The Stats and Info section of ESPN.com looks at the best way for Vanderbilt to have a chance to upset Kentucky tomorrow in Memorial Gym.
[I][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]The Commodores’ league-leading attack has been fueled by its prolific long-distance shooting. Vanderbilt ranks first in 3-point accuracy during SEC games and has shot 40 percent or better on 3-point attempts in over half of its conference games. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[IMG]http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/med/96.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]Kentucky ranks third during conference play in 3-point field goal defense, but did allow the league’s worst long-distance shooting team, Alabama, to make 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc on Jan. 21. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[B]EFFECTIVE SCREENS[/B]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]Kentucky has also held its SEC opponents to a league-best 1.20 points per possession according to Statsheet.com, but it’s been vulnerable during league play when defending players coming off a screen. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[/I][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana][B][I]Vanderbilt Offense vs Kentucky Defense Off Screen Plays, SEC Ranks[/I][/B]
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[TR=”bgcolor: transparent”][TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][/TH]
[TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][I]VAN Off[/I][/TH]
[TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][I]UK Def[/I][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: last oddrow, bgcolor: transparent”]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]Pts per play[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]2nd[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]9th[/I][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: last evenrow, bgcolor: transparent”]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]eFG pct[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]3rd[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]10th[/I][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[I][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]League opponents have averaged 1.14 points per play on screens, the worst mark Kentucky has allowed on any play type in SEC games. Conference foes have made 44 percent of their shots from the floor, including more than half from beyond the arc when coming off screens. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]Vanderbilt has the perimeter shooters to take advantage of this weakness. Jeffrey Taylor is averaging 1.36 points per play and shooting 55 percent coming off a screen this season, both of which rank second in the conference, and [/FONT][/COLOR][URL=”http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/45892/john-jenkins”]John Jenkins[/URL][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana] also averages better than one point per play off screens. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]The Commodores have connected on 50 percent of their 3-pointers and 45 percent of all shots off screens in conference games, and have turned the ball over just once on 46 such plays. In its 15-point win over LSU this week, Vanderbilt made 5-of-11 shots coming off a screen, including 3-of-6 from long distance. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[/I][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana][B][I]Vanderbilt Spot-Up Defense This Season[/I][/B]
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[TR=”bgcolor: transparent”][TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][/TH]
[TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][I]Non-conf.[/I][/TH]
[TH=”bgcolor: #D6D6D6, align: left”][I]Conf.[/I][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: last oddrow, bgcolor: transparent”]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]PPG[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]16.1[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]14.7[/I][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: last evenrow, bgcolor: transparent”]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]2-pt FG pct[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]41[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]31[/I][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: last oddrow, bgcolor: transparent”]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]3-pt FG pct[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]39[/I][/TD]
[TD=”bgcolor: transparent”][I]32[/I][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[I][B]SPOT-UP DEFENSE[/B]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]The Wildcats own the league’s second-best offense on spot-up plays, averaging better than a point per play. [/FONT][/COLOR][URL=”http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/51543/doron-lamb”]Doron Lamb[/URL][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana] and [/FONT][/COLOR][URL=”http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/41836/darius-miller”]Darius Miller[/URL][COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]have torched opposing defenses all season, making a combined 48 percent of their spot-up attempts. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]Vanderbilt struggled to defend spot-up plays during its non-conference slate but has really improved against SEC teams (see chart on right). After allowing six of its 15 non-conference opponents to average more than one point per spot-up play, they have done that just once in nine conference games. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=verdana]Taylor has been the Commodores’ best spot-up defender this season. Opponents have made just a quarter of their spot-up shots against Taylor, who has also committed only one foul in 62 spot-up plays as the on-ball defender.
[URL=”http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/38452/vanderbilt-has-long-shot-to-upset-kentucky”]Source[/URL][/FONT][/COLOR][/I]
