Saturday's game provided solid arguments both for and against the strategy of benching a key player due to early foul trouble.
With 9:13 left in the first half, Damian Jones picked up his second foul. After Texas A&M's Tyler Davis made two free throws, Vanderbilt trailed 21-14. Kevin Stallings, rather than sending his big man to the bench, decided to leave him in. This actually might have been a good strategic decision; the Aggies were on a 7-0 run, and thanks in part to Stallings' decision to leave Jones in the game, the Commodores went on a run of their own, pulling ahead 30-29 on a three-point play by Jones with 3:46 left before halftime.