SPORTS

Meet the Vanderbilt men's basketball team

Adam Sparks
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Vanderbilt returns the bulk of its 2014-15 roster for this season under coach Kevin Stallings. Here is a player-by-player breakdown of the team.

Wade Baldwin.

WADE BALDWIN

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-3, 194

Position: Guard

Hometown: Belle Mead, N.J.

Twitter: @The_Fourth_Wade

2014-15 Key Stats: 9.3 ppg, 4.4 ast., 4.1 reb., 50 steals, 43.9 3-pt pct.

Notable: Baldwin’s 155 assists broke Vanderbilt’s freshman record and helped him earn SEC All-Freshman honors. His 50 steals also ranked second-most for a Vanderbilt player in the past 13 years.

Outlook: Baldwin is a fiery, tough tone-setter and returns as one of the SEC’s top point guards. In terms of numbers, Baldwin can simply distribute and defend for 40 minutes or be a triple-double threat on a given night.

Vanderbilt freshman Djery Baptiste has not played yet this season in order to take a redshirt.

DJERY BAPTISTE

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-10, 235

Position: Center

Hometown: Gonaives, Haiti

Twitter: N/A

2014-15 Key Stats: 10 ppg, 10 reb., 3.0 blocks, 2.0 ast. at Prestonwood High School in Plano, Texas

Notable: Helped lead high school to four straight state titles. Chose Vanderbilt over UConn, SMU, Oregon and USC.

Outlook: Baptiste already has a Division I body, but his understanding of Vanderbilt’s offense will take some time. He has plenty of raw talent and could see some time as a reserve center, but that depends on if he can catch up schematically to the college game.

Nolan Cressler

NOLAN CRESSLER

Class: Junior

Height/Weight: 6-4, 210

Position: Guard

Hometown: Pittsburgh

Twitter: @NacFlow_24

2013-14 Key Stats: 16.8 ppg, 4.2 reb., 1.6 ast. at Cornell

Notable: Led Cornell in scoring and topped the Ivy League in field goals made per game. Sat out last season after transferring.

Outlook: Cressler will add another scoring threat to the lineup, either as a starter or a spark off the bench. He’s a proven perimeter shooter like Vanderbilt’s other guards. But Cressler also is a strong mid-range shooter and slasher.

Matthew Fisher-Davis

MATTHEW FISHER-DAVIS

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-5, 185

Position: Guard/Forward

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Twitter: @_MFD5

2014-15 Key Stats: 7.2 ppg, 2.3 reb., 40.1 3-pt pct.

Notable: Made the most 3-pointers per game (2.1) of any freshman in the SEC.

Outlook: The smooth streaky-shooting Fisher-Davis showed he could turn around a game in a hurry with a flurry of 3-pointers. His defense improved late last season, but he still needs to learn to play better through contact. Nevertheless, he’s one of the SEC’s most impactful weapons from beyond the arc.

Josh Henderson

JOSH HENDERSON

Class: Graduate student

Height/Weight: 7-0, 237

Position: Center

Hometown: Roanoke, Va.

Twitter: @jhendo40

2014-15 Key Stats: 2.2 ppg, 1.2 reb.

Notable: NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility due to medical hardship from injuries that severely limited two of his seasons.

Outlook: If he can remain healthy, Henderson could once again be Damian Jones’ backup in the post. He is skilled offensively and can provide a quick spurt of scoring off the bench in short stints.

Damian Jones

DAMIAN JONES

Class: Junior

Height/Weight: 7-0, 245

Position: Center

Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.

Twitter: @dameology

2014-15 Key Stats: 14.5 ppg, 6.5 reb., 70 blocks, 56.2 FG pct.

Notable: A 2014-15 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award finalist and All-SEC first-teamer, Jones is projected as one of the top big men in next year’s NBA Draft.

Outlook: Jones could be an SEC Player of the Year candidate. He returns as one of the league’s top players and should demand attention from opponents and NBA scouts all year. If Jones has his best season, Vanderbilt will contend for top billing in the SEC and beyond.

Carter Josephs

CARTER JOSEPHS

Class: Senior

Height/Weight: 6-0, 180

Position: Guard

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Twitter: @carterjosephs

2014-15 Key Stats: 13 games, 52 minutes, 8 ast., 5 reb.

Notable: Walk-on was on scholarship last season when a spot was open.

Outlook: A valuable walk-on, Josephs can play either guard spot in a pinch. He played 20 games in 2013-14 when the roster was depleted.

