finished the regular season fifth in the league in scoring (17.0), fifth in rebounding (7.2), second in free throw percentage (.852), fourth in field goal percentage (.484), fourth in defensive rebounds (5.3), and second in the SEC in 20-point games in SEC games only with nine. Roberson's scoring average is the highest by a Commodore player since John Jenkins averaged 19.9 points per game in 2012. Roberson also finished seventh on Vanderbilt's all-time total rebounding list with 755.
Home Openers
Vanderbilt's record in home openers at Memorial Gym - the SEC's oldest basketball facility is in its 67th season - is 59-7. The Commodores have won 11 consecutive home openers, dating back to an 86-70 loss to Georgetown on November 15, 2006.
This is the 116th year of Vanderbilt basketball, with the first season taking place in 1900-01. There were no teams in 1904-05 and 1905-06.
Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew and his staff will welcome the highest decorated recruiting class in the program's history this fall in point guard Darius Garland, forward Aaron Nesmith, and forward/center Simisola Shittu. Garland and Shittu were consensus five-star prospects, and Nesmith was a four-star recruit who won the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year award, beating out highly touted center Zion Williamson, who eventually signed with Duke.
Drew, now in his third season, led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Nashville, marking the first time in the history of the program a first-year Vanderbilt coach led his team to the tournament.
Vanderbilt returns eight letterwinners and two starters from a year ago, with rising sophomore guard Saben Lee leading the way after averaging 10.6 points per game in 2017-18. Senior Joe Toye, who has played significant minutes in his first three years with the Commodores, averaged 5.7 points per game. Other returnees include sophomore Maxwell Evans, junior Clevon Brown, sophomore Ejike Obinna, and sophomore walk-on Isaiah Rice.
Junior transfers Matt Ryan and Yanni Wetzell will also suit up for the black and gold after sitting out last season. Ryan is a 6'8 forward who transferred from Notre Dame and Wetzell is a 6'10 center who last played at St. Mary's College in Texas.
The Commodores have had five NBA Draft picks since 2012 - Wade Baldwin IV (17th, Memphis Grizzlies), Damian Jones (30th, Golden State Warriors), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta), Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State), and Jeffery Taylor (31st, Charlotte) in 2012.
Matthew Fisher-Davis, Riley LaChance and Jeff Roberson each departed Vanderbilt as 1,000-point scorers. Each were four-year players for the Commodores who advanced to the postseason on three different occasions (2015 NIT, 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournaments). LaChance finished 15th on Vanderbilt's all-time scoring list with 1,476 points, Roberson 20th with 1,373 points, and Fisher-Davis 31st with 1,219 points. There has been only one other class of Vanderbilt players to have three 1,000-point scorers - the vaunted "F Troop" - Butch Feher, Joe Ford and Jeff Fosnes in 1976. Fisher-Davis (Windy City Bulls) and Roberson (Maine Red Claws) are now playing in the NBA G League, while LaChance has taken his talents to play professionally in Poland.
Besides Fisher-Davis, LaChance and Roberson's departures, junior guard Larry Austin, Jr. graduated with a Vanderbilt degree in May and transferred to Central Michigan as a graduate transfer and will be eligible immediately for the Chippewas. Sophomore guard Payton Willis transferred to Minnesota and will sit a year for the Golden Gophers, while redshirt sophomore big man Djery Baptiste left the team to concentrate on his studies at Vanderbilt, where he will graduate with an undergraduate degree in December and play at UMass beginning in January as a graduate transfer.
The Commodores played nine games in 2017-18 against a ranked opponent - USC (#10/#10), Virginia (RV/#25), Seton Hall (#20/#20), Arizona State (#5/#6), Tennessee (#24/#23; #22/#21), Kentucky (#21/#20; #21/#22) and Auburn (#11/#13). The four ranked non-conference opponents were the most by a Commodore team since 1988, when Vanderbilt also played four (11/22 - # 2 Michigan, L, 66-91; 11/27 - #16 Ohio State, L, 82-97; 11/30 - #13 Louisville, W, 65-62; 12/7 - #8 North Carolina, L, 77-89).
Roberson was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches in 2017-18. He finished the regular season fifth in the league in scoring (17.0), fifth in rebounding (7.2), second in free throw percentage (.852), fourth in field goal percentage (.484), fourth in defensive rebounds (5.3), and second in the SEC in 20-point games in SEC games only with nine. Roberson's scoring average is the highest by a Commodore player since John Jenkins averaged 19.9 points per game in 2012. Roberson also finished seventh on Vanderbilt's all-time total rebounding list with 755.
Home Openers
Vanderbilt's record in home openers at Memorial Gym - the SEC's oldest basketball facility is in its 67th season - is 59-7. The Commodores have won 11 consecutive home openers, dating back to an 86-70 loss to Georgetown on November 15, 2006.
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:48 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:27 pm to pioneerbasketball
Lets Not forget Wayde Sims
This post was edited on 11/6/18 at 5:50 pm
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:27 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:27 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:27 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:27 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:28 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:28 pm to pioneerbasketball
Reserved
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:28 pm to the808bass
Reserved.
Posted on 11/6/18 at 5:29 pm to pioneerbasketball
Well this is an interesting strategy that will fail because threads get anchored every Sunday after the scoreboard gets locked
Page 1 of 20
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News