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Air Sweden 2010. The 2011 version has an additional 20 pounds of muscle and will be unveiled November 3rd. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

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The 2010-2011 Vanderbilt Commodores Men's Basketball schedule has been released. As VUCommodores.com has noted:

Vanderbilt will play on ESPN five times this season, and could see as many as seven (two flex ESPN/ESPN2 games). The five games on ESPN marks the most the Commodores have ever played on the channel - the previous record was four in 2009-2010.

My instant reaction follows after the break...

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Nebraska/Davidson/Hofstra all the way to the BANK, son!

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Vanderbilt's typically cookie-cutter out-of-conference basketball schedule just got a bit more exciting. With the release of the 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off Bracket, the Commodores are now looking at potential showdowns with perennial contender North Carolina and 2010 Final Four veterans West Virginia before SEC play kicks off. The strength of the tournament is a breath of fresh air in comparison to some of Vandy's past early season showdowns, which included games against such luminaries as Utah State and Bradley (2007 South Padre Island Invitational), Drake and Virginia Commonwealth (2008 Cancun Challenge), and lackluster Cincinnati and Arizona teams (2009 Maui Invitational, the OOC highlight of recent years). 

The jump in competition is a step in the right direction for the 'Dores, although several issues could keep the tournament from having a major impact on their 2010-2011 strength of schedule rating. As always, there's no guarantee that the team faces anyone aside from Nebraska, which would do little to raise their profile. Secondly, teams like North Carolina (coming off a down year and having lost their most talented player), West Virginia (coming off an amazing year but dealing with the loss of their best player as well) and Minnesota (consistently inconsistent) may not prove to be the landmark opponents that Coach Kevin Stallings wants them to be when all is said and done. If the Commodores advance far enough to take on some of the tournament's more established teams, there's no guarantee that the squads they get will be the powerhouses they are advertised to be.

Despite these concerns, Vandy's players and fans have to be happy with this draw. This team will have an immediate chance to prove that the progression of players like Jeffery Taylor and John Jenkins will be enough to offset the loss of Jermaine Beal and A.J. Ogilvy. Add in the guaranteed national exposure and this team will have three straight games early in the season to establish a position as a Top 25 squad as well as push the star power of swingmen Jenkins and Taylor. If the team can come away from Puerto Rico with a pair of quality wins, it will lend a lot of credence to the idea that Vanderbilt can get it done away from Memorial Gym - and the confidence built there would do wonders for a young team staring down another NCAA Tournament berth.

Much like Shan Foster earlier in the month, former Vanderbilt stars Derrick Byars and A.J. Ogilvy are having trouble making an impact in the 2010 NBA Summer League. The duo, who are both playing with the Bulls in hopes of making the big league roster, have both seen their minutes cut recently as the exhibition season wears on. 

Byars, who was the Bulls' final cut in 2009, remains the team's starting shooting guard, but saw his minutes cut from 19 to nine over the last two games. His playing time in Chicago's last game was the least amongst all players who saw time on the court, and the 2007 SEC Player of the Year was the only member of his team to post a negative +/- number in a 79-50 blowout of the Clippers. He's currently averaging three points and three rebounds in his third run in the league. Additionally, he's also apparently starting to morph into Minnesota's Ramon Sessions, according to the NBA's Summer League site.

Shan Foster - shown here costing the university $25k through the audacity of beating a #1 ranked team at home.

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Sugar Shan can't find his stroke. The lithe guard/forward left Vanderbilt as possibly the school's most prolific long range shooter, and it seemed like he'd be able to carve out a niche in the NBA as a Kyle Korver/Eddie House style bomber, the kind of player that stretches out defenses and that opposing players can't leave open. At 6'6", Foster has the length and enough athleticism to play a specialist role in the pros - but he hasn't been able to display that specialty at the NBA level yet.

