This is the seventh game of March Madness on Thursday of the 2011 NCAA Tournament (click here for the full Round of 64 schedule with additional previews of other games). It'll air at 1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET on TBS.
#5 Vanderbilt Commodores
Dossier courtesy of Pomeroy: 13th best offense, 73rd best defense, 113th fastest tempo (a little speedy, but not too speedy). Good shooting offense (particularly on two pointers and three pointers) and defense (particularly inside the three point line). Great at getting to the foul line and forcing other teams off of it.
The biggest weakness with Vanderbilt is average rebounding. They are also adept at getting shots blocked and passes stolen.
#12 Richmond Spiders
Dossier courtesy of Pomeroy: 48th best offense, 50th best defense, glacial tempo (slow team). Great shooting offense (particularly on three pointers) and defense (particularly on three pointers). Not a terrible two point shooting team. Also good at holding onto the ball.
The biggest weakness with Richmond is rebounding. One of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country (although some of that probably has to do with their excellent shooting), and even worse at getting to the free throw line (some of that probably has to do with their reliance on three point shots).
Prediction: If you like upsets, this is probably one of your best bets. What Vanderbilt is best at (shooting offense & defense), Richmond is better at. The Spiders also will do their best to slow the game down and play long possessions, which should favor their three point defense. This should be one of those wire-to-wire contests that Vanderbilt will have all sorts of trouble winning. (If you're gambling, bet for Richmond to cover is what I'm saying).