Have you ever heard of a “sophomore slump”?
It can be defined as a dip in an athlete’s performance following a strong first year. This burnout often occurs due to increased pressure, high expectations or other mental hurdles that a player faces. Many athletes who suffer from sophomore slumps are unable to recover and have diminished self-confidence for the rest of their careers.
For Tyler Tanner, the phrase isn’t even a part of his vocabulary.
The 6’0 guard has taken quite the leap — both literally and figuratively — between his first-year and sophomore seasons as a Commodore. But his love for basketball was born long before coming to Vanderbilt.
“I started playing basketball when I was four,” Tanner told The Hustler. “Both of my parents played basketball in college, so I was introduced to it pretty early.”
Tanner’s parents both played Division I basketball at Rice University in Houston, Texas, before moving to Brentwood, Tennessee, where Tanner grew up and has lived his whole life. He continued his basketball journey at Brentwood Academy, where he won the Gatorade Tennessee Boys Basketball Player of the Year award in 2022 and 2023.
“I won [the award] during my junior and senior years,” Tanner said. “Going into my junior year was when I really realized that I could play Division I and try to pursue a college basketball career.”
Not only did winning these awards change his vision for his future as a basketball player, but they also gave him a newfound sense of confidence in himself.
“That confidence just came from playing good games and all my coaches and my family believing in me,” Tanner said. “That confidence just kind of grows as you continue to grow as a basketball player.”
And grow it did. Tanner brought this level of confidence with him to Vanderbilt after being recruited by former head coach Jerry Stackhouse. A major reason for his commitment was to stay close to home.
“I knew I wanted to play the SEC,” Tanner said. “Being able to play at home and in front of my friends and family has been really special.”
Every time he steps into Memorial Gymnasium for a game, Tanner knows he’ll see his parents cheering him on when he looks out into the crowd. And on the sideline, he’ll see head coach Mark Byington, along with the rest of the Commodores’ coaching staff.
“Our coaching staff is great,” Tanner said. “They are a huge part of Vanderbilt Athletics being flipped around, and I love the whole staff, top to bottom. Coach [Byington] is probably one of the best [coaches] I’ve played for.”
Tanner has built numerous relationships, but perhaps the one most crucial to the success of the team is the one he’s built with Byington. His second-year improvement is in large part due to the trust that Byington has in him to handle a heavier load.
“When I had my meeting with coach [Byington] after last season, he told me I was going to have to do more for the team to be successful,” Tanner said. “As a player, that’s what I want to hear because it instills confidence in me. [I told myself], ‘I’m going to go do this, not only for myself, but for my team as well.’”
Tanner was one of just three players retained by Byington from the 2024-25 season, alongside Tyler Nickel and Devin McGlockton. His relationship with these two was a big contributing factor to him remaining at Vanderbilt and continuing to suit up in the black and gold.
“I was very close with [Nickel] and [McGlockton] last year, and I’ve had even longer to get to know them better,” Tanner said. “I love playing at home in the SEC, and there’s nothing else I was looking for, so I never wavered or thought twice about [entering the portal].”
He’s built connections with this season’s incoming transfers, as well.
“Coach [Byington] brought in guys that are amazing people as well as basketball players,” Tanner said. “A lot of good personalities that I just enjoy being around.”
Tanner noted Duke Miles as one of those new teammates who has had a huge impact on him. Miles and Tanner feed off each other as backcourt mates, balancing the ball-handling and playmaking load.
“I love playing with [Miles]. He makes it easier for me and takes some pressure off me,” Tanner said. “We play off each other. We’re out there together, and it’s just a fun time. People just love being around him, and that makes it easier to play with him.”
Miles has helped Tanner continue to find his groove and take the leap he knew he could. Despite having limited playtime last season — averaging just over 20 minutes per game — Tanner had full confidence in his abilities heading into 2025-26.
“Last year, I wanted to come in and make a difference — guard their best guard, try to get some steals, bring some energy,” Tanner said. “My role was similar to what it is this year, just smaller. All it took was a little bit more confidence. I had the tools, but I didn’t always fully believe in myself.”
Byington helped him gain that confidence in himself.
“Coach would tell me about the leaps his second-year players always take after getting to know the offense and becoming more comfortable,” Tanner said. “Hearing that helped me gain confidence and is what allows me to just go out there and play freely.”
With this leap, Tanner gained loads of national media attention. He said he’s not letting it affect his game, though.
“I try not to focus on all the outside noise outside,” Tanner said. “I’m just going from game to game and trying to be a better basketball player every day. It’s fun to have people say that our team is ranked [highly], but coach always tells us that it’s poison if you listen to praise or to hate.”
The historic success of the Commodores hasn’t changed Tanner’s mentality before each game. He knows that playing in the SEC is one of the toughest settings for a college basketball player, and he doesn’t let Vanderbilt’s undefeated record get to his head.
“We know that whoever we play is going to give us their best shot,” Tanner said. “We know how good we can be, and we’re working toward that every day, so it just makes us play harder every game.”
The individual success of Tanner, coupled with the team success of the ‘Dores, has gotten his name into the mix of some 2026 NBA Draft big boards. But the draft is merely outside noise, something which Tanner does his best to block out.
“Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, but I haven’t thought about it a ton yet,” Tanner said. “It’s definitely cool to have my name in those conversations because it shows that hard work can pay off. It makes me more hungry to be great, but I’m just focused on winning games right now.”
Winning games — especially the ones played in Memorial Gymnasium — hasn’t been a problem for this year’s Commodores. The magic is back and was on full display in Vanderbilt’s 96-90 victory over then-No. 13 Alabama.
“It gets lit in [Memorial], and with the adrenaline and all the people rooting for you and supporting you, it’s very fun,” Tanner said. “I think our best games are whenever we have that energy, and everybody’s on the same page, and the crowd gets into the game. It just makes it a lot more fun.”
Tanner was the star of the show in Vanderbilt’s win over Alabama and again in its next victory over LSU, scoring 29 and 20 points, respectively. LSU head coach Matt McMahon had only good things to say about Tanner after the Tigers lost in Memorial Gymnasium.
“Tanner’s ability to get after the ball makes it really difficult on you,” McMahon said. “[He’s] really turned into one of the great closers in college basketball.”
Unfortunately for Tanner and the Commodores, however, not every game can be a home game. Byington is now tasked with getting his squad ready for their second road game of conference play, this time traveling to face off against the Texas Longhorns.
“Road games in the SEC are hard because every team is good, but they’re also fun,” Tanner said. “It’s our team against everybody else in there, so it makes us rely on each other more and lean on each other more.”
Tanner and the rest of the ’Dores will have to rely on each other heavily as they hope to come away with a victory in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. CST.