Foster's three-point shooting, the backbone of his game and the tool that covers for his deficiencies on the defensive end of the court, has failed to develop on the professional level. Through two Summer League games, the 24-year-old has been an afterthought on the court; the 2008 SEC Player of the Year has been stifled against a collection of mid-level prospects and former wash-outs to the tune of just four points per game:

This hampered production is a step backwards from Shan's 2009 Summer League campaign, where though he didn't light up the scoreboard, Foster scored efficiently - including shooting 60% from long range:

Of course, Foster still has time to turn things around, though as the sixth man behind talented young players like Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, and J.R. Giddens it will be tough for a swingman like Shan to get the minutes he needs to find his stroke and heat up from outside. The Vandy grad is still waiting for his breakout game in the Vegas Summer League - and his time to impress Dallas's front office brass is winding down. It may take a herculean effort to turn the tides and earn a NBA contract, but if there's one thing that Commodore fans know about Shan Foster, it's to never count him out, especially when things look bleak.

Jeffery Taylor is one of the most athletic, explosive, fast-twitch players in the country - and he'd be a lock for a list of the ten "most explosive" returning players in 2010-2011, right? Rivals.com doesn't seem to think so. And while their list includes a number of solid players who happen to be ridiculous athletes, they seem to be missing a sure-fire top five player in Taylor. Their queue, filled with guards with waterbug-like lateral movement and quickness, rates players like BYU's Jimmer Fredette, Hofstra's Charles Jenkins, and even SEC Rival Travis Leslie of Georgia in front of the Swedish Chef himself, who doesn't even merit a mention in the rankings. This all must seem terribly peculiar to Vanderbilt fans, as "explosive" is typically the first thing that comes to mind when describing the 6'7" swingman.

Taylor's ability to burst down the court in fast breaks, jump out of the gym, and blanket the SEC's best scorers is directly attributable to his insane athleticism. Check out his DraftExpress profile, and you'll find no fewer than three instances of the word "explode" describing his capabilities. ESPN's Chad Ford, in separate points, calls the young forward "super athletic," "explosive," and that he " Excels at getting to the rim with quick first step." Hell, Jeffery Taylor is nothing on the basketball court if not explosive, with his vicious finishes, high level lateral movement, and ability to beat defenders to any spot on the court. The only problem is that he hasn't done it consistently yet.

That's where Rivals may finally have their argument for exclusion - though the inclusion of Leslie at #2 certainly invokes the expectation that Taylor would be somewhere on the list. Unfortunately, Vanderbilt fans - and the rest of the country - have yet to see the junior truly break out in a meaningful stretch of games and be the dominant player that his potential dictates that he should be. While his athleticism has scouts drooling, and the glimmering presence of a developing jumper has Coach Kevin Stallings no doubt scribbling out some insane game plans, the truth is that Taylor hasn't stepped up to before the alpha-dog, clutch scorer who takes over games. Part of that is probably due to the presences of Jermaine Beal and A.J. Ogilvy - and their absences in 2010-2011 will turn the season into a make-or-break year for Taylor's national standing and draft stock.

Anyone who watched this team in 2010 knows what Taylor is capable of - and how good he can be if he complements his explosiveness with some expanded shooting skills. His all-world athleticism and leaping ability makes his exclusion from Rivals' list a egregious oversight. However, the response from the national spotlight just got a bit clearer, and the lesson learned here is this; until Taylor can translate that athleticism on the court consistently, people aren't going to notice.

Jeffery Taylor is one of the Commodores' most explosive - and most valuable - assets going into next season. However, he'll have to play his way back into the mindset he was in when he dropped 26 points on Tennessee, or 19 points via 8-11 shooting against Ole Miss to earn his way into these preseason top ten lists. If he shrinks back into the player who failed to break double digits in the postseason again, the "most explosive" list might be his only hope to make a top ten ranking in 2011.

Vandy fans should be keeping a close eye on the Vegas Summer League this July - they'll see a few familiar faces. A.J. Ogilvy became the second Vanderbilt alum to play for the Chicago Bulls' exhibition team this summer after agreeing to join the squad after failing to be drafted in last week's draft. He'll likely join last year's Summer League standout Derrick Byars, who made it through what seemed to be final cuts with the team last year before getting the axe the day before the NBA's regular season started in 2009.

