Vanderbilt Basketball Quick Hitters: Florida Edition Part II
Vanderbilt Basketball Quick Hitters
• Vanderbilt dropped to 9-15 overall and 1-10 in SEC play after a Tuesday night loss to Kentucky at Memorial Gym, 78-64. The Commodores led by as many as 14 points in the game but could not withstand the Wildcats in the second half. Junior Saben Lee scored 20 points to lead the Commodores, his eighth game with 20 or more points this season. Freshman Scotty Pippen Jr. added 13 points, his 16th game in double figures this season, while freshman Dylan Disu chipped in his fourth double double of the season, and second in two games against Kentucky, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Maxwell Evans also added double figures with 10 points.
• The Commodores captured their first SEC win of the season and snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 99-90 win over No. 18 LSU Feb. 5 at Memorial Gym. Lee and Evans are only the second scoring duo in the country to score 30 or more points in a single game this season, joining Austin Peay’s Jordyn Adams and Terry Taylor, who have done it twice. It was the first multiple 30-point efforts by an SEC team since Jodie Meeks (32) and Patrick Patterson (33) against Tenn. State (12.22.2008).
• Lee and Evan’s 30-point+ games are the first in a single SEC game since 1996-97. It was the first Vanderbilt duo to score 30 or more points in a game since Jeff Fosnes (39) and Butch Feher (34) vs. Jacksonville on 12.21.74. Clyde Lee (33) and John Ed Miller (30) also accomplished the feat on 2.16.65 against Kentucky.
• Junior guard Saben Lee is the team’s scoring leader. He is averaging 17.0 points and 4.5 assists per game, which ranks 6th and 5th, respectively, in both categories in the SEC in all games. Lee is also seventh in field goal percentage (.478), seventh in total free throws made (104), fifth in total free throws attempted (139), and seventh in steals/game (1.6). Lee is averaging 24.3 ppg in his last three games. Lee (1,152) passed Luke Kornet (1,135; 40th), Mario Moore (1,137; 39th), Babe Taylor (1,144; 38th) and Brett Burrow (1,149; 37th) on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list against Kentucky. Billy Joe Adcock (1,190) is 36th.
• Dylan Disu notched his fourth double-double this season vs. Kentucky. He’s tied for the conference lead among all freshmen in the SEC in double-doubles (Trendon Watford). He has the highest single-game total for a freshman in the league for steals (5, vs. Tulsa, 11.30.19) and blocks (5, vs. Kentucky, 1.29.20)
• Scotty Pippen Jr. is ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in assists/game (9th, 3.7) and free throws attempted (9th, 129).
• The Commodores are a youthful bunch - in the last game against Kentucky, Vanderbilt started two true freshmen (Disu, Pippen Jr.), a redshirt sophomore (Obinna), and two juniors (Evans, Lee). True freshmen have accounted for 39% minutes played, and with Aaron Nesmith’s minutes taken away, freshmen have played 45% of minutes played. Disu, Jordan Wright, and Pippen Jr. have all scored in double figures in a game in at least one game. Ninety-four of the 200 minutes played against Kentucky were played by true freshmen. According to KenPom.com, Vanderbilt has 1.13 years of experience on its roster, which ranks 320th in Division I basketball.
• Among freshmen in the SEC in all games, Pippen Jr. ranks seventh (11.3) and Disu 13th (6.9 ppg) in scoring. Pippen is third in assists with 3.7/game. He is second in the league in free throws made (91) and attempted (129) among all freshmen.
• As a team, the Commodores are third in the SEC in threes made/game (8.4) and total threes (202). Vanderbilt has been to the charity stripe 544 times this season, which ranks 5th in the SEC.
• It was announced before the Texas A&M game that Vanderbilt’s leading scorer Aaron Nesmith would be out indefinitely with a right foot injury. Prior to the injury, Nesmith led the SEC in scoring with 23.0 points per game and was fifth nationally. He also led the SEC and nation in 3FG/game with 4.29 and 3FG% at .522. He had also made an SEC-best 60 threes this season through 14 games. He also ranked eighth in free-throw percentage (.825) and field-goal percentage (.512) prior to his injury.
• Amazingly, Nesmith is still third in the SEC in threes made in all games (60). Nesmith has not played a game since Jan. 8.
• The Commodores have had five first-round NBA Draft picks since 2012, the second-most in the SEC in that time span - Darius Garland (5th, Cleveland Cavaliers), Wade Baldwin IV (17th, Memphis Grizzlies), Damian Jones (30th, Golden State Warriors), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta) and Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State). Garland, Jones, and former standout Luke Kornet (Chicago Bulls) are all active players in the NBA.
Series Information
Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 71-67
Last Meeting: Florida - W, 61-55
Feb. 1, 2020 - Nashville, Tenn.
At Florida: Florida leads, 44-22
Jerry Stackhouse vs. Florida: 0-1
Florida Series Records/Important Dates
• Vanderbilt leads the all-time series with Florida, 71-67. Florida owns a 44-22 advantage in games played at Florida.
• Florida won an earlier meeting this season at Memorial Gym on Feb. 1, 61-55.
• 2.23.16 - Josh Henderson hit a 75-foot shot at the half and the Commodores defeated Florida, 87-74.
• 3.2.10 - Vanderbilt ended an eight-game losing skid in Gainesville with a 64-60 win at the O’Connell Center.
• 2.17.07 - The Commodores knock off No. 1 Florida, 83-70 at Memorial Gym. The Gators would go on to win the national championship that season.
• 1.21.17 - Vanderbilt knocked off the Gators, 73-71, in their second win over Florida that season. The Commodores would later go on to beat the Gators in an overtime classic in the SEC Tournament to notch their third win over Florida in 2017.
