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On Bryce Drew's stint as Vandy Basketball Coach

Started by jbcarol, March 27, 2016, 04:23:16 pm

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jbcarol

March 27, 2016, 04:23:16 pm Last Edit: November 24, 2018, 09:27:31 am by jbcarol
Clay Travis ‏@ClayTravis 6h6 hours ago

I'm told former Vandy basketball coach Eddie Fogler will help to lead VU's search for a new coach.
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jbcarol

Jeff Goodman Verified account
‏@GoodmanESPN

I cannot wait to start my own search firm. Biggest racket going.
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tomw


Dropkick


jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 10h10 hours ago

Updated: Who will be Vandy's new basketball coach? http://tnne.ws/1pSU4dS 



QuoteVanderbilt men's basketball program has a coaching vacancy for the first time since 1999, and the process of filling it could go in numerous directions.

Kevin Stallings is the new Pittsburgh coach, leaving Vanderbilt after 17 seasons as the winningest and longest-tenured coach in Commodores history. His departure also means Vanderbilt is the last SEC basketball program to hold a coaching search in the 2000s.

Here are some preliminary candidates athletics director David Williams might consider in Vanderbilt's coaching search, in alphabetical order.

Rick Byrd (Belmont): As a close friend to Stallings, it would probably take the blessing of the former Commodores coach for Byrd's candidacy to even be a possibility. Byrd has a 639-323 record and seven NCAA Tournament trips in 30 seasons at Belmont...

King Rice (Monmouth): A former Vanderbilt assistant under Stallings (2006-11), Rice finally got Monmouth over the hump this year after four mediocre seasons.

Will Wade (VCU): A 33-year-old Nashville native and former UT Chattanooga coach, Wade followed Shaka Smart at VCU and led the Rams to a 25-11 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 5m5 minutes ago

Vandy AD David Williams will address the Kevin Stallings' exit & coaching search at 3 p.m. press conference at Memorial Gym
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jbcarol

Mike Organ ‏@MikeOrganWriter 15h15 hours ago

If Eddie Fogler is involved in @VandyMBB search it won't be 1st time he's helped a local team. Found John Cooper for @TSUTigersMBB in 2009.
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jbcarol

Quote from: jbcarol on March 28, 2016, 09:31:02 am
Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 5m5 minutes ago

Vandy AD David Williams will address the Kevin Stallings' exit & coaching search at 3 p.m. press conference at Memorial Gym

Vanderbilt spokesman Rod Williamson confirmed that no new coach will be introduced.

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jbcarol

Mike Organ ‏@MikeOrganWriter 9h9 hours ago

Eddie Fogler to help @VandyMBB find new coach @AdamSparks.  http://tnne.ws/1XZue26 



QuoteFormer Commodores coach Eddie Fogler will serve as the consultant in spearheading the program's first coaching search since 1999, according to athletics director David Williams.

Fogler's task is to replace Kevin Stallings, who finished a 17-year run as Vanderbilt's all-time winningest coach by taking the Pittsburgh job. More than 100 potential applicants already have contacted Williams and Fogler, according to the AD.

Williams said he and Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos will make the final decision, but Fogler will be the primary headhunter rather than a search firm or search committee.

"(Fogler) understands Vanderbilt. I have been on the phone with Eddie three times today, and he's already hard at work for us," Williams said in a press conference Monday. "We will do a search and try to do it in effective time. I never like to put speed ahead of quality."

Fogler coached Vanderbilt from 1990-93, posting a record of 81-48. Coincidentally, he remains the only Commodores coach over the past 40 years with a better winning percentage than Stallings.

Fogler guided Vanderbilt to the Sweet Sixteen in 1993 and then took the coaching job at South Carolina. He has been a consultant for basketball coaching searches since 2006. Placing Tom Crean at Indiana is among Fogler's best consulting successes.

Williams did not have a list of candidates ready when he learned of Stallings' departure.

Said Williams: "That's like asking me, 'Do I have a list of women I'm going to marry if my wife dies?' "
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jbcarol

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 47m47 minutes ago

VCU's Will Wade has received a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. Here's more @CBSSports: http://cbsprt.co/1RI8qDy


Presumed Vandy candidate
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jbcarol

Credible short list?

