Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball has found unprecedented success in the 2025-26 season. Head coach Mark Byington reached 20 wins for the second-straight season, while the team earned an impressive 11 regular-season conference victories as well as a berth to the SEC Tournament final.
This hard work culminated in the Commodores earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, being named a 5 seed in the South Region. They traveled to Oklahoma City to begin their tournament run, where they defeated McNeese in the Round of 64 before falling to Nebraska in the Round of 32.
In what has been a historic year for Vanderbilt Athletics as a whole, the student body and the entire Commodore fanbase have rallied around its teams as they’ve found success on the field and on the hardwood. Several members of the Black and Gold Faithful made the trip to Oklahoma City to cheer on the ‘Dores, and while they were outnumbered against the Cornhuskers on Saturday, they certainly made their voices heard.
The Hustler had a chance to sit down with a few passionate fans in the Paycom Center over the weekend to see what inspired them to make the trip.
Adam Johnson, a 2004 Vanderbilt graduate, has been an avid fan of the Commodores since he left the university over two decades ago. Coming from Dallas, Texas, it was an easy drive to see his Commodores compete in Oklahoma City.
“It was a classic spring break trip for my son,” Johnson said. “We were in Nashville for the SEC tournament, [and] we live in Dallas. So we flew back to Dallas, drove up here [in] three hours.”
He’s enjoyed seeing the Commodores bring the energy back to Memorial Gymnasium, crediting much of their recent success to the job that head coach Mark Byington has done on West End.
“I think a lot of it’s Mark Byington,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a coach that I think knows ball [and] knows how to coach well. We’ve got awesome guards. The team seems to play really well together, [and] that’s what you need to go deep [in the NCAA Tournament].”
Fan Michael Bucklin said he especially loves what Tyler Tanner has brought to the team in his sophomore season.
“[Tanner] plays the right way,” Bucklin said. “He plays hard, he plays defense, he takes care of the ball and he hits big-time shots. He came off the bench last year, and he’s [been] incredible this year.”
Bucklin talked about how important Tanner has been to the team’s success, particularly during the eight-game stretch that Duke Miles was out. Bucklin noted how injuries have impacted the team, but he’s happy to see the team back to full strength when it matters most.
“We’ve had some injuries with Miles, and there was a minute where [Vanderbilt] slid a little bit while he was out,” Bucklin said. “Now that he’s back, [Vanderbilt is] winning again, and I don’t think you take for granted being a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.”
Charlie Lesko, a 2021 graduate, immediately jumped at the opportunity to go support the ‘Dores in the NCAA Tournament.
“The team’s great this year,” Lesko said. “I’ve always loved coming to March Madness, but coming for the ‘Dores is special, especially when we’re a high seed.”
Lesko and Bucklin certainly haven’t taken this season’s success for granted. Bucklin traveled all the way from Los Angeles to watch the Commodores play. On Selection Sunday, though, he was a bit underwhelmed with the respect that the Black and Gold received from the committee.
“I thought there was a chance they could get a 3 seed,” Bucklin said. “So when [they] got a 5 seed and Nebraska got a 4 seed, I was a little surprised. I thought [they] were such a clear 4 seed. I bet that statisticians can look and see that it’s one of the most egregious misses on [seeding] in a long time. I think in the future, they need a little more respect from the committee.”
Bucklin could tell this season was special from the get-go, as could Alisha Leverett-Jackson, the mother of Vanderbilt freshman big man Jayden Leverett. Both agreed that the moment they realized that this team was special was all the way back in November in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
“When they played in the Bahamas, and they actually won the tournament, that’s when I knew,” Leverett-Jackson said. “I was like, ‘You know what, they have a chance of making a deep run this year.’”
Lesko’s moment of realization that Vanderbilt could make a run in March Madness was in the SEC Tournament semifinal against Florida.
“I think it was against Florida in the SEC semifinals,” Lesko said. “ [It] seemed like everyone clicked. We kind of had a tough stretch coming into the SEC tournament, so it’s good to see everyone back.”
It was nice for the ‘Dores to be close to home during the SEC Tournament, but not all postseason play happens in Nashville.
Leverett-Jackson drove a full 10 hours from El Paso, Texas, to watch her son and the rest of the Commodores compete in Oklahoma City. Fortunately, Leverett-Jackson and her family had their wishes fulfilled during the NCAA Selection Show with Vanderbilt’s location for its first-weekend games.
“We were hoping for either San Diego or Oklahoma City, so we could [drive],” Leverett-Jackson said. “It’s not too far of a drive, so we were going to be happy with San Diego or [Oklahoma City].”
Fans will now turn the page to look ahead to the offseason, where Byington will certainly be making some roster changes before the 2026-27 season tips off.
