Scouting Indiana
Indiana enters the game with a record of 6-0 after a 91-62 home win over Illinois-Chicago Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers return six lettermen and two starters from last year’s squad that finished as the national runner-up with a record of 25-12 and 11-5 in the Big Ten.

Freshman guard Bracey Wright and senior guard Tom Coverdale lead Indiana each with 17.2 points per game. Senior forward Jeff Newton leads the squad in rebounding with 10.2 boards per contest and also chips in 15.7 points per game. Senior center George Leach is second on the team with 9.4 rebounds per game.

The Hoosiers have gotten off to a quick start this season with some quality victories. At the Maui Invitational, they picked up wins over UMass, Gonzaga and Virginia. Indiana returned to the mainland to defeat North Texas before claiming an 80-74 overtime win over Maryland in a rematch of last season’s national championship game.

Three...Dot...Data vs. Tulane
Vanderbilt held Tulane scoreless from three-point range (0- 13)...The Commodores outscored Tulane by 10 points in each half...This is the fifth game this season VU has beaten an opponent by double-digits after doing that just six times in 32 games last season...With a 16- 15 advantage on the offensive boards, this was only the second game this year that VU won that battle...Vanderbilt has won or tied the battle for control of the defensive boards in every game, including a 26-21 edge versus Tulane...The Dores had 18 assists to five for the Green Wave...VU has had least fpour blocks in all six games this season after reaching four blocks in a game just four times last season...Points in the paint: VU 30, TU 26...Points off turnovers: VU 19, TU 13...Second-chance points: VU 15, TU 9...Fast-break points: VU 10, TU 8.

First Road Game Not All That Bad
Coventional wisdom says a team making its first road trip of the season might struggle. As Vanderbilt heads to Indiana for the first road trip of this season, the Commodores hope to have the same luck as their recent predecessors.

In the past five seasons, Vanderbilt is 4-1 in the first road game of the season. The Commodores defeated Ohio State (1997-98), Providence (1998-99), Notre Dame (1999-00) and Western Kentucky (2000-01), while losing to Connecticut (2001-02).

Thornton Continues to Set Scoring Records
Sophomore Brian Thornton scored a career-high 20 points against Tulane on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the line. He also matched career bests with two steals and 29 minutes of action. Thornton has now set or tied a career high in scoring in three of the past four contests.

Freije Posts Second Career Double-Double
After trying for more than two years, junior forward Matt Freije recorded his second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Tulane, while tying a career best with five assists. Freije’s first double-double came his freshman season when he scored 22 points and grabbed 11 boards versus Birmingham Southern.

Freije quietly continues to be the team leader with 17.3 points per game. He has been Vanderbilt’s leading scorer in five of the six contests and the game-high scorer in four games with his high being 22 points against Georgia Southern. He joins sophomore Brian Thornton as the only Commodores to post a double-figure rebounding game in the past two seasons.

Commodores Battle Ups and Downs From Long Range
With the new emphasis on the inside game, Vanderbilt is finding the three-point shot to be a fickle friend. In the past five games, the Commodores have flip-flopped from good to bad nights from threepoint range.

From behind the arc, Vanderbilt shot 4-of-17 against Alabama A&M, but then bounced back to make 10-of-16 versus Georgia Southern. Against UConn, the Commodores shot just 2-of-15 from long distance, but once again returned against East Tennessee State with an 8-of-16 shooting night from three-point range. Continuing the theme Saturday night, Vanderbilt shot just 3-of-15 on treys.

Complete Notes