Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Down Goes #1 Vomit Orange

WHAT A GAME.

An electrifying 32-point performance from Shan Foster, outstanding defensive effort, a mere seven turnovers, huge minutes for the younger guys, Beal stepping up with 17, Ross getting JaJuan Smith all jazzed up, and all with AJ on the bench for most of the game...

I'd say there's one or two things for us to talk about. Everyone else is.

72-69 win over the Tennessee Vols, whose #1 ranking lasted just over 24 hours. Biggest regular-season win in Vanderbilt history?

Let's hear ya.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I
LOVE
MY
LIFE

Anonymous said...

Right, so I just finished a la flor dominicana double ligero and a large glass of lagavulin...it's weird but for 45 minutes I was humming under my breath:

dynamite!
dynamite!
when vandy starts to fight!

Sol Blake said...

Amazing win! and to be honest, we didn't play out of our mind to win it. Solid D and the big game you expect out of Shan these days.

We still had a lot of foul trouble, finished the first half on a long scoring draught, and saw Ogilvy stuck on the bench for most of the game. Despite all that, we still controlled the whole game. Just amazing


My dad is an alum too...he says def biggest vanderbilt win ever.

Anonymous said...

I was in the student section for Florida last year and in almost the same exact seat for the game tonight (what can I say, I'm a little superstitious) and in my estimation the crowd was as jacked up as I've ever seen. It gets my vote for the best win in Commodore B-ball history.

Boyer in the District said...

Couple of thoughts:

1) Jason - excellent excellent on the Lagavulin. The Islay malts are the best.

2) Too bad the entire NCAA tournament won't be played at Memorial, huh fellas?

3) WAR Arkansas pissing on the fire on Saturday.

Boyer in the District

Bobby O'Shea said...

What a great game. There was a couple of minute stretch in the second half when it appeared the game was about to get away from the Commodores. The most impressive thing about the win was the fact were were able to weather the storm and pull out a "W."

A few thoughts:

- Shan Foster now has to be considered the front runner for SEC Player of the Year.

- Stanimal and I were talking a minute ago, and it hit me that Shan Foster had his "DB" moment last night. Either of us remember Shan taking over a game the way he did last night. I really didn't know he could put this team on his back and say "I've got this." Last night, he did that. He dropped 12 in the first half despite foul trouble, and then absolutely exploded in the 2nd. The fact he was able to play all 20 minutes and not take himself out of the game by not picking up an early, cheap foul.

- Praise for Kevin Stallings is deserved for the adjustment he made. Putting Jamie Graham in the game to harrass Chris Lofton was genius. He was in his jock the entire time he was on the floor. As we come down the stretch, it's nice to know there is a "shut down" defender coming off the bench.

- Criticism for Kevin Stallings: I thought he brought AJ in at the wrong time. Now, before you start jumping down my throat as being a Monday Morning QB, I said that when he checked in the game, not after he picked up his 4th foul. If you're not going to start him, sit him until after the first TV timeout. The risk/reward wasn't in Vanderbilt's favor and we out ourselves behind the 8-ball early.

- The bench was absent for the 2nd game in a row. Besides Metcalfe's 6 points, the bench scored 0 points on 4 shots. That's a discouraging trend.

Enjoy it VSL Nation, Saturday's game at Arkansas is going to be a doosey.

J.B., M.D. said...

The best postgame highlight came from BP's interview when he was whining about a lack of foul calls/free throw attempts. If that molestation on Ross Neltner's lay up attempt wasn't a foul, then I'm not hungover at work right now.

I enjoyed watching this postgame Q&A nestled up on the couch with a beer, being lulled to sleep as BP's sweet sweet tears stained his Sunkist blazer.

Stanimal said...

Jermaine Beal needs to get some credit for his play too. He stepped up big with 17 when our number 2 scorer was on the bench for most of the game. More importantly, he handled the Tennessee press with unbelievable poise. Not to mention his free throw shooting down the stretch further solidified how clutch he is. He really helped us put Tennessee away.

Big shout out to the dolla for his game.

Seamus O'Toole said...

Pearl complaining about the calls struck me too. It's just downright remarkable that LACK of foul calling was his straw man of choice in a game that saw no fewer than 53 personal fouls and in which his team was in the bonus before the first TV timeout of the second half. Unreal.

