In case the title didn’t make it clear, I’ll ask again: Is the magic back? 

Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball still has a lot to improve on and has by no means looked perfect through the first two weeks of the 2024-25 season, but it’s 4-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Head coach Mark Byington has led the Commodores to a scorching start thanks to wins over Maryland Eastern Shore, Southeast Missouri, California and Jackson State. 

Byington faced a tall task heading into this season: The first-year coach brought in 10 transfers and to fill the roster void left after Stackhouse’s firing. He spent the spring semester and early parts of the summer assembling a roster from scratch. That was the easy part. From there, Byington had to bring together his rag-tag group of Commodores and teach them how to play within his system and with each other.

“We’re an entirely new team, and we’re figuring things out,” Byington said after the team’s win over Southeast Missouri on Nov. 10. “You can put a sign on our locker room right now that says ‘work in progress.’ That’s what we are. We’re learning a lot of these things and we’ll get better.”

Vanderbilt might have made strides on that front — as evidenced by back-to-back games with 19-plus assists — but Byington knows there’s still work to be done. He’s building a program back up from a season ago when it reached its lowest point in decades. The change that he wants to see won’t come overnight, but Commodore Nation has to be pleased with this winning streak. 

When was the last time that the Black and Gold won four nonconference games in a row? The 2018-19 season, when it ripped off four wins to open the year before dropping 23 of its last 28 games. It’s also the first time since March of 2023 that Vanderbilt has won four games in a row.

It’s easy to look at Vanderbilt’s wins — which feature three teams all ranked outside of the top 300 of KenPom’s rankings and a Cal team that isn’t much better — but these victories are still significant.

Byington has dealt with his lesser, nonconference counterparts in a way that former head coach Jerry Stackhouse never did. Stackhouse’s losses to Grambling State, Southeast Missouri and Presbyterian not only sunk the Commodores’ spirits but also any hope of NCAA Tournament play. 

I’m not saying that this version of Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball is poised for an NCAA Tournament run — as I said, there’s still plenty of work for Byington and Co. to do. But the fact that he’s turned a team of players who didn’t know each other’s names back in March into a cohesive unit is highly encouraging for this year and the years to come.

Nothing better represents the Black and Gold’s newfound cohesion than their 17.5 assists per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC. Compare that number to the Commodores’ 11.8 and 8.4 assists per game through the previous two seasons, and it’s clear that they’re sharing the ball in a different way this year. 

That starts in the backcourt.

A changing of the guard 

Vanderbilt’s 2023-24 backcourt — featuring Ezra Manjon and Tyrin Lawrence — was the talk of the town (or campus) last season. Both failed to live up to their preseason hype as the Commodores underachieved and finished 9-23. Manjon ran out of eligibility and Lawrence left for Georgia, leaving Byington with a massive, guard-sized hole to fill. 

Enter AJ Hoggard and Jason Edwards, the two highest-profile additions to this year’s iteration of Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball. Coming from Michigan State and North Texas, respectively, the pair has proven that there’s no reason to worry about Byington’s backcourt. 

Hoggard missed the season-opener as he served a one-game suspension but has been nothing short of excellent since his return. He came to Vanderbilt hoping to provide facilitation and defensive tenacity — along with four years of experience in the Big Ten — and he’s done just that. He’s putting up 11.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, but his stats don’t properly capture his impact.

He’s settling into Byington’s scheme more and more with each game, and last weekend’s win over Jackson State captured that perfectly. He played his most minutes in a game (28) this season and poured in 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting (3-of-5 from 3-point range) along with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal. He’s the perfect do-it-all guard for Vanderbilt: he can defend and facilitate, and his shooting prowess — while he isn’t known for it — will keep defenders on their toes all season. 

Edwards is perhaps the perfect foil to the 6’4” Hoggard — the 6’1” junior is a sharpshooting guard with a speed that few in the nation can match. His first step has already been a problem for opposing guards through four games, as there are few individual defenders with the footwork and agility to stay in front of him. He’s a constant threat to score from beyond the arc, adding an offensive dimension that Vanderbilt hasn’t had from a point guard since Scotty Pippen Jr. in the 2021-22 season.

Edwards’ shots haven’t started falling just yet (8-of-27 from downtown) but they will. Byington knows that, too. 

“You don’t have to encourage Jason to keep shooting. He’s a natural scorer,” Byington said. “He’ll make the shots.”