Ogilvy will be in line for plenty of playing time as the team's only legitimate center, but he'll be joined by former standout big men Samardo Samuels, Trent Plaisted, and Rob Kurz. Samuels, like Ogilvy, was another high-profile snub from this year's draft. The situation seems like a great one for the Australian, as the Bulls lack a second true center behind Joakim Noah with the eminent departure of Brad Miller. However, Chicago is loaded with cap space and will be looking to add some big men in free agency, which would cloud Ogilvy's chances for a roster spot.

Elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks will be bringing in former SEC Player of the Year Shan Foster to bolster their outside scoring in the Vegas Summer League, and have also offered Byars a spot to try-out if he decides against the Bulls in 2010. Also invited to the Mavs' mini-camp? Dolla Dolla BEAL, y'all. However, Jermaine Beal will have plenty of competition on a team stocked with guards (four players that can handle the point). He'll likely present the biggest Commodore longshot headed into the Summer League this year.

We'll have coverage of the summer leagues - and break down the performances of our beloved ex-Commodores - as the exhibition season progresses. With a possible four 'Dores headed to the NBA with impressive performances, this will be one of the most memorable Summer Leagues that Vandy fans have ever seen.

The 2010 NBA Draft came and went without so much as a mention of AJ Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal on the night of the festivities. I like to call this moment "Deja VU" [yes, that is an intentional pun]. Every so often when Vanderbilt does have a player seemingly of NBA-caliber, expectations and hopes are traditionally dashed or severely stunted.

Freije? 53rd overall, despite an impressive scoring pedigree, knack for hitting big shots (see NC State), and a strong perimeter game for such a tall player. Byars? A potential first round pick in the projections, Derrick slipped into the second round went 42nd overall. Shan Foster? Also a second rounder. 51st overall pick.

The worst part, from the Commodore fan's perspective, is watching our beloved players partially realize their NBA dream. It's nice to hear your name called in the draft, but as soon as they announce that 30th pick, it's a let down. Second rounders struggle to make NBA rosters. The chips are stacked against them.

Think about this: over the past 50 years, the Vanderbilt basketball team has been the most consistently successful between the three main men's sports. Yet, it's the sport that has so far produced the fewest number of top-league stars, particularly recently.

Vanderbilt hasn't had a sure thing in basketball since Clyde Lee.

Until 2011.

Barring some catastrophe that will forever haunt Memorial Gym, Jeffery Taylor is a sure-fire first rounder with a great chance to be a lottery pick. And it could be the start of a trend toward more hoops first rounders for the Dores.

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Rod Odom is Vanderbilt's highest ranked recruit for 2010 - will he make an immediate impact next year playing behind Jeffery Taylor, Andre Walker, and Lance Goulbourne?

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The signing deadline has come and gone for incoming players for the 2010-2011 college basketball season, and with the exception of a few players we have a solid idea of who will be playing in the SEC next year. Today, John Calipari tweeted his intentions to remain at Kentucky next year - which is as good as an indicator as we'll get in the near future to speculate on whether or not his recruits will make it to UK in 2010. With that, it seemed like as good a time as any (in the spring, at least) to review the 2010 recruiting classes. SEC teams are represented across the national recruit rankings, with highly touted players flocking to teams that made up the upper tier of the league standings last season. Kentucky and Tennessee are making headlines, but teams like Vanderbilt, Florida, and Mississippi are keeping the league highly ranked with an eye towards bringing the SEC up to elite standards.

Even teams coming off rough 2009-2010 seasons can turn to some heralded high school seniors to provide an instant boost. LSU, South Carolina, and even Auburn all boast Top 100 recruits this year. While some players - notably Brandon Knight and his missing letter of intent - can still jump ship, here are the 2010 recruit rankings for the Southeastern Conference. For simplicity, only recruits reported as signed across both ESPN and Rivals databases were included in this analysis. Recorded are each player's rankings, as well as a quick analysis as to whether or not they'll be able to have an instant impact on the court with their new teams:

Tier One represents what will likely be a pair of Top 20 national recruiting classes from the SEC. Kentucky and Tennessee solidified their status as the league's elite with excellent recruiting classes.

Florida, South Carolina, and particularly LSU all had difficult 2010 seasons, but addressed positions of need in luring in top recruits this spring. Florida, in particular, looks to be a tough opponent after only losing one player and adding several athletic recruits.

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