Times like these don’t come around very often on West End. In fact, it’s fair to say that Vanderbilt athletics, as it exists right now, is operating at a level the university has rarely — if ever — reached.
For the first time in school history, Vanderbilt finds itself ranked inside the AP Top 15 in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball simultaneously — the only school in the country that can make that claim. That’s a snapshot that reflects sustained, program-wide success that’s been building quietly across many years. Now, it’s impossible to miss across campus.
Naturally, much of the attention remains on head coach Clark Lea’s football team and its historic 10-win season, one that will reach its conclusion on New Year’s Eve in the ReliaQuest Bowl. But once the Gatorade is poured on Lea, the pads are put away for the season and Diego Pavia and company turn their attention to the NFL draft, the focus will shift indoors. When it does, Commodore fans will quickly realize something just as compelling is unfolding on the hardwood inside Memorial Gymnasium.
The word “historic” has been used frequently in reference to Vanderbilt sports recently, but what Mark Byington and his team are doing to open 2025 is beginning to warrant its use yet again. The Commodores are 12-0 in its nonconference schedule, a start punctuated by its two most recent road wins against Memphis and Wake Forest. Vanderbilt is steadily building a strong NCAA tournament resume with three Quad 1 wins (UCF, St. Mary’s and Wake Forest), two more approaching Quad 1 (SMU and VCU) and a No. 6 NET ranking.
Dishing and swishing
Vanderbilt is truly putting former New York Knicks legend and longtime MSG Network color commentator Clyde Frazier’s go-to phrase into practice by “swishing and dishing,” a stylish way of describing an offense built on playmaking and shot creation. The Commodores have been lights-out offensively in nonconference play, ranking No. 6 in the country in points per game, fueled by a barrage of 3-point shooting. Vanderbilt is shooting 37% from beyond the arc on 29.9 attempts per game, a volume and efficiency combination that few teams in the country can match — despite an offensive blip against Memphis, when it shot just 19% from range.
At the center of it all is sharp-shooting forward Tyler Nickel. The junior is averaging 3.8 made 3-pointers per game, connecting at a 47.9% clip, a mark that ranks top 20 nationally. Nickel’s ability to not just knock down threes, but to do so from well beyond the 3-point line, has stretched defenses well beyond their comfort zone and created open space on the floor. The senior drilled eight 3-pointers en route to a career-high 30 points against Central Arkansas, then followed it two games later with another eight makes from deep on 80% shooting against Wake Forest.
Right behind Nickel is Tyler Tanner, whose revamped jumper has become a reliable weapon, as the sophomore is shooting 43.4% from downtown. Byington’s creative spacing scheme has completely opened the floor for Nickel and Tanner to shoot from, and Duke Miles, Devin McGlockton, and others have capitalized when defenders overcommit to the jump shot. When Nickel and Tanner have caught the ball with even a sliver of daylight, the result has felt inevitable through 12 games.
Vanderbilt’s shooting surge hasn’t happened in a vacuum — it’s been unlocked by the playmaking of its guards. Miles, Tanner and Frankie Collins have led the charge in that department, each averaging more than four assists per game and consistently putting scorers in rhythm rather than forcing them to create their own shots. If all three maintain that pace over the course of the season, Vanderbilt would become just the 27th team in college basketball history — and only the sixth this century — to feature three players averaging at least four assists per game.
As a team, the Commodores sit at No. 13 in the nation in assists per game with 19.6, another clear indicator that Byington’s fast-tempo, pass-first offense is operating exactly as designed.
Analytics darlings
As much praise as Vanderbilt’s earned in the polls and across the media landscape, the numbers have been even more enthusiastic in the team’s favor. In fact, the analytics have been high on Byington’s team since the roster was first assembled in the transfer portal over the summer. Analytical models like Ken Pomeroy’s have consistently been higher than consensus on the ‘Dores due to the team’s elite offensive efficiency, lineup versatility and a rotation that’s built on depth and spreading the ball.
Through 12 games, Vanderbilt ranks No. 8 in KenPom, the highest in the SEC. That’s indicative of the Commodores not relying on one player’s streaky shot making — like they did with Jason Edwards at times last season — and instead maintaining a relatively consistent level of play.
Pomeroy isn’t alone, either. Across other data-driven systems like NET, Torvik and EvanMiya’s rankings, Byington’s team owns an average national rank of 6.3, placing it comfortably within the top 10. When independent models like these built on different inputs arrive at the same conclusion, it’s usually a pretty strong signal that what’s happening is real and sound.
How much does all of this actually matter? The answer isn’t entirely clear, but it certainly matters more than it would in football. Unlike the College Football Playoff committee, the NCAA tournament selection process has long leaned on analytics like NET rating and even KenPom, especially when sorting teams with similar resumes. If Vanderbilt can continue to score efficiently and wreak havoc on defense, the numbers suggest there may not be a clear ceiling. The eye test has been convincing so far. The data has been even more so.
A sophomore leap
Most Commodore fans expected the aforementioned Tanner to take a sophomore leap, but few could’ve predicted just how massive that leap would actually be. The Brentwood, Tennessee, native has looked like one of the better players in the country so far this season, averaging 15.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. Tanner is shooting 43.4% from 3-point range, 52.9% from the field and 82.9% from the free throw line, a rare and efficient combination — especially when considering his high volume.
Despite being one of the team’s primary ball handlers and scorers, Tanner has only turned the ball over 1.6 times per game. On the defensive side, the twitchy guard has been his usual self, averaging 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while frequently guarding the opponent’s best offensive player. Vanderbilt’s backcourt sits among the country’s elite on defense — Miles, Tanner and Collins rank first, second and third, respectively, in the SEC in steals per game.
Tanner is heating up at the right time as Vanderbilt approaches conference play. Against SMU, he scored 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting before nearly recording a triple-double in his next game against Central Arkansas with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Add in four steals against Memphis and five more against Wake Forest, and Tanner looks like one of the more well-rounded and skillful players in the country. When Byington has needed someone to make a play, it’s been the undergraduate Tanner whose number has consistently been called, and his growth on both sides of the ball might be debunking the idea that this Commodore roster lacks a star player.
Vanderbilt is set to kick off SEC play as the odds-on favorite to win the conference, but first it will take on New Haven at Memorial Gymnasium on Monday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. CT.
