From a young age, Devin McGlockton played all kinds of sports.
By first grade, he had tried soccer, baseball, basketball and football but ultimately fell in love with the latter two. He fondly remembers his first game of organized basketball, which he played in a local church league. From there, McGlockton progressed to travel ball, eventually joining the Georgia Stars — one of the top AAU clubs in Georgia — which has produced NBA stars such as Malik Beasley and Malcolm Brogdon.
Georgia holds a large part of McGlockton’s identity. Hailing from Forsyth County, the Georgia native grew up a fan of his local teams.
“I’m a Georgia guy, so I liked the [Atlanta] Braves, Hawks and Falcons,” McGlockton said. “My all-time favorite basketball player is definitely LeBron [James] because I’ve been watching him my whole life.”
While James was McGlockton’s favorite player, his biggest mentor came off the court. The junior credits his father, Leon, with his love for the game.
“[My] biggest mentor in my basketball journey [has been] my dad,” McGlockton said. “He was my mentor in all my sports. He’s more of a football guy, but he would give me the same advice [for] basketball [and] football and it really just molded me to who I am on the court.”
In high school, McGlockton remained a two-sport athlete, playing basketball and football. He started to shine in his junior year on the court, averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds and was named the Forsyth County News 2020-2021 player of the year. His senior year was no different. He averaged a double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds) and led his squad to a sensational season as South Forsyth High School won its first regional championship in 23 years. On top of the record-breaking season, McGlockton was also named first-team all-state as a tight end on the gridiron.
McGlockton often reminisces about his football playing days.
“I was a tight end. I was nasty,” McGlockton said.
Before West End
McGlockton always had hopes and dreams of going Division I in either football or basketball, but ultimately chose to pursue basketball at Boston College, the only Power Five school that offered him.
“I just wanted to go to the best school, football or basketball — it didn’t really matter to me.” McGlockton said, “[Head] coach [Earl] Grant at Boston College gave me a chance; that was my only Power Five school, so that’s where I went to.”
He spent two seasons with the Eagles under Grant. In his sophomore season at Boston College, McGlockton averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, showcasing his offensive and defensive capabilities in the paint. His 3-point shooting flashed potential, as he shot 36.7% from downtown at nearly 2 attempts per game. His balanced game caught the eye of first-year head coach Mark Byington when he was tasked with bringing in transfers to put together his first Vanderbilt team.
“[McGlockton] has an ability to affect the game in every way — scoring, passing, rebounding, defending and making game-changing toughness play,” Byington said in an interview.
The Boston College transfer was ready for a change and excited to play for Byington.
“I just felt like it was time to change, [go] closer to home. I like the city of Nashville,” McGlockton said, “Everything was good about here — new facility and stuff. I heard good things about Coach [Byington], and I wanted to live up to the expectations for me. I love playing for him.”
A role to play
McGlockton stands at 6’7 and weighs 230 pounds, the size of a traditional power forward, but has been tasked with much more in the wake of Kijani Wright’s season-long absence. With Vanderbilt missing the only true center on its roster, McGlockton has been forced to play up in size. He’s done the majority of the team’s rebounding, averaging 8.1 boards per game, and leads the SEC in total offensive rebounds at 82. It’s not just his rebounding, though, as McGlockton is ranked second in offensive rating in the SEC, per BartTorvik, and twelfth nationally, per KenPom. When McGlockton is on the court, Vanderbilt does better as a team, and Byington knows that. The head coach went out of his way after a road loss to Tennessee to say it.
“[McGlockton] only played 17 minutes. He’s probably our most valuable guy, and not having him in there, maybe he can get something for us,” Byington said.
He was in foul trouble for much of the contest and couldn’t play his usual 24.4 minutes per game; Vanderbilt missed his presence.
The junior has proven himself an invaluable and durable piece to Vanderbilt’s squad, starting all 25 games this year — one of just two Commodores to do so (Tyler Nickel is the other). McGlockton never gives up on a play and has showcased his signature hustle in a number of clutch moments throughout the season.
