Who? The Commodores of Vanderbilt.
What? Vanderbilt is named for railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. So are Vandy's sports teams- he was nicknamed the Commodore. Mr. C is a bit more naval than his inspiration.
Where? Nashville, Tennessee, a city we've all learned a lot about in the last few weeks.
When? Sunday the 20th, versus Louisville in Cincinnati.
Why? The 10 seed probably has to do with the relative weakness of their out of conference schedule. It was hard to find a good win in the OOC slate.
How? They were an at-large selection from the SEC.
Surprise? No, not really. You know what you're going to get from Vandy: lots of three-shooting, lots of diving for loose balls, smart play, and a loss to Bowling Green (fortunately for the Commodores, Bowling Green is in the Dayton regional).Who's driving this thing, anyway? Melanie Balcomb, since 2002.
RPI: 30
SOS: 17
Record: 20-11 (10-6 SEC)
Best win: Georgia (A)
Worst loss: Denver (A)
Notable results: Princeton (W, H, 74-68), Kentucky (L, H, 80-71)
Vanderbilt's balance is fascinating. They have five players who average in double figures- three starters and two reserves, led by senior guard Jence Rhoads and her 11.9 points. What's fascinating is the stark differences in how players do it. Jasmine Lister and Christina Foggie do it with threes. Hannah Tuomi and Stephanie Holzer really, really do not. I think styles of play and differences between players' styles become more apparent when the numbers are so similar.