Vanderbilt's Young Talent Brings High Expectations For 2009-2010 Season

At this point in the season for the young Vanderbilt Commodores, anything short of winning the conference championship will stop any chance at a third straight NCAA Tournament invitation.

There is still hope ahead for this young squad that should bring back almost its entire roster for next season. The current roster has no senior and only three juniors.

This team has already shown a lot of poise this season despite being so young and still have a chance and having a respectable finish that could get them an NIT berth.

Next season will most likely feature guard Jermaine Beal, who will be a senior next season and will play a vital role in leadership.

Vanderbilt relies on sophomore A.J. Ogilvy more than anyone else on the team, but questions of toughness and consistency will need to be answered before next season.

What really raises this team's expectations more than anything else is the strong output the freshmen have put out this season.

Guards Brad Tinsley and Jeffrey Taylor rank second and fourth respectively in points per game and minutes per game.

These young players are getting a ton of valuable playing time that will do nothing but make them better in the coming seasons.

Junior George Drake will also most likely be back for his senior season, which will add more experience and leadership.

Scoring will definitely not be an issue in the future for the Commodores, but toughness in the low-post might.

Freshman Festus Ezeli will likely be the starting center and will need to dramatically increase his production to stop other team's from beating up on Vanderbilt down low, which has been this team's biggest weakness this season.

Ezeli is currently just averaging five points and three rebounds per game.

Regardless of the end result of the 2008-2009 season, Vanderbilt's future looks extremely bright.

All great teams go through rebuilding years, and great teams always recruit well to get back in the mix quickly. Its safe to say that coach Kevin Stallings has done his part in the recruiting process.

So be patient Commodore faithful. The Commodores will be back to the Big Dance in the following years with a roster loaded with experience, depth, and talent.