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 3h3 hours ago

Adam Sparks Retweeted MsLanchak

"Credible" is relative. I do think King Rice has to be a major option. He and Fogler have long relationship
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 3h3 hours ago

I don't think Vandy is a top-25 job right now. Top 50? Yes, probably so. This coach search will gauge where Vandy is - first search since 99
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jbcarol

Quote from: jbcarol on March 29, 2016, 12:09:40 pm
Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 47m47 minutes ago

VCU's Will Wade has received a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. Here's more @CBSSports: http://cbsprt.co/1RI8qDy


Presumed Vandy candidate

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN Mar 29

A strong case can be made that VCU is a better job than Vanderbilt. Have chance to win league every year, get kids in easy, terrific support
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jbcarol

 Mike Organ ‏@MikeOrganWriter 14h14 hours ago

ICYMI: Eddie Fogler helping @VandyMBB find a coach like he did @TSU_Tigers. http://tnne.ws/1V4KBv1 



QuoteEddie Fogler is helping Vanderbilt find its new basketball coach, but it's not the first time he's assisted a local college in its search.

In 2009 he played an instrumental role helping Tennessee State with the hiring of John Cooper.

And if the coach Vanderbilt hires works out as well as Cooper did at TSU, asking for Fogler's help will prove to be a wise move by the Commodores.

"I really can't say enough good things about the way Eddie helped me in that process," said TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips. "Eddie is so professional and so capable and so knowledgeable. Vanderbilt, like we did, is going to get a good bit of information from Eddie that I don't think you can quickly get from our seat. He knows the profession.

"He's just so wired into men's basketball and he's wired down on the ground level because he goes all across the country and watches teams practice and gets to know coaches and their staffs."

Cooper was not among the approximately 80 coaches who initially applied for the TSU position when Phillips fired Cy Alexander after the 2008-09 season.

He was an assistant at Auburn, but Fogler knew about him and believed would be a good fit for TSU.

Cooper, who also had been on Fogler's staff at South Carolina, became a finalist along with Jerry Dunn, a Michigan assistant at the time, and Robert McCullum, who had been on the staff at San Francisco. Fogler had also connected Dunn and McCullum with TSU.
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks@AdamSparks

Opinion from trusted bball mind - UNCW's Kevin Keatts coaches great pressure Pitino-style & gregarious personality. (Mid-major CoY finalist)
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jbcarol

Where Does Vanderbilt's Coaching Search Stand?

QuoteIt's been three days since former Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings accepted the Pittsburgh job.

In the meantime, we've had a press conference from David Williams that didn't really tell us anything we didn't already know, a mass Twitter freakout about the Ingram jet going to the Cessna plant in Wichita for maintenance, and a single candidate floated by national media who just didn't seem credible at all.

At this point, we can probably tell you more about who's not going to be the head coach.  Will Wade reportedly signed a contract extension with VCU on Monday, which would seem to take him out of the running...

Tommy Amaker, outside of being floated by Jeff Goodman, doesn't seem to be someone that Vanderbilt is seriously looking at and neither does King Rice.

So what do we really know?  Well, it's becoming fairly obvious that Vanderbilt intends to make a play for Wichita State's Gregg Marshall... My gut tells me that it's unlikely he'd come to Vanderbilt...

If not Marshall, who?  With Wade presumably out, UNC Wilmington's Kevin Keatts or Chattanooga's Matt McCall could emerge as a fallback option...
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jbcarol

Josh Newman ‏@Joshua_Newman 11h11 hours ago

NEW: King Rice has not met with Vanderbilt yet, as the Tennessean reported earlier this evening

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 12h12 hours ago

Yes, they met. Confirmed, confirmed & then confirmed.
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jbcarol

Pete Thamel ‏@SIPeteThamel 17h17 hours ago

Three hot names at Vanderbilt: Tommy Amaker, Jeff Capel and Bryce Drew. (Drew also a prime GTech target).
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jbcarol

Gary Parrish ‏@GaryParrishCBS Apr 1

Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech have initiated contact with Valpo's Bryce Drew, a source told @CBSSports. He's a top-shelf candidate for both.

