Vanderbilt Basketball:: Tales of Commodore Hardwood History

by Bill Traughber

Overview

Vanderbilt basketball has come a long way since the beginnings of organized team play in 1893. Vanderbilt athletic historian Bill Traughber leads the charge through Commodore history, from the Old Gym to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, complete with memories from players and coaches.Experience the program's turning point from the court of the 1947 98-29 loss to Kentucky that sent a clear message: time to play ball or drop it. The first full-time head coach, Bob Polk, soon arrived and built Vanderbilt basketball into the national contender it is today. Feel the magic of Memorial Gymnasium and get on your feet to cheer for impossible buzzer-beaters and thrilling victories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609496883
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/16/2012
Series:	Sports
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Bill Traughber is a researcher and writer of Nashville sports history. He has been a published writer for twelve years. The Nashville-born writer's work has appeared in Athlon's Baseball Annual, Nashville Sports Weekly, Titans Exclusive, Big Orange Illustrated, the City Paper, Tennessee Titans Season Review 2001, 2, Sports Nashville, Nashville Retrospect and the National Pastime (SABR). His stories have also appeared in these additional publications: Nashville Sounds 2004, 9 yearly programs; Nashville Sounds 2007, 9 media guides; Brentwood Academy 2004, 9 football programs; Vanderbilt University 2004, 9 football programs; and Vanderbilt 2008, 9 baseball media guides. His work has appeared on several websites, including www.nashvillesounds.com and www.vucommodores.com. As a member of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association, he was presented with these awards: 2003 Best Feature Writer (Division II); 2005 Best Feature Writer (Division III); 2006 Best Feature Writer (Division III); 2007 Third Place Feature Writer (Division III); 2008 Second Place Feature Writer (Division III); 2008 Third Place Writer of the Year (Division III); 2009 Best Feature Writer (Division III); and 2009 Second Place Writer of the Year (Division III). His memberships include the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA), the Nashville Sports Council, the Society of American Baseball Researchers (SABR), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association (IFRA). Traughber's stories have taken him to Cooperstown, New York; Anchorage, Alaska; and the White House in Washington, D.C. He resides in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Table of Contents

Foreword Barry Booker 9

Preface 13

1 Vanderbilt Was First College Team in 1893 17

2 Commodore Women Played in the Nineteenth Century 25

3 The 1909-10 Men's and Women's Teams 31

4 Vanderbilt Is 1920 SIAA Champ 37

5 The 1927 Southern Conference Champions 43

6 Tom Henderson Played Before the SEC 49

7 Billy Joe Adcock Earns First Scholarship 53

8 Bob Polk Hired as First Full-Time Coach 63

9 The 1951 SEC Tournament Champs 69

10 The Magic of Memorial Gymnasium 79

11 Roy Skinner, Vanderbilt's Winningest Coach 89

12 Vanderbilt's 1965 SEC Championship Season 97

13 Perry Wallace, First Black Player in the SEC 105

14 Commodores Explode for 130 Points 113

15 Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Revived in 1977 119

16 C.M. Newton Is a Two-Time Coach of the Year 127

17 Eddie Fogler Brings Third SEC Title 137

18 Kevin Stallings Leads 'Dores into the Twenty-First Century 145

19 Vanderbilt's Historical Timeline 155

Appendix I Vanderbilt Men's All-Time Records 165

Appendix II Vanderbilt Men's Records 171

Appendix III Vanderbilt Women's All-Time Records 179

Appendix IV Vanderbilt Women's Records 181

About the Author 189