:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49046553/usa-today-9173616.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6175559/Tennessee_Four_Factors_3.0.png)
Reasons that sucked:
- Vanderbilt spent much of the first half looking as though they did not give a shit.
- Vanderbilt committed 12 turnovers, the majority of which were not forced in any way whatsoever.
- Vanderbilt had twice as many fouls called on them as the other team, in spite of the fact that Damian Jones was literally assaulted every time he caught the ball in the paint.
- The other team had an eFG of 44.4%, and Vanderbilt still lost.
- Vanderbilt was playing an inferior team that is now 15-18 on the season.
- That team was Tennessee.
The last point makes this just so much worse than the Mississippi State loss. That was a game that featured Vanderbilt blowing a 17-point lead and losing on a buzzer-beater. But Mississippi State is not Tennessee.
But seriously: you are playing Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. You need a win to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. And you play the first half like... that?!
I'm not even gonna get mad about the Wade Baldwin IV layup at the buzzer that got called off, because there's just no way that Vanderbilt should have even been in a position where they needed to make a shot at the buzzer.
Individual Stats
| Player | MIN | FG | FGA | 3FG | 3FGA | FT | FTA | ORB | DRB | REB | PF | PTS | AST | TO | BLK | STL | AdjGS | GS/Min |
| Luke Kornet | 36 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 18.7 | 0.52 |
| Joe Toye | 23 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 0.59 |
| Wade Baldwin IV | 34 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13.1 | 0.38 |
| Damian Jones | 29 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 | 0.23 |
| Matthew Fisher-Davis | 33 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 | 0.19 |
| Josh Henderson | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 1.77 |
| Nolan Cressler | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 | 0.98 |
| Camron Justice | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.43 |
| Jeff Roberson | 25 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.1 | -0.01 |
| Riley LaChance | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -3.7 | -0.34 |
- Well, Joe Toye came to play.
- Speaking of which, Stallings' bench management continues to be infuriating. In the first half, Toye, Nolan Cressler, and Josh Henderson looked like the only players on the team who cared. Two of those did not see the floor in the second half.
- Luke Kornet had the highest Game Score on the team in spite of only attempting three shots. Something's horribly wrong with this picture.
- Damian Jones only attempting five free throws, considering the way Tennessee was "defending" him, is an outrage.
Up Next
Who knows? Vanderbilt will find out on Sunday if they are playing in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. We hope the former, and I can make a decent argument for it (Joe Lunardi, as I'm writing this, has us playing Monmouth in Dayton), but after that game I would not be surprised if it is the latter. Vanderbilt had high expectations for this season and ended it with the same 19-13 regular season record that they ended last season with.