Kara Hammer ‏@KaraHammer Apr 1 Nashville, TN

If Bryce Drew takes Georgia Tech job, it's very possible that Pat Kelsey will be the next lead candidate. #Vandy
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jbcarol

Bryce Drew and Three-Dimensional Chess: Why You Shouldn't Believe Media Hype

QuoteOn paper, it certainly makes sense why Vanderbilt would want Drew to be its head coach.  Anchor of Gold profiled Drew on Thursday and the short version is that: he's won 72 percent of his games at Valpo, he's won his conference four out of five years, he probably wouldn't cost too much money, and at 41 he's young enough to be called an "up and comer."

There is, of course, an obvious reason why Drew's name did not surface until Friday: his team's season did not end until Thursday night in the NIT finals.  But there may be another reason why Drew's name is coming up now, and it's probably more complicated.

Vanderbilt has employed a high level of secrecy in its search process to this point.  There's a good reason for that: potential candidates may not want their names getting connected to the Vanderbilt job, as to be seen chasing another job would look bad to recruits if you wind up back at your current job in the end...

You can believe if you want that Vanderbilt's search list consists of Jeff Capel, Bryce Drew, King Rice, and Pat Kelsey.  But those are probably just the people that Vanderbilt wants you to believe are candidates.  With the clear strategic reasons for playing things close to the vest, these names are mere chess pieces in a greater game that Vanderbilt may ultimately win.
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jbcarol

The Tennessean ‏@Tennessean 20h20 hours ago

How attractive is the @VandyMBB basketball job? http://tnne.ws/1RSRJIE 



QuoteVanderbilt has re-entered the unpredictable world of a basketball coaching search for the first time this century.

It's not the same landscape as during the school's last search in 1999, when the Commodores picked Kevin Stallings.

A wide array of potential candidates has been reported or rumored for the Vanderbilt job.

There are high-paid, high-profile coaches like Wichita State's Gregg Marshall, Indiana's Tom Crean and Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams. There are academic fits like Yale's James Jones. There are former Commodore assistants such as Monmouth's King Rice, who has met with Vanderbilt, and Illinois State's Dan Muller. Wild cards have squeezed into the discussion such as Drew Maddux, a former Vanderbilt player and successful high school coach, and Jeff Capel, the Duke assistant and former Oklahoma coach.

And the biggest possible pool includes up-and-coming mid-major coaches such as Valparaiso's Bryce Drew, Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson, UNC-Wilmington's Kevin Keatts and Chattanooga's Matt McCall.

Why such an eclectic group? Perhaps because there's no precedent of Vanderbilt's type of coaching target in the past 17 years.

Chris Dortch, editor of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, sees a different reason for the wide variety of possible suitors.

"It's because it's a coveted job," Dortch said. "It's an SEC job that pays $2 million a year. Good school, good town, good facility. That's why — it's a good gig."

While Vanderbilt's position has been filled for the past 17 years, 33 different SEC coaches have gone through the revolving door of the league's other jobs. Tennessee has had the highest turnover with six coaches since 1999.

A year ago, UT hired long-time Texas coach Rick Barnes for nearly $2.3 million annually. A week later, Alabama hired former NBA coach Avery Johnson for $2.8 million per year. And a year before that, Auburn got coveted coach Bruce Pearl for $2.3 million per year.

The trio represents the second-, third- and fourth-highest-paid coaches in the SEC last season, behind Kentucky's John Calipari, who makes about $6.9 million annually.

"Money has always been a factor when you're trying to get a coach. It was then, and it is today," said Roy Kramer, former Vanderbilt athletics director (1978-90) and SEC commissioner (1990-2002). "Perhaps it's just more of a factor today because the salaries are significantly larger than they were 25 or 30 years ago."
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 19h19 hours ago

Updated: Vandy to hire Bryce Drew, per reports. Here's what he'd inherit (roster, recruits) http://tnne.ws/1XcxRSn



QuoteDrew's name was not prominently mentioned among the early possible candidates, but reports of Vanderbilt's interest in the 41-year-old picked up after Valparaiso's season ended in the NIT championship game last week.

