UAB vs Vandy preview...NIT QF

[MAGAking1]

Second seed Vanderbilt will play the 4th seeded UAB for a quarterfinal matchup of the NIT tournament. The Vanderbilt Commodores are coming off a one point win over Michigan while UAB trounced Morehead St. by 18. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM Eastern.

Let's Dive in.

Blazers Continue Postseason Push​

UAB is coming off a one-sided victory over Morehead St. where the Blazers offense shot 50% from the floor, despite Jordan 'Jelly' Walker going just 1-12 shooting. The Blazers won the rebounding battle by 14 and secured 11 offensive boards while also assisting on 16 of 33 made shots. UAB held the lead the entire game was was led by Ty Brewer with 25 points. Trey Jemison had a double-double tallying 11 points and 16 rebounds.




UAB enters this contest with a net scoring margin of +10 points per game, which is good for 15th in America. The Blazers have been one of the fastest teams in the country this season and that has translated to them firing off around 63 shot attempts per game which is 7th in the country. The Blazers have generated, and been most successful, near the basket. When they haven't been able to convert initially, UAB has crashed the boards with a vigor. They not only sit top 10 in offensive rebound rate, but they are also inside the top 10 in second chance conversion rate. Where the offense has been somewhat laggard has been beyond the arc, although the Blazers aren't in love with the 3-ball by any means and prefer to attack the basket. On the defensive side of the court the Blazers have been remarkably pesky and force nearly eight steals per game, which is top 50 in the country. Not only have they had success poking the ball away, UAB is 8th in the country in potential quick points off steals and should get a fair amount of fast break points here. While the offense has been strong down low, the defense has been a bit inconsistent down low and opponents have connected on over 60% in the key. The Blazers have also struggled on the glass, but have done well limiting foes to second chance points. If the Blazers are able to win the battle on the boards here, they should see themselves advancing to the next round.

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Vanderbilt Edges Past Michigan​

Vanderbilt is coming off a hard fought victory over Michigan where the Commodores rallied from nine down in the final two minutes and held the Wolverines scoreless during the process. The win was capped with by a Tyrin Lawrence layup with under 10 seconds remaining. Lawrence led the Commodores with 24 on the night. While Vanderbilt was out rebounded by 16, they were +8 in the turnover category taking it away 15 times.




Vanderbilt comes into this contest with a net scoring margin of +0.7 points per game which is good for 163rd in the country. The Commodores have preferred to get most of their points from beyond the arc and are 81st in 3-point shooting. Vanderbilt has also valued the basketball, which has allowed them to make the most of their possessions and their strong ball security has vaulted them to 37th in field goal attempt rate. On the glass the Commodores have been pretty average in terms of securing missed shots, and they will have a tough go of it when they do pull down missed shots as the Blazers sit 13th in opponent second chance conversion rate. The Commodores have defended the interior well this season and currently are holding opposition to under 60% shooting near the basket, this trend will need to continue against the Blazers. Vanderbilt has also defended the perimeter very well, but will likely welcome UAB to take outside shots as they haven't been all that effective from long range. What has been a consistent worry for Vanderbilt has been their inability to close possessions. They come into this contest sitting bottom 60 in the country in opponent offensive rebound rate. This game will come down to who wins the battle on the glass and if the Commodores are unable to do that, they'll need to rely on their outside shooting to advance.





The Blazers have been cooking in the postseason and that has been credited to their high octane offense. And not only has UAB been shooting lights out, but they've managed to snag over a third of their missed shots on average and they should capitalize against a Vanderbilt team that has struggled closing out possessions. Vanderbilt has been too reliant on their outside shooting and this variance could lead them to scoring droughts that will be hard to surmount against the Blazers. Take UAB to advance.
UAB +1


Prediction: UAB +1






UAB has been one of the fastest paced teams all season and that pace hasn't been slowed. Even if Vanderbilt chooses to slow the game down, the Blazers are coming off a 77 point performance on just 65 possessions. Vanderbilt has routinely taken care of the ball and their 37th ranked field goal attempt rate will keep the shot volume high here. With face pace expected and both squads inside the top 50 in field goal attempt rate, expect points. The play is the over.
Over 152.5


Prediction: Over 152.5

 

[skoda]

No Place Like Home
Vandy hosts UAB on Wednesday for NIT quarterfinals

 

[MAGAking1]

No Place Like Home
Vandy hosts UAB on Wednesday for NIT quarterfinals

That court/Memeorial Gym is something in itself

Memorial Gym – Vanderbilt Commodores

In the Music City it seems appropriate that the gym at its largest university was originally built as a basketball arena and concert hall.

www.stadiumjourney.com

Construction and unusual design​

Memorial Gymnasium was built in the early 1950s, designed by Edwin A. Keeble.[5] It was dedicated as the campus memorial to students and alumni killed in World War II; a plaque commemorating these people is displayed in the lobby. At the time of its construction, there was a serious discussion within the Vanderbilt community about whether the school should de-emphasize intercollegiate athletics. As a compromise, the gymnasium was built to hold only about 8,000 seats, and it would be readily adaptable to other uses.[3]

The gymnasium floor was built up above its surroundings, more in the nature of a stage. The areas out of bounds along the sidelines were very wide, in contrast with the small facility which it replaced, where the walls were right along the sidelines and players could scrape their shoulders bringing the ball up the court. This necessitated the placement of the benches at each end of the court, which was not highly unusual at the time. In addition, each goal was originally anchored by two far-reaching beams attached to support columns, with extra support coming from cables stretching all the way to the gym's ceiling. (In the case of a backboard shatter or beam fracture, replacing the old goals would be highly difficult, compared to the usual goal setup at most venues.) The main gym, unlike the practice gyms, does not have air conditioning. Until a 2017 renovation, the shot clocks were positioned below the backboard on the player's right. A new conventional Spalding backstop, with a Daktronics shot clock above the center of the goal, was installed for the 2017–18 season.

Memorial Gym is well known for its unusual design. The end-of-the-floor bench location is now unique in major college basketball, and said to give Vanderbilt a home court advantage, since no other facility in which opponents play is arranged in such a way. The interior walls were unpainted cinder blocks prior to a major renovation in the early 2000s. The middle of the three decks has a low ceiling and when the house lights are turned off during game play gives the distinct impression of watching a Cinemascope movie of basketball.

For many years opposing coaches complained they had to coach their team from the baseline, making it very tough to communicate from the other end of the floor. This was due to the placement of the team benches on the baselines. However, beginning in the 2015–16 season, coaches were given typical coaching boxes that ran up the sideline, as in every other college gym. Now, even though their teams are still on the baseline, the coaches have the ability to roam the sideline up to the end of a regulation NCAA coaching box.

 

[skoda]

Vanderbilt is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games and 16-6 at home I think 152 is high… but it is NIT… last night only game over was OT game sta with trend. Late game over I think one side is still under court?