Teams: Vanderbilt (0-0) vs. Clayton State (0-0)
Day, Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Tip-off time: 3 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio/TV: None
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
Vanderbilt Game Notes: Available at vucommodores.com
Before officially opening the 2015-16 season, the Vanderbilt women's basketball team will get a "dress rehearsal" on Saturday, when the Commodores host Clayton State in an exhibition game at Memorial Gym. The contest will give VU fans their first look at this year's team -- and will also give players, coaches and fans their first taste of the new rules that have been implemented in women's basketball this season. (For more on the new rules, visit vucommodores.com.) Vanderbilt enters the season looking to bounce back from last year's injury-riddled campaign, when the Commodores posted a 15-16 record and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. Here's a closer look at Saturday's exhibition game:
l The skinny on the Commodores: Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb enters the 2015-16 campaign as the SEC’s active leader in conference wins -- and considering the large amount of talent and experience on this year’s team, it appears she’ll have a chance to pad those numbers. The Commodores have seven upperclassmen on the roster, and the veterans will join together with numerous rising young stars and several new faces to give the team a potentially dangerous blend. The talented cast includes seniors Morgan Batey and Jasmine Jenkins, who are two of the battle-tested leaders on the squad, and junior Marqu’es Webb, who has emerged as one of the SEC’s most-dominating inside players. Also, redshirt sophomore Rebekah Dahlman, who was an SEC All-Freshman honoree last season, and newcomer Minta Spears, a transfer from Texas Tech, are expected to make big contributions for the Commodores.
l Dahlman, Webb look to build on momentum: Rebekah Dahlman and Marqu'es Webb enter the season with hopes of replicating -- and perhaps topping -- the big numbers they produced last season. Dahlman was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team by the conference’s coaches after averaging a team-high 10.3 points per game, which ranked 26th in the SEC. Dahlman was also VU’s leader in 3-pointers (43) and ranked second in steals (36). She scored in double figures in 14 games, including five of the final eight. Webb finished last season shooting a team-high 59.5 percent from the floor, marking the second straight year that she has led the Commodores in that department. She put together some amazing numbers down the stretch, shooting 68.2 percent -- going 28-of-41 -- during the final six games of the season. She averaged 12.3 points per game during that six-game stretch, and reached double figures five times. She matched her career high with 18 points in the season-ending loss to Kentucky in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
l Scouting Clayton State: Head coach Kaleena Coleman, a former star at CSU, enters her second season at the helm after guiding the team to a 17-12 record last year. The Lakers are an experienced team, with 13 upperclassmen on the 15-player roster. DaQuenna Moore, a 6-1 senior post player, is among the key returnees. She averaged 9.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Another player to watch is Kenisha Jones-Barrett, a 5-8 senior guard, who averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
l What's ahead for the Commodores: After Saturday's game, the Commodores will turn their attention to their regular-season opener against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 15. Vanderbilt then plays consecutive road games, traveling to Dayton on Nov. 18 and Green Bay on Nov. 21.
Day, Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Tip-off time: 3 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio/TV: None
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
Vanderbilt Game Notes: Available at vucommodores.com
Before officially opening the 2015-16 season, the Vanderbilt women's basketball team will get a "dress rehearsal" on Saturday, when the Commodores host Clayton State in an exhibition game at Memorial Gym. The contest will give VU fans their first look at this year's team -- and will also give players, coaches and fans their first taste of the new rules that have been implemented in women's basketball this season. (For more on the new rules, visit vucommodores.com.) Vanderbilt enters the season looking to bounce back from last year's injury-riddled campaign, when the Commodores posted a 15-16 record and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. Here's a closer look at Saturday's exhibition game:
l The skinny on the Commodores: Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb enters the 2015-16 campaign as the SEC’s active leader in conference wins -- and considering the large amount of talent and experience on this year’s team, it appears she’ll have a chance to pad those numbers. The Commodores have seven upperclassmen on the roster, and the veterans will join together with numerous rising young stars and several new faces to give the team a potentially dangerous blend. The talented cast includes seniors Morgan Batey and Jasmine Jenkins, who are two of the battle-tested leaders on the squad, and junior Marqu’es Webb, who has emerged as one of the SEC’s most-dominating inside players. Also, redshirt sophomore Rebekah Dahlman, who was an SEC All-Freshman honoree last season, and newcomer Minta Spears, a transfer from Texas Tech, are expected to make big contributions for the Commodores.
l Dahlman, Webb look to build on momentum: Rebekah Dahlman and Marqu'es Webb enter the season with hopes of replicating -- and perhaps topping -- the big numbers they produced last season. Dahlman was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team by the conference’s coaches after averaging a team-high 10.3 points per game, which ranked 26th in the SEC. Dahlman was also VU’s leader in 3-pointers (43) and ranked second in steals (36). She scored in double figures in 14 games, including five of the final eight. Webb finished last season shooting a team-high 59.5 percent from the floor, marking the second straight year that she has led the Commodores in that department. She put together some amazing numbers down the stretch, shooting 68.2 percent -- going 28-of-41 -- during the final six games of the season. She averaged 12.3 points per game during that six-game stretch, and reached double figures five times. She matched her career high with 18 points in the season-ending loss to Kentucky in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
l Scouting Clayton State: Head coach Kaleena Coleman, a former star at CSU, enters her second season at the helm after guiding the team to a 17-12 record last year. The Lakers are an experienced team, with 13 upperclassmen on the 15-player roster. DaQuenna Moore, a 6-1 senior post player, is among the key returnees. She averaged 9.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Another player to watch is Kenisha Jones-Barrett, a 5-8 senior guard, who averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
l What's ahead for the Commodores: After Saturday's game, the Commodores will turn their attention to their regular-season opener against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 15. Vanderbilt then plays consecutive road games, traveling to Dayton on Nov. 18 and Green Bay on Nov. 21.