Drew has a 124-49 record in five seasons at Valparaiso, including two NCAA Tournament trips and two NIT appearances. Valparaiso went 30-7 this season, the most wins in program history, and lost to George Washington 76-60 in the NIT title game.

The Crusaders have dominated the Horizon League for most of Drew's tenure, posting a 65-19 conference mark with four regular-season titles and two tournament championships in five years. Before that, he was an assistant coach and standout player at Valparaiso.
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jbcarol

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 9m9 minutes ago

Vanderbilt has officially hired Valpo's Bryce Drew as its next head coach, sources told @CBSSports. Drew just signed papers.
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jbcarol

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jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 1h1 hour ago

Hiring staff, recruiting, transfers. Bryce Drew's 5 immediate tasks at Vandy. http://tnne.ws/1VAxGkT



QuoteBryce Drew will have to hit the ground running as Vanderbilt's new basketball coach because big decisions await.

Sway Damian Jones or move on
Sophomore Wade Baldwin is headed to the NBA, and he reiterated that after Drew's introductory press conference Wednesday. Damian Jones, a 7-foot junior center, complimented Drew on his "openness" but said he's still planning to go into the draft...

Re-recruit signees
Drew called both of Vanderbilt's two incoming players Wednesday night to solidify their allegiance to the Commodores. Payton Willis, a 6-4 point guard from Fayetteville (Ark.) High, and Clevon Brown...

Hire a staff
Valpo assistant Roger Powell attended Drew's press conference at Vanderbilt, and he could join him there long-term. But Powell may also be among the candidates to replace Drew as Valparaiso head coach.

Sign more players
The apparent exit of Baldwin and Jones leaves two scholarships available, and that's assuming that no current Commodores want to transfer. The NCAA late signing period begins April 13...

Consider Valpo transfers
Two standout Valparaiso players, 6-9 forward Alec Peters and 6-1 point guard Keith Carter, could be options as graduate transfers to Vanderbilt. Peters told The Times of Northwest Indiana that he will enter the NBA Draft, but he has until May 25 to withdraw his name and either return to Valparaiso or transfer elsewhere for one season. Peters could break Drew's record as Valparaiso's all-time leading scorer next season. But transferring to Vanderbilt would offer him better competition to increase his draft stock.
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jbcarol

Rob Dauster ‏@RobDauster 1h1 hour ago

Valpo forward Alec Peters has declared for the NBA Draft. He is not hiring an agent.
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jbcarol

 Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks Apr 17

Bryce Drew's dad had his own @VandyMBB dream almost 60 years before his son became coach. http://tnne.ws/1SlqfeZ



QuoteAbout 60 years before Bryce Drew became Vanderbilt's basketball coach, his father played pickup games in his neighbor's driveway dreaming of one day being a Commodore.

"And thank God that he let me live long enough to see that even though I didn't make it (to Vanderbilt), my son did," said 71-year-old Homer Drew. "That makes me proud."

Long before the elder Drew was Valparaiso's all-time winningest coach, he grew up in Webster Groves, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, next door to John Russell, later a standout player at Vanderbilt.

"(Russell) was a star at Webster Groves High School and got a full scholarship to come to Vanderbilt University. So my dream was to play at Vanderbilt too," Drew said. "I was not good enough, but Vanderbilt always remained a special place in my heart because of that."

Russell became a standout guard for the Commodores. He was a three-year starter, the team's leading scorer in 1962 and an All-SEC first-team selection in 1962 and 1963.

Drew suffered through knee injuries until his senior year in high school and then landed at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., where he flourished as an honorable mention NAIA All-American. By then, his boyhood friend had become a law student and a student assistant coach under Roy Skinner for Vanderbilt's basketball team.

"When Homer called and told me that Bryce was interviewing for the Vanderbilt job, I was ecstatic," said Russell, who watched Bryce play his final college game in the Sweet Sixteen in St. Louis in 1998.