Against South Carolina on Jan. 15, McGlockton had arguably his biggest moment of the season. The Gamecocks and Commodores were locked at 63 when he blocked Nick Pringle’s go-ahead layup with under 11 seconds remaining.
GLOCK
pic.twitter.com/XyDAZcKM0x
— Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball (@VandyMBB) January 16, 2025
McGlockton followed his game-saving block on the other side of the court, boxing out Gamecocks and grabbing an offensive rebound after an AJ Hoggard missed layup. He then drew a foul and got the bucket to fall, all with 0.6 seconds remaining. The junior made the free throw to cushion the lead and put Vanderbilt on top, ultimately winning a crucial home game to keep Commodore NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
OH MY GLOCK
pic.twitter.com/meZ27DnLJZ
— Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball (@VandyMBB) January 16, 2025
“Right after I got the putback, I knew there was time left, so I didn’t celebrate right away because I didn’t want anything to happen,” McGlockton said. “After the clock went down, it was very exciting to me; my parents were very excited, [and so were] my friends [and] teammates. It was really a great moment for me.”
The Commodores’ win over South Carolina may have had McGlockton’s most critical moments, but it was far from the team’s most exciting win. Vanderbilt went into Memorial Gymnasium soon after on Jan. 18 against No. 6 Tennessee, its in-state rival, and emerged victorious. McGlockton recorded 8 points and played exceptional defense against Tennessee’s bigs, helping the ‘Dores beat the Volunteers by one point.
“I know I’m new here, but I’ve seen the atmosphere. I’ve seen a lot of Tennessee fans come here for the football games and basketball games,” McGlockton said. “So it was good to rub it in their faces because it’s a rivalry.”
Exactly one week after their win against Tennessee, McGlockton and the Commodores secured yet another victory over No. 9 Kentucky. McGlockton delivered an even better performance in that matchup, putting up 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals as he flashed his versatility as both an offensive and defensive dual-threat.
Hustle and heart
McGlockton might be playing center, but he offers so much more to this team. He can also shoot from 3-point range — he’s at 38.5% from downtown on the year. Still, it’s his hustle that sets the junior apart from similar players is his hustle on the court.
“My play style is to play hard and just never give up — that’s a big part of it. That leads to my offensive rebounds, my defensive rebounds, my blocks and my buckets,” McGlockton said. “That’s just how I like to play. I like to do the dirty stuff [and] I like to make the hustle plays. That’s just what I do.”
The Georgia native is the type of player who creates opportunities for his teammates, not needing the spotlight. Some of his connections on the court run deep, especially one with North Texas transfer Jason Edwards.
“Me and [Edwards] have a good connection on the court [since] we used to play AAU together in high school,” McGlockton said. “We went to visit [Vanderbilt] together, committed the same day; we just had that connection. It’s good to play with him at this level.”
McGlockton has excelled as the season has gone on and the competition has gotten stiffer. He poured in an SEC-high 22 points against Oklahoma on Feb. 1 and followed that up with a 14-point, 8-rebound performance on the road against then-No. 6 Florida. On the season, McGlockton is averaging 10.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 60.2% from the field, which ranks second, first and first, respectively, among all Black and Gold players.
As McGlockton continues his first season with the Commodores, what he hopes to achieve is pretty clear.
“I mean, all of our goal[s] are to make it to the NCAA Tournament, and it’s looking good right now,” McGlockton said. “So if we just keep up what we’re doing, keep being us, then I think we have a good shot at it.”
Though short, McGlockton’s tenure at Vanderbilt has been felt around campus athletics. If the Commodores reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years, it will be with the help of No. 99. While the postseason is up in the air, one thing is for certain: He will continue to bring his team wins through a willingness to hustle.
More than anything else, though, McGlockton loves being part of a team. He and the majority of his fellow Commodores might have only arrived on West End this year, but they’ve built an instant bond that’s led to on-court chemistry and a stellar season.
“Basketball has taught me how to be a part of a team and how to work with other people,” McGlockton said. “[It taught me] how to lead and how to work together for a shared goal.”
He’ll have a chance to flash his heart and hustle against on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST as Vanderbilt goes for the season sweep against its rivals to the north in No. 17 Kentucky.
