Thoughts on the Week Ahead

There are a number of things I am contemplating coming into the final week of the SEC season. First off, I have been thinking in my head the potential NCAA seeding we could receive based on the variety of ways this weeks games could play out. Secondly, I have been thinking about the implications of the fact that Coach Stallings started John Jenkins on Saturday. We all know it's a big deal to start Jenkins for Tinsley 27 games into the season.

To begin, here are the facts: Vanderbilt is 22-6 (11-3) with an RPI of 11 and Strength of Schedule of 20. We are also 5-2 against teams with an RPI between 1 and 50. That is a big statistic for our resume because we have essentially collected 5 quality wins in the eyes of the tournament committee (Tennessee, @Tennessee, @St. Mary's, Florida, and Missouri)

So, best case scenario: I think if we win on Tuesday in Gainseville and we close out the season with a victory over South Carolina we are in really good shape. That would mean we would be 13-3 in the SEC and have 6 quality wins. If we then win at least our first round game in the SEC tournament I think we are good for a 4 seed. If we make it to the finals of the SEC tournament which is very feasible, we should secure a 3 seed. Now, if we WIN the SEC tournament, which requires beating Kentucky, I think we have a serious case for a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Critics always say, "you can't beat a good team 3 times," so according to the critics if we're a good team we should take down Kentucky if we see them again.

Having said that, what if we go on the pessimistic route. What if we lose at Florida and beat South Carolina at home. Then lets say we bust in the SEC tournament and get knocked out in our first game. If this happens we will be 12-4 in the SEC and we will show the committee a resume of 23-8. I think that would make us good for a 5 seed, even though historically going 12-4 in the conference would generally mean a 4 seed or better. The truth is, having the SEC tournament in Nashville, I think the committee needs us to at least make the semifinals to prove anything. Further, going to the finals is probably the standard we are held to given our body of work throughout the season.

Moving on to topic number 2. What does it mean that Stallings decided to start Jenkins? I think that this was Coach Stallings saying to his team and the rest of the country, I brought this kid along, who is a fabulous player, and he's finally ready t ocontribute his full potential to our team. So to me, although I think Brad Tinsley is a great player, this move signifies Vanderbilt making its move to the next level as a team. It makes sense that Coach saw this move coming, but he wanted to make sure it was truly time before he made the move. If the change goes as planned, Vanderbilt should seek its full potential with Jenkins in the starting lineup. I've always wondered why our 5 star recruit, 15th best freshman in the land doesn't start. It was all a psychological play on Coach's part, he wanted to get the most out of his young player, and hopefully this was the best course of action.

Bottom line is, we have a big week ahead of us. hopefully the guys will go get it, I'll have a breakdown of the two specific matchups later on in the week. Check back tomorrow for more.