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 23h23 hours ago

Adam Sparks Retweeted Paul Oren

If my count is right, that means 11 from Drew family will be coming to Music City (including 5 grandkids)

David Osborne
‏@osborne1_david

@AdamSparks wonder how all that makes Scott Drew feel? Not the favorite son..lol
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jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

CollegeBasketbllTalk ‏@CBTonNBC 12h12 hours ago

NBA Draft Early Entry Deadline Losers:

QuoteVandy was one of the biggest disappointments in college basketball this season, and new head coach Bryce Drew won't have it any easier as he will have to find a way to replace big man Damian Jones and point guard Wade Baldwin IV.
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 9h9 hours ago

.@VandyMBB introduces Bryce Drew's staff. http://tnne.ws/1T3CHNS



QuoteIt includes, associate head coach Roger Powell, Jr., assistant coaches Jake Diebler and Casey Shaw, director of recruiting and player personnel Omar Mance and director of basketball operations Luke Simons.

Powell, Jr. a former Illinois and NBA player, served the last five seasons under Drew on the Valparaiso staff. Diebler spent the last three seasons as Ohio State's video coordinator after coaching and playing at Valparaiso. Shaw, Drew's brother-in-law, was a standout player at Toledo and drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1998.

Mance played at LSU and Rice and coached the past three seasons at Liberty. Simons served under Drew as director of basketball operations at Valparaiso last season.

Vandy basketball coach Bryce Drew brought the whole coaching crew into baseball press box. Young group. They look well-traveled.
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jbcarol

Adam Sparks@AdamSparks

Transfers. Draft declarations. Position change? 5 Vandy roster moves under Bryce Drew. http://tnne.ws/1TmBtDM

QuoteHere are five Vanderbilt roster moves that have occurred since Drew's hiring in April.

Baldwin, Jones enter draft

All-SEC sophomore point guard Wade Baldwin announced he would enter the NBA draft just as news broke of Drew's hiring on April 5. Nine days later, All-SEC junior center Damian Jones announced he would do likewise. Drew made a public plea for them to remain at Vanderbilt during his introductory press conference, but it didn't change their minds. Both are projected as first-round draft picks. For all the excitement that Drew's hiring has produced among the fan base, he must overcome a major hurdle on the court in replacing the pair's combined 28 points per game.

Sehic transfers

The 6-foot-9 forward's exit was a little surprising, especially because there should be more playing time after Jones' departure. Sehic also was needed to back up 7-1 forward Luke Kornet...

Signees solidified

Former coach Kevin Stallings signed high school players Payton Willis and Clevon Brown. Within a week of his hiring, Drew traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., and San Antonio to visit both. He came away certain that both signees would still come to Vanderbilt, and they will have opportunities for playing time. Brown, a 6-8 forward, may pick up some minutes because Sehic is gone. Willis will get a chance to earn the starting point guard spot on day one because of Baldwin's exit

Austin transferring to Vandy

CBS.com's John Rothstein reported this week that Xavier point guard Larry Austin will transfer to Vanderbilt. He must sit out the 2016-17 season...
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jbcarol

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 1h1 hour ago

Valparaiso's Alec Peters is the last guy not to make an announcement. Sources told ESPN he has withdrawn from the NBA Draft.

Then he has decision if wants to transfer.
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jbcarol

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 21h21 hours ago

BREAKING: Alec Peters told @CBSSports that he's returning to VALPO next season. Huge news for the Horizon League.
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jbcarol

Baylor, which is coached by his brother Scott Drew, was set to make a return trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt this fall.

It's a game that the Drews ultimately decided to remove from their schedules, and on Monday, Bryce finally gave an explanation for the decision.


Quote"We did a lot of research, my brother and I. We talked to some other families who have been in that situation," Drew said on Monday's SEC coaches teleconference. "We all know how competitive college athletics is, especially at this level. So we're saving this game, hopefully for the Final Four one day. It would just be really hard on our families, for the most part. The schools were sensational, and I think it ended up being a win-win. It was good for them, but I think Vanderbilt will come out ahead in things also."
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jbcarol

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 1h1 hour ago Gainesville, FL

New Vandy coach Bryce Drew, "it's been a great NBA draft for Vanderbilt" noting two NBA first round draft picks

Drew on state of the SEC, "just came back from meetings and a lot of wisdom in that room, as far as coaches, Mike Tranghese will help."

