The Vanderbilt Commodores ended their 2009-10 season in disappointing fashion, getting upset 66-65 as a No. 4 seed by No. 13 seed Murray State on a last-second shot. All in all, the Southeastern Conference) record was a success, but Vanderbilt is looking for more this year. The biggest problem the Commodore face is trying to replace their top two scorers from last season: center A.J. Ogilvy and point guard Jermaine Beal.
A coach on the court, Beal was a steadying force for the young Commodores last season. He was never afraid to step up and take a big shot down the stretch. Vanderbilt will not only miss his scoring, but also how he set his teammates up for easy opportunities to put the ball in the basket.
The much-maligned Ogilvy will also be missed due to the lack of depth inside in terms of high volume scorers. One of the main questions this squad will face is how they will get scoring production from their big men. Thus, at first glance you might expect Vanderbilt to take a step back this season. But veteran head coach Kevin Stallings believes the Commodores will once again be a factor in the always-tough SEC East.
“I’m very excited,” said Stallings, who has guided Vanderbilt to the NCAA Tournament three times in the past four years. “I think we can have a better offensive team this year, and that’s saying something because we lost our two leading scorers. I am very pleased with what we have.”
What he has are two premier scorers in the sharpshooting guard John Jenkins and silky-smooth slashing junior forward Jeffery Taylor. Taylor is slotted into the starting lineup for the third straight season. He averaged 13.3 point last year, with almost all of his points coming on drives to the basket. While he is effective driving to the basket, dunking and making his free throws, Taylor could become a real force if he develops a consistent 15-foot jump shot and perimeter game.
Sophomore John Jenkins comes off a strong first year, in which he broke into the starting lineup for the final six games on the schedule. Jenkins averaged 11 points in 23.1 minutes while shooting an amazing 48.3 percent from beyond the arc during the year. His production rose to 14.2 points on 62.5 percent 3-point shooting during that final six game stretch in which Stallings started him. For the Commodores to be successful they will need contributions from the rest of the supporting cast: point guard Brad Tinsley, power forward Andre Walker and center Festus Ezeli.
Tinsley will slide over to the point after playing the past two seasons at shooting guard. Stallings sees the change as a positive thing for Tinsley. “I think he will be a better point guard than shooting guard,” Stallings said. “He has been the best facilitator of offense since he has been here.”
Redshirt junior forward Andre Walker is one of the team’s most reliable defensive stoppers. However, he scored more than 10 points only twice despite averaging 25 minutes per game. While he is versatile as a ball handler, the Commodores will probably spell Walker with freshman Rod Odom. Odom could be the solution to Vanderbilt’s lack of a proven scorer inside.
Festus Ezeli will man the center position, vacated by Ogilvy. Ezeli didn’t play much last season, only 12.7 minutes, and averaged 3.8 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Ezeli will split time with Steve Tchiengang, a defensive-minded big man who is making strides in a developing offensive game. Stallings loves the physical presence that Tchiengang brings to the table, but Ezeli’s size at 6-foot-11-inches and ability to block shots — 1.3 per game in limited minutes last year —makes him a more logical choice to start at center.
The Commodores are expected to compete for the SEC title this season; however, the SEC will be tougher than last year. Florida returns five starters; Kentucky has reloaded for another big season, and a new wave of Volunteers should keep Tennessee in the mix all year. In spite of this, the Commodores should manage to finish at least in the top three in the SEC East, and don’t be surprised if Vanderbilt contends for its first SEC regular season title since 1993. The Commodores have a relatively easy non-conference schedule, with the only real tests being a trip to Missouri and a home date against Marquette. Expect the Commodores to return to the NCAA Tournament as a single-digit seed.
