Alabama Crimson Tide Head To Nashville To Face Off Against No.23 Vanderbilt

Fresh off their defeat of the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide heads to Nashville today to face off against the No. 23 Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Crimson Tide enter the game sporting an SEC best 7-1 record in conference play and having won 10 of its last 11 games. It’s the team’s best conference start since 2002, when they also posted a 7-1 record.

Alabama’s defense has been the key to its success so far this season, as the Tide has held opponents to an average of less than 58 points per game. That average will surely be tested by a tough Commodores team which averages more than 82 points per game when they play at home.

Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-4) improved to 12-1 at home Saturday with a 78-60 defeat of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Despite a strong performance, the Commodores are tied for last in the SEC East along with the Gamecocks.

Junior forward, Jeffery Taylor, enters the game fresh off of his 17 point performance against South Carolina, a game in which he hit a career-high four three-pointers.

Alabama (15-7, 7-1) hasn’t won at Memorial Gym since the 1989-90 season, but after defeating Kentucky at home and Tennessee on the road, surely pose as a threat to the Commodores, who are struggling just to keep pace with the first place Florida Gators in the East.

JaMychal Green leads all Crimson Tide players with an average of 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in his last 11 games, while sophomore Tony Mitchell is averaging 23.5 points in his last two games.

The last time the two teams met, Taylor led the Commodores with 13 points in a 65-64 victory at Alabama on Jan. 13, 2010.

With a victory, the Tide will improve to 8-1 in SEC play for the first time in more than twenty years.

Despite having not won at Vanderbilt in 21 years, the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series by way of a 66-63 margin.