Wednesday Morning Links

Some of this is old, but just bear with me until we get caught up...

Monday Look Back: 'Nova and 'Cuse flex Big East muscle - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com 

Win to brag about: It's unclear how good Saint Mary's is without Patrick Mills, but I know it's tough to go into McKeon Pavilion and leave with a victory either way, proof being how the Gaels were 32-2 at home the past three years. So Vanderbilt's 72-70 victory at St. Mary's late Friday was impressive, however you look at it. And yes, Vandy fans, I know I'm probably going to regret picking the Commodores fifth in the SEC Eastern Division. Honestly, I'm already regretting it (although Lance Stephenson could make me look less stupid if he somehow leads Cincinnati past the Commodores in the first round of the Maui Invitational).

Top 25 after Week 2's action - CBK News - FOX Sports on MSN

19. Vanderbilt (2-0)

Team needs a stong showing versus Arizona to make people forget about how disinterested they looked versus the Bearcats...

Vanderbilt can't be distracted in Maui | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

"The Australia trip was a little more pleasure," said Ogilvy, who is from Australia. "It was more about seeing another part of the world. This is in-season now. We're all business. We're not going to see the sights. This means something now."

It's a shame that we squandered the opportunity versus Cincinnati.  I'm expecting this team to play more to their potential versus Arizona tonight at 6pm CT.

VUcommodores.com Blog: Maui Madness

Darshawn started a little slow against the Zags, but battled back and got his groove going in the second half. He took the lead late in the game, and XBox-Jermaine Beal hit a late three to put the dagger in the Zags. Understandably, our guys went crazy and celebrated with Darshawn on the medal stand.

Advanced NFL Stats: Hawks, Doves, and Home Field Advantage

The cognitive part of our brains would be able to overcome most of these "dovish" instincts and tell ourselves to try just as hard, but maybe not completely. Even if the bourgeois effect dulls the visitors' edge an by an imperceptibly small 0.2%, leaving the visiting team playing at 99.8%, that difference occurs in play after play. The cumulative effect is what becomes HFA, where home teams win a very noticeable 57% of the time.

I found this article to be a brief, but interesting look at home [court] advantage in college basketball.

VUcommodores.com Blog: A jump above the rest

"Jeff’s probably the most explosive athlete that I’ve ever coached," head coach Kevin Stallings said. "His ability to come down and go back up before anybody else even realizes that back-ups the move is really kind of uncanny. He’s just a different kind of athlete."

The Vanderbilt Vendidad: Clair{V}oyance: Vanderbilt vs. St. Mary's

"When it comes to Festus and shot-blocking, the question is not "if," but "will any of the basketballs explode?" Here’s your answer: yes, but not how you expect."

So good. Still the best surrealist Vanderbilt sports blog out there (by a measure of length only Jeff Taylor could leap).

VUcommodores.com Blog: Jenkins talks about Commodore debut

"I’m not called upon to score as many points as I did in high school. I'm just trying to play the game and do whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do whether it’s scoring, rebounding, or taking charges. I’ll do all the dirty work. Whatever it takes to win. "I’ve never been a part of a team that can go 11 deep. Practice is definitely tough and you have to bring it every day. You'll see me out here shooting before practice going hard just to make sure I'm ready for practice. It’s definitely no joke out here.

Rough season still beneficial to Smith | InsideVandy

No bye weeks, a young corps of receivers and a tough slate of Southeastern Conference defenses made the season a challenge. Smith struggled to complete downfield passes early in the season, and the no-huddle offense installed by the Commodore coaching staff fizzled. Going into Smith’s final game against the Yellow Jackets, Vanderbilt had scored just 40 points total in a four-game losing streak and had only scored one touchdown through the air." Not to mention injuries to key contributors, inconsistent offensive line play, and the preseason ineligibility of WR Terrence Jeffers, a transfer from UConn.

Forgettable year inspires Andre Walker - VANDERBILT OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Statistics show Andre Walker to be one of the most important Commodores on the court. I'll expound upon this as the season moves along.