I don't think anyone would say they love the way this game was officiated, but credit the refs with refusing to let the emotions of the game get out of hand and at least over-calling (or missing calls) on both ends. I agree though, the play where Neltner got clobbered going to the rack was just absurd given the fact that there was a ref literally right there under the basket. Also loved the touch-foul followed by two steps to the basket and open layup somehow turning into a 3-point play for UT. That would've been controversial in the NBA...

Still, the refs were not the difference. The Truth was the Difference.

Douglas James said...

I totally agree Stan. With AJ on the bench for most of the game I think Beal should get a ton of credit for this win. I have been alittle disappointed with his shooting touch but he hit a huge three, a big lay up and the fact that he had no turnovers can't be understated. Also did anyone else see Red's redickulous cross over move in the 1st half....

Aaron said...

"We’re not much into gloating, we like to do it with class"

- Kevin Stallings post-game

I, for one, love to gloat, and will do it in the face of every UT fan i see for the next year.

SOTH said...

Honestly, why gloat about a season split, especially when there could be another meeting down the line?

Did you not expect to win this game?

Congrats to the Dores, who put their poor performance in Knoxville out of their minds and took it to the Vols for 40 minutes.

Very impressive considering AJ's foul trouble.

Shan is money.


The key was Vandy's ability to answer in the 2nd half. It seems like every time that the Vols scored to cut into Vandy's lead, the Dores answered with a bucket or two free throws. No basket was more painful than Shan's three after the Vols had gotten three of their own after a free throw then a tip-in off of a missed free throw. The Vols could never get any momentum going late in the second half, and Vandy is to be greatly commended for that.

It really is disappointing to see Vandy fans call Tennessee fans rednecks on national TV. I cheer for the team in orange, but I am no redneck.

Anonymous said...

This morning. 9:30am.

My students--I teach English at LSU, but more importantly, teach them the excellence that is Vanderbilt--are expecting a lecture. I stand at the podium. I say nothing. Suddenly, through the surround sound speakers in the lecture hall rings: Dynamite! Dynamite! When Vandy takes the field...

...and I rip off my jacket, pop my Vanderbilt sweater, and march up and down the aisles singing.

My students learned something today.

Anonymous said...

BTW, a lot of future TN opponents are going to watch the tape of Stallings's tactic of sneaking that guy down late as an outlet to break the press.

Good coaching.

Daniel Ryan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daniel Ryan said...

Jermaine Beal was the MVP. 17 points, 2 assists, NO turnovers. That's the guy I want running the show in the NCAA's.

by the way, check out my blog at

vandydan.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

pearl blows

ut blows

american idol blows

It's a trifecta...a hat trick.

Anonymous said...

Beating UT (in any sport) is becoming just another routine win. We EXPECT to beat them, every time we play them.

Anonymous said...

that was great...

approaching mid-day today i feel the need to now get over the win and get ready for arkansas. hopefully the team is doing the same. we're on a great roll right now and winning at arkansas is our chance to get our only quality road win. if they can win this, they'll show me they can hang w/ anybody.

Douglas James said...

Two Vanderbilt questions got answered during Andy Glockner's chat on ESPN.com's chat. The second one is mine

Brent (Atlanta): Any chance Vanderbilt could get that last #2 seed?

Andy Glockner: (2:37 PM ET ) Sure. Stanford could be in the mix right now, Georgetown, too. Maybe a couple other teams I'm forgetting...

VANDERBILT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: I would love thoughts on any of these topics....Shan Foster? Kevin Stallings? Memorial Magic?

Andy Glockner: (2:39 PM ET ) SEC player of the year. Terrific coach who might be attractive for a larger program. Uncanny ability to drive Vandy to big home wins.

Unknown said...

finally got some love in the power 16 on espn. without a single vote last time we jumped in at 15 this week.

Douglas James said...

I am on a roll with these chats

Doug (Nashville, TN): Can we get some Vandy love now?

Joe Lunardi: (4:40 PM ET ) I love you, Vandy. Will you be my belated Valentine?

Anonymous said...

Douglas: Only a #4?? His anti-VU bias is now obvious and you know it killed him to move them up even that one spot.

Again, as LA Times reporter Irwin R. Fletcher once said, Lunardi molests collies.