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Men's basketball team is No. 5 seed in Southwest Region

Posted 3/14/2011

John Jenkins (John Russell/Vanderbilt University)

The Vanderbilt men's basketball team will face Richmond in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 17, inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. The winner of that game will face either Louisville or Morehead State in the second round on Saturday, March 19.

The Commodores, the No. 5 seed in the Southwest Region, will play in the state of Colorado for the first time in the history of the program. It will also be Vanderbilt's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a number five seed.

The Commodores will tip off around 3 p.m. CT, or 30 minutes after the first game of the day at the Pepsi Center, Louisville-Morehead State.  That game tips off at 12:40 p.m. CT.

Vanderbilt's History At The NCAA Tournament

Vanderbilt will be making its 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their fourth since 2004, and have a 9-12 all-time record at the tournament. The Commodores have advanced to the regional semifinals four times since the field expanded to 64+ teams (1988, 1993, 2004, 2007) and advanced to the Elite Eight on one occasion, in 1965, when the field was only 23 teams.

The Commodores' last appearance came in the 2010 tournament, when Vanderbilt, a four seed, fell to Murray State, a 13 seed, 66-65, in the first round in San Jose, Calif. The Racers' Danero Thomas hit a shot as time expired to give Murray State a win in one of the most exciting games of the tournament.

In the 2007 edition of the tournament, Vanderbilt, a No. 6 seed, knocked off No. 11 George Washington, 77-44, and No. 3 Washington State, 78-74, in a double overtime classic, at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The Commodores were defeated by No. 2 Georgetown, 66-65, in the East Regional semifinals at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J.

In 2004, VU advanced to the Sweet 16 as a number six seed in the Phoenix regional, defeating No. 11 seed Western Michigan (71-58) and No. 3 seed N.C. State (75-73) in Orlando, Fla. The Commodores then lost to eventual national champion, No. 1 seed Connecticut, 73-53, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Contact: Athletics, (615) 322-4121