Drew said he was "shocked" only three SEC teams got into NCAA Tournament last year.

Drew, on one rule change in college basketball, says a bigger lane to help floor spacing.
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jbcarol

Bryce Drew has SEC's 2nd-best recruiting pitch

QuoteBryce Drew is conducting several searches at once, missions of varying urgency.

House? Low urgency.

Players? Desperate urgency.

Outside of John Calipari's one-year resort for lottery picks at Kentucky, I don't see another SEC men's basketball program — Florida included — with more to sell.

The city, yes. The school, yes. But also, a program that just sent two players (Wade Baldwin, Damian Jones) to the NBA as first-round picks.

Drew would rather have them in 2016-17, but now he can present them as evidence that all things are possible at Vanderbilt. They are just the sixth and seventh first-round picks in the history of the school, but they make four since 2012.

Memorial Gymnasium is pure charm for basketball junkies, though probably much more of an asset during the season — packed, loud, unique — than during the summer when it sits empty, quietly aging. But in a struggling basketball league such as the SEC, with one facility of national renown (Kentucky's Rupp) and a lot of standard stuff otherwise, Drew should be able to use that, too.

Even before anyone sees the former Valparaiso coach's product on the Memorial floor, he has a lot he can use.

"Our staff is very optimistic that we can go after nearly every player in the country and have a chance of getting them to come to Vanderbilt," Drew said this past week. "The unique thing about our school is the academics, and so it all kind of depends on the priority list, what that student-athlete is looking for. If they're a top-25 kid and high academics and SEC basketball are big on their list, we feel we have a great chance to get them. The great thing about the brand of the university is we feel we can recruit nationally and also internationally."

Does any of this sound familiar? I hesitate to bring this up only because some will misconstrue it, but Duke is a model here.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AdamSparks/status/789087867280756736

K.L. ‏@klkl2001 Oct 20

@BunkiePerkins @AdamSparks O can't believe I have to see this man in the SEC. He was the basketball version of Arkansas 4th and 25.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

 Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 13h13 hours ago

Vanderbilt loses a buy game to Bucknell. The epitome of brutality.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AdamSparks/status/806195714128748544

QuoteVanderbilt basketball is dead-even eight games into Bryce Drew's debut season with a 4-4 record.

Commodores whooped High Point Tuesday [to go 5-4] and then play at Middle Tennessee State (8-1) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (CBS Sports Network) before a nine-day break.

Vanderbilt at No. 67 in Sagarin RPI and No. 70 in Ken Pomeroy's RPI rankings. The Commodores' four wins have come against teams outside the top 100 in both RPI rankings, including Belmont (118 Sagarin/111 Pomeroy), Tennessee State (110/140 ), Santa Clara (236/229) and Norfolk State (323/316 ). And three of the Commodores' four losses have come against teams in the top 60, including Butler (22/17), Marquette (32/30) and Minnesota (42/51). They also lost to Bucknell (129/141).
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/joerexrode/status/807071710491144192

QuoteMURFREESBORO — These early season, in-state matchups between Power 5 and mid-major teams are about opportunity. And respect. And making people notice.

The twist Thursday night at Murphy Center: It was the Power 5 team with the opportunity, the need for respect, the shot at a victory that would open some eyes.

Middle Tennessee State came into Thursday's matchup against Vanderbilt with an 8-1 record, boasting a blowout win at Ole Miss and the nation's No. 5 RPI. And the Blue Raiders are the class of Conference USA and will be favored to win the automatic bid — though they're well on their way to an invitation to the NCAA Tournament they shook last season with perhaps the biggest upset in its history.

Vanderbilt came in 5-4.

Bryce Drew's Commodores needed this one, as much as you can need a game in early December. But you couldn't really tell. There's a passiveness to his first Vandy team, and a nastiness to Kermit Davis' MTSU team, and those traits joined forces for a 71-48 Blue Raiders blowout.

