Ugly win. DePaul held Vandy to around 62 possessions, which is around 5 or so higher than was their season average entering the game. The 67 points allowed by DePaul was easily the most they've allowed in a non-overtime game this season.
What still remains so interesting about Vandy thus far is that despite the perception that the offense has not been clicking, the team is quite efficient. Points per possession have been above 1.00 in all games but St. Mary's and obviously Cincinnati. Anything above 1.00 is generally considered to be very good. Against DePaul, Vandy was 1.08. DePaul was 0.86.
And that's really what is so encouraging about the team. 3FG% was 23.1%. FT% was only 66.7%. ATO Ratio was 0.83. Vanderbilt teams in the past probably wouldn't have been able to overcome those numbers. This team has done so consistently so far, and they aren't close to clicking on all cylinders.
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Elmer's Glue Guy Of The Game | Andre Walker (6 pts, 7 rebs, 1 asts, 2 stls, 0 tovs) |
Relevant Links:
Game Page /// TSN Recap /// Box Score /// Official Vanderbilt Recap
Game Stories:
Vanderbilt's John Jenkins hurt in win over DePaul | The Tennessean
Said Coach Kevin Stallings: "I don’t think it’s very serious according to what our trainers said. His foot got stepped on. I think it kind of got twisted. I know he was in some pain, and that’s why they gave him some crutches. But after it happened, he went back into the game twice and played."
Ogilvy goes to the line to get Vanderbilt past DePaul | Nashville City Paper
The Commodores attempted to push the pace early but did not shoot the ball well enough, particularly 3-pointers (3-for-13) to maintain any real offensive momentum. Thus, the contest eventually settled into a half-court matchup of man-to-man defenses and one-on-one battles.
VUcommodores.com Blog: Post-DePaul news and notes
DePaul head coach Jerry Wainwright went out of the way to praise Vanderbilt forward Jeffery Taylor. Wainwright talked in length about how he enjoyed watching Taylor on film prior to the game, and thought the super sophomore was the difference in the game. "We haven’t really seen a forward like him," said Wainwright, whose team also faced Tennessee this year. "He’s really skilled and has great flow. Jeff has the kind of movement that he can guard Will Walker. So I thought he was really key."
Vanderbilt Commodores 67-Depaul Blue Demons 54 | Bleacher Report
Video Highlights
What was Impressive
- A.J. Ogilvy's Free Throw Shooting - Through the first five games, AJ was making about 55% of his free throws. Stallings made a very minor adjustment to his shot process. Since then, AJ is 24-27 for 88.9%. What a luxury to have a center that draws fouls and makes them.
- Jeffery Taylor - He makes it look so easy. What a smooth cat. Why doesn't he have a badass nickname yet? One-handed tomahawk? Yes, please.
- Rebounding - Another solid positive rebounding margin. OffReb% was 40%, which is a good number.
- Turnovers - Turnover Percentage was 19.3%, which was the second lowest of the season. Still too high for this team, but much better than the 29.4% versus Missouri.
Areas of Concern
- Poor Shot Selection - Stallings mentioned in his postgame radio interview that he thought maybe a few guys were "looking to get theirs" in the first half. 3 for 13 from three is beneath the shooters on this team. Better shot selection will yield better 3FG%.
- John Jenkins Injury - Nobody in the gym knew about it until after the game. Early in the second half John's foot was stepped on, bothering his knee and foot. Of course, he didn't let the coaches know about it until after he came out. He ended up playing through the pain, going back in the game twice. He left the game on crutches with ice on both his knee and his ankle. His condition is day to day at this point. Here's to hoping nothing is serious and that he will be close to 100% when the Dores take on Illinois at Assembly Hall.
Plus/Minus Through the DePaul Game:
Plus/Minus PER 40
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