Vanderbilt thoroughly dominated a quality Southern Mississippi team today. There were a lot of things to like: John Jenkins shooting 6-6 from 3 point land and finishing with 20 points; A.J. Ogilvy seems to be light on his feet again (and even mentioned in the postgame interview with Tim Thompson that his foot has been feeling much better); both Festus Ezeli and AJ were really dominant on the interior, helping the team get back to 10 blocks for the game; Lance Goulbourne played some solid defense and rebounded well; Vandy's Zone defense was quite effective as well, as Southern Mississippi shot only 28% from the field (and 14% from 3).
This was the second game in a row where Jeffery Taylor was limited with foul trouble. What a luxury to have players ready and waiting on the bench who can step in and help the team demolish a quality opponent by 36. That said, I hope that Jeff is getting more minutes the next few games (particularly against Florida and going forward in SEC play). The charging call (his second foul) was pretty brutal from my vantage point. It will be interesting to see the replay on the ol' DVR.
If you didn't see Andre Walker's filthy dunk over Southern Mississippi's Gary Flowers, I highly recommend you check out the highlights at the Official Vanderbilt link below. Hopefully I'll be able to put it up on YouTube soon.
Relevant Links: Game Page /// TSN Recap /// Box Score /// Official Vanderbilt Recap
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Game Stories
Vanderbilt routs Southern Miss | The Tennessean
Freshman's shooting propels Vanderbilt to non-conference rout | Nashville City Paper
"John had his best day offensively and that was exciting to see," coach Kevin Stallings said. "His adjustment to the college game is about dealing with the speed and having the confidence that you do in high school. He puts pressure on a defense and you have to utilize that."
Vanderbilt crushes Southern Miss in Nashville | VandySports.com (Rivals - Premium)
Vanderbilt unleashes inside-outside punch | The Tennessean
Jermaine Beal pitched in 15 and played with his right thumb taped. He was slated to have a MRI on Saturday night for possible stretched or torn ligaments suffered in Friday's practice. "It hurts every time I dribble and shoot, but I have to fight through it," Beal said.
Recap: Vanderbilt 82, Southern Miss 46 | DorePosts.com
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