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Vanderbilt vs. Alabama, 7:30 p.m.

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 12, 2009

Vanderbilt Commodores

Probable Starters

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
4	A.J. Ogilvy	C	6-11	250	So.	15.7	7.1	1.2
0	Jermaine Beal	G	6-3	210	Jr.	12.7	3.6	3.1
44	Jeffery Taylor	F	6-7	200	Fr.	12.0	6.2	1.7
1	Brad Tinsley	G	6-3	180	Fr.	10.7	2.5	2.9
33	Steve Tchiengang	F	6-8	240	Fr.	3.8	3.2	1.7

Alabama Crimson Tide

Probable Starters

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
12	Alonzo Gee	G	6-6	236	Sr.	14.8	7.3	1.3
32	JaMychal Green	F	6-9	225	Fr.	10.2	7.5	0.8
2	Mikhail Torrance	G	6-5	196	Jr.	9.5	2.4	2.2
40	Justin Knox	F	6-9	236	So.	5.7	5.1	0.5
21	Senario Hillman	G	6-1	192	So.	13.3	2.5	2.2

Player To Watch

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt: The sophomore center is a second-team All-SEC pick for the second straight season, he is mobile and strong. The Australian averages 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He was fifth in the SEC in blocked shots with 46 (1.6 per game). He has scored in double figures 57 times in 62 career games.

Previous Meeting

Vanderbilt's Jermaine Beal and A.J. Ogilvy scored 20 points each to lead the Commodores to a 79-74 win in Nashville. Beal hit two free throws with 17.4 seconds left, and Ogilvy added another with 6.4 seconds remaining to seal the win. Ogilvy also had 12 rebounds. Anthony Brock scored 15 points, and JaMychal Green added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Alabama.

What To Expect

Alabama battled to a 5-6 record for interim coach Philip Pearson, who took over in late January. The Tide comes into the game fresh off an upset of Tennessee in the regular-season finale and winners of four of their past five. Vandy has won three in a row. Both run deliberate offensive attacks.

Fun Fact

Since Philip Pearson took over at Alabama, the Tide has shot 40 percent from outside the 3-point line. In their 19 games before Pearson was elevated from assistant, the Tide hit 29 percent.

FRIDAY'S OPPONENT: Tennessee (19-11, 10-6)

Probable Starters

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
1	Tyler Smith	F	6-7	215	Jr.	17.1	6.0	3.6
4	Wayne Chism	C	6-9	240	Jr.	13.3	8.1	1.3
30	J.P. Prince	G	6-7	205	Jr.	9.9	4.0	3.1
32	Scotty Hopson	G	6-7	185	Fr.	9.3	2.6	1.2
3	Bobby Maze	G	6-2	185	Jr.	8.6	2.4	3.2

Player To Watch

Guard Tyler Smith ranks seventh in the SEC in scoring, 16th in rebounding and seventh in assists. He is the only player in the conference ranked in the top 20 in all three categories.

What To Expect

The Volunteers like to push the pace, and they averaged 78.3 point per game, second-best in the SEC. Tennessee can thrive in a game where it can feature its athletes and size. Maze, Smith and Prince each rank among the top 11 in the SEC in assists per game. The Vols are 19-5 this season when holding opponents to fewer than 80 points.

Fun Fact

Tennessee's strength of schedule is rated second in the nation. The Vols' resume includes seven wins against teams in the top 50 of the RPI rating system.

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