"They got comfortable and pretty much stayed comfortable the whole game," Drew said of the Blue Raiders. "And that's a credit to them."

As for the Commodores, the idea of an NCAA bid in Drew's first season is becoming awfully faint. There's still plenty of time for this team to grow, and it has some winning pieces, but the turnovers and defensive lapses are troubling.

Vanderbilt can beat a lot of teams when it gets hot from outside, as it did in its best win of the season, 83-59 on Nov. 29 at home over Tennessee State.

"We definitely could have been tougher," Vanderbilt junior forward Jeff Roberson said.

But there is no comparison between these two teams, especially when it comes to mindset.

State had handed MTSU their only prior loss providing evidence for the transitive principle.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/VandyMBB/status/814691430430085121

Sheldon Mickles ‏@MicklesAdvocate 14h14 hours ago

FINAL SCORE from the PMAC -- Vanderbilt 96, #LSU 89. LSU (8-4, 0-1 SEC) will play Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Missouri. Vanderbilt is 7-6, 1-0).
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AdamSparks/status/817823193641742337

QuoteVanderbilt basketball coach Bryce Drew scrapped some of his offensive plan just 10 games into his tenure, and the Commodores have benefited from it.

Drew implemented his offense in the preseason for a roster he inherited from previous coach Kevin Stallings, who left for Pittsburgh in March.

Admittedly, it was hit or miss. Vanderbilt (8-6, 2-0 SEC) had scoring lulls and started 5-5. So out of either humility or simple logic, Drew retooled his offense during the holiday break to match his personnel.

"We (won) four conference championships (at Valparaiso) running a certain offense," Drew said. "... And I thought we showed improvement (in that offense), but we didn't think it was to the point where we could win games like we wanted to. So we revamped a lot of stuff to try to put guys in different positions."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/tnsports/status/817970742864314368

QuoteTUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama junior Ar'Mond Davis helped the Crimson Tide prepare for its Southeastern Conference home opener against Vanderbilt, taking the role of the Commodore's Matthew Fisher-Davis on scout team.

Davis played as himself on Saturday night, coming off of the bench to lead Alabama (9-5, 2-0 SEC) to a 59-56 victory over Vanderbilt (8-7, 2-1 SEC).

Davis scored all 12 of his points in the second half, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range, and Alabama scored 36 of its points off of the bench.

"We want to play eight guys. We'll go to the ninth or 10th guy, but our rotation is set now, but is not so set to where it is not flexible, so Ar'Mond wasn't a guy that was in the rotation," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. "We were struggling against the zone, and coach (John) Pelphrey whispered to me and said, 'Hey, let's give Ar'Mond a try,' and I was like, 'Great idea.' We are glad he came in and sparked us."

Tied 30-30 at halftime, Vanderbilt opened up the second half on a 12-0 run off of four unanswered 3-pointers by Riley LaChance, Payton Willis, Nolan Cressler and Fisher-Davis to take a 42-30 lead. Vanderbilt made 10 3-pointers on the night.

"We were pleased with the first half," Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew said. "Jeff Roberson, (who) has been playing excellent for us and got his fourth foul (at 19:39 of the second half) and we made a sub and really went on a nice run and it gave us a position to be able to have a chance to win this game."

Alabama outrebounded Vanderbilt 50-35.

"I thought their offensive rebounds were key," Drew said. "Anytime you hold a team to 32 percent you feel good about your defense, but all of their second-chance points was a really big difference in the game."
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jbcarol

 Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 17h17 hours ago

Alec Peters just became Valparaiso's all-time leading scorer — breaking Bryce Drew's mark. 2,143 career points.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 52m52 minutes ago

Ummmm, Arkansas going to the FT line for 3 shots and trailing Vandy 70-68 with 0.8 second left.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

 Jon Rothstein‏Verified account @JonRothstein 23h23 hours ago

Vanderbilt falls to 0-2 on its foreign tour after a 5-point loss to Carleton. Dores got another 14-point game from X transfer Larry Austin.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net