NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The 20th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores will be traveling a long way to play a team from Kentucky.
The NCAA tournament seeded the Commodores fourth, matching their highest seeding under coach Kevin Stallings. They will be playing 13th-seeded Murray State, the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champs, on Thursday in San Jose in the West Regional.
The Commodores go into the NCAA tournament having lost two of three after a 62-52 loss to Mississippi State in the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals Saturday. But this is their 11th trip overall and fourth in Stallings' 11 seasons and first since missing out last season.
Vanderbilt is 9-11 overall in NCAA play, but the Commodores have been very successful recently -- reaching the regional semifinals in 2004 and 2007. Their last trip didn't end very well despite earning a No. 4 seed that was their highest yet under Stallings as they lost to Siena in the opening round 83-62.
Vanderbilt missed the postseason a year ago with a freshmen-stocked team.
The Commodores bounced back and earned Vanderbilt's fourth NCAA appearance with Stallings by finishing 24-8 and second in the Southeastern Conference East. It also was the second-highest seed among the four Southeastern Conference teams that made the tournament.
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