Vanderbilt — which ranks third in the SEC in scoring with 91.5 points per game — hasn’t been flawless when it comes to shooting the ball, ranking dead last in the SEC with a 27.9% conversion rate from downtown. It’s like Byington said, though, this team’s a work in progress. As Edwards starts making his shots and the team continues to gel, that number will only rise. 

All gas, no breaks 

One of the trademarks of Byington’s scheme is a fast-paced offense that shoots the ball as soon as it gets a clean look. That’s been true through the Commodores’ first four games (as evidenced by their 30.5 3-point attempts per game), but this fast-paced style goes even further than offensive success.

This speedy offense might give Vanderbilt a chance to score early and often in possessions, but it also tires out its opponents. With the amount of running up and down the court that Vanderbilt does — adding in the unfathomable heat that comes from a non-air-conditioned Memorial Gymnasium — visiting teams are always going to get worn out.

Vanderbilt has lived in its opponents’ passing lanes through the early parts of this season. Its 10.8 steals per game rank fourth in the SEC, and while it’s been a team effort — as five players are currently averaging one swipe per game or more — one player stands out above the rest. 

Tyler Tanner.

Truthfully, Tanner deserves his own section, but I only have three subheadings to work with (and way, way too much to discuss), so we’ll have to settle for a shoutout. 

The first-year guard has been everything advertised and more. Tanner was only one of two high school commits who signed with Stackhouse and stayed committed to Vanderbilt, and the Brentwood, Tennessee, native is becoming something of a hometown hero as a result. He’s shooting 53.6% from the field and has now made multiple 3-pointers in back-to-back games. However, it’s his defensive tenacity that stands out. 

It’s uncommon for a true freshman to contribute defensively the way Tanner has — his three steals per game lead all Commodores. His steal percentage (7.7) ranks fifth in the entire country and leads all Power Four players. The guard has jumped numerous errant passes and facilitated fast breaks to perfection to keep Vanderbilt’s offense moving.

The ‘Dores never slow down: Their average possession length of 14.3 seconds is the fifth-fastest in the nation. Part of that is because Byington has players shooting at the first chance they get, but that just doesn’t tell the whole story. Vanderbilt’s ability to push the pace after steals, blocks and defensive rebounds keeps opposing defenses reeling and consistently gives it the upper hand. 

Small ball 

Byington said before the season started that he wanted every player on his team to play like a point guard. Whether that’s due to roster construction, scheme or (most likely) a combination of both doesn’t matter: Vanderbilt plays small.

Devin McGlockton has emerged as the team’s best option down low. The former Boston College Golden Eagle leads the team in rebounds (10) and blocks (3) per game while ranking second in points (16) per contest. There’s no two ways about it — he’s been Vanderbilt’s best player through the early parts of this season. He’s been hyper-efficient in scoring, leading the team in field goal (73.5) and 3-point percentage (50). 

Jaylen Carey, the Commodores’ other big man, has been no slouch either. He’s the strongest player on the roster — checking in at 265 pounds, more than 30 pounds heavier than any other Commodore — and the James Madison transfer is the only player on the team who knows Byington’s system. 

Vanderbilt has struggled with rebounding at times this season, contrary to its 28.8 boards per game, which ranks in the top half of the SEC. The Commodores have been outrebounded in both of their games — 38 to 33 versus California and 43 to 32 against Jackson State — when matched up against a starting center that is 6’10” or taller. 

Both McGlockton and Carey have impressed in their first few games donning the Black and Gold, but they’re both only 6’8” — that’s going to be a problem come SEC play. The ‘Dores might have some length in their backcourt — Hoggard and MJ Collins are both 6’4” — but they lack size down low in a serious way. This small-ball approach has worked well through the nonconference portion of Vanderbilt’s schedule, but its toughest task has yet to come. 

Vanderbilt’s frontcourt will have a date with Nick Davidson of Nevada in the opening round of the Charleston Classic. Davidson, who checks in at 6’10”, has been the Wolf Pack’s best player this season, averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds while playing 33 minutes per game. 

The Commodores have a chance to start 5-0 for the first time since 2015, but McGlockton, Carey and Co. will need to neutralize Davidson on the offensive glass to do so. It’ll be a perfect litmus test for Vanderbilt as it gets ready for league play, where bigs tend to control the game’s flow. 

Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball will tip off against Nevada at 6:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Until then, Byington and Co. will work on building up their chemistry and turning that “work in progress” into a “job well done.”