Camron Justice

CAMRON JUSTICE

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-3, 180

Position: Guard

Hometown: Hindman, Ky.

Twitter: @CamronJustice5

2014-15 Key Stats: 28.5 ppg, 6.2 ast., 5.2 reb., 2.4 stls at Knott County Central High

Notable: Ranked third all-time in Kentucky high school basketball history in scoring (3,588) and 3-pointers made (393) in a career.

Outlook: Justice is likely the most game-ready of all the freshmen. His shooting touch is akin to other Vanderbilt guards such as Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher-Davis, and he should squeeze out a few minutes at shooting guard coming off the bench.

Luke Kornet

LUKE KORNET

Class: Junior

Height/Weight: 7-1, 240

Position: Forward

Hometown: Lantana, Texas

Twitter: @bigshin32

2014-15 Key Stats: 8.7 ppg, 3.4 reb., 38 blocks, 40.0 3-pt pct.

Notable: Kornet was the best 3-point shooting big man in the SEC last season. His 40-percent clip from beyond the arc was the best among any players 6-foot-8 or taller in the league.

Outlook: Kornet should slide into the 4-spot in the starting lineup, a role he held for part of last season. His inside-out game became a weapon that opposing coaches regularly identified as one of Vanderbilt’s most distinguishing characteristics.

Riley LaChance

RILEY LACHANCE

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-2, 182

Position: Guard

Hometown: Brookfield, Wis.

Twitter: @LaChance_13

2014-15 Key Stats: 12.3 ppg, 3.1 reb., 2.9 ast., 38.2 3-pt pct., 87.3 FT pct.

Notable: An SEC All-Freshman team selection, LaChance led the league’s freshmen in scoring and ranked second in 3-pointers made behind Matthew Fisher-Davis.

Outlook: A double-figure scorer in 24 of 35 games last season, LaChance returns as a savvy and consistent shooting guard with toughness beyond his years. However, he also will be the team’s No. 2 point guard, replacing Shelton Mitchell, who transferred after last season.

Phillip McGloin

PHILLIP MCGLOIN

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-1, 183

Position: Guard

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Twitter: @philiam25

2014-15 Key Stats: 5 games, 5 minutes, 3 reb., 1 ast.

Notable: Earned SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

Outlook: McGloin was a late addition as a walk-on last October. He is a hard-working player in a crowded backcourt. His value comes in pushing scholarship guards throughout the week in practice.

Jeff Roberson

JEFF ROBERSON

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-6, 220

Position: Forward

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Twitter: @j5robe

2014-15 Key Stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.1 reb., 45.5 3-pt pct.

Notable: Roberson distinguished himself as a tenacious defender last season, putting him in the lineup for 24 starts as a freshman.

Outlook: Roberson is in transition. On a guard-heavy roster, he likely will play some at the power forward spot, as well as the 3, which he primarily played last season. His defense continues to be an asset, but the team also needs his rebounding to rise after the graduation of offensive rebounding leader James Siakam.

Samir Sehic (21)

SAMIR SEHIC

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-9, 247

Position: Forward

Hometown: Atlanta

Twitter: @samirsehic

2014-15 Key Stats: 20.0 ppg, 14.0 reb., 2.0 ast. at Cy Woods High in Cypress, Texas

Notable: Originally from Bosnia, the 6-foot-9 Sehic was nicknamed the “Big Boz” in high school.

Outlook: Sehic is a skilled forward with a rangy shooting touch. His freshman year should be used to develop and adapt to the college game.

Joe Toye

JOE TOYE

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-7, 201

Position: Guard/Forward

Hometown: Chicago

Twitter: @J_toyestory

2014-15 Key Stats: 18.0 ppg, 7.0 reb., 2.0 ast., 2.0 stls

Notable: His twin sister, Elizabeth, signed to play basketball at Wisconsin.

Outlook: One of the team’s best athletes, Toye rises above the rim like few on the roster. Fellow freshman Camron Justice may have a more immediate role on the court, but Toye could develop into a good slashing guard in time.

Nathan Watkins

NATHAN WATKINS

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-5, 186

Position: Guard

Hometown: Brentwood

Twitter: @SwatkinsVU

2014-15 Key Stats: 12 games, 18 minutes, 1 reb.

Notable: Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Outlook: Former Ensworth standout has played 26 games in his career as a walk-on. If Vanderbilt is as good as projected, he could see a few minutes at the end of some lopsided games this year.