Each year, 68 teams grace the hallowed March Madness hardwood. And each year, 67 teams leave dejected and heartbroken.
That’s the reality of college basketball. Every school chases perfection, but 99% of postseason teams won’t ever reach it. In my opinion, there lies the beauty of sports. For most fans, the journey to that final minute is what’s most important. Sports force you to celebrate the small moments along the way, not just the final result.
For Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball in 2025-26, the final ending to the season couldn’t have been more heartbreaking.
Down by 2 points to No. 4-seed Nebraska with 2.2 seconds on the clock, Tyler Tanner, with a spot in March Madness immortality on the line, put up a halfcourt heave to win the game. The ball hit the center of the backboard and the front of the rim before eventually popping up out of the hoop. The entire college basketball world watched in utter disbelief.
As someone sitting in that arena in Oklahoma City, I can confirm that all 15,000 fans in the stands held their breath as the ball did everything but go in. Vanderbilt was, quite literally, centimeters from one of the all-time March Madness moments.
That’s the dark side of March. And that one will sting for Commodore Nation for quite some time — moments like that usually do.
But despite the pain of those 2.2 seconds, the journey to that point was unforgettable. Vanderbilt broke dozens of records this year, were led by a First Team All-SEC guard and reached the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade.
No one should take those accomplishments for granted.
What if?
Vanderbilt won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2012 this year, taking down No. 12-seed McNeese in the first round. The Commodores were the better team in that opening game, despite their slow start, and found the legs to wear down a less talented Cowboys squad in the second half. Tanner dropped 26 points in the contest, while three other Commodores hit double digit points.
In the Round of 32, it was a different story. Vanderbilt fell to No. 4-seed Nebraska, 74-72, and, frankly, I don’t need to dwell on how that game ended once again. But one word comes to mind to describe Vanderbilt’s loss on Saturday: uncharacteristic.
Perhaps it was the nearly 15,000 Nebraska fans in the arena, but Vanderbilt was caught sleeping for the first 10 minutes of the game. Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager and Rienk Mast were able to get some early points on the board, forcing the Commodores behind the eight ball. Tanner single-handedly kept Vanderbilt afloat in the first half, dropping nearly half of Vanderbilt’s 32 points to narrow the halftime deficit to 7.
It was a dominant second half for the Commodores, who outscored the Cornhuskers 40-35. But sometimes, an early deficit can create closer than expected games. Tanner orchestrated Vanderbilt’s offense to perfection in the final 20 minutes but just came up a fraction short. If the Commodores had found their footing in the opening minutes of the game, they might just still be in the Tournament.
A notable poor shooting night from star guard Duke Miles certainly contributed to Vanderbilt’s loss, too. The graduate dropped 9 points but did so on 2-for-10 shooting from the field. He was also 1-for-8 from deep and played for 34 minutes. That level of inefficiency from one of your star players is hard to make up. Miles was out of rhythm for much of the game, and it could have been due to his taped thumb — an injury which occurred against McNeese just two days before. With Miles not feeling his best, this left Tanner to pick up much of the offensive load. He did so valiantly with 27 points but it’s often hard to run a one-man show.
Vanderbilt also had an uncharacteristic night from the charity stripe. The Commodores rank fifth in all Division I in free throw percentage at 78.9%, but they shot just 58% against Nebraska. McGlockton missed all four of his attempts while Tanner went 6-for-9. In a game that was decided by just 2 points, their eight missed free throws were significant.
These shortcomings contributed to Vanderbilt’s loss on Saturday night. What if Vanderbilt had found its footing earlier? What if Miles was playing to his normal standard? What if they’d sunk more free throws? What if that last minute buzzer-beater to win had dropped?
These are all hypotheticals, but it was clear that the Commodores didn’t have their perfect game against the Cornhuskers.
The future
Fans will have to wait until November to see the Commodores back in action. But a new season is just around the corner, and it’s not just baseball. Portal season has officially kicked off, and that means Mark Byington will get his opportunity to build his 2026-27 roster. The second-year head coach has utilized the transfer portal to build up his last two teams, and I’d imagine he’ll be getting just as aggressive this year.
There are a few clear gaps to fill in next year’s roster, including replacing Tyler Nickel, Devin McGlockton, AK Okereke, Miles and Jalen Washington, all of whom will be out of eligibility. Not to mention, Tanner is most likely going to the NBA Draft, meaning all six of Vanderbilt’s top scorers this season will most likely not be on the team in 2026-27.
Replacing that much scoring production on any given team is extremely challenging to do. Byington will certainly have his work cut out for him, and he’ll look to find several replacements in the portal that fit the same bill. Much like he did this year, I expect him to find a few high-profile guys with real Power Five experience as well as some potential stars from the mid-major level.
The future’s not all bleak, though. Current freshmen Chandler Bing and Jayden Leverett have already indicated they plan to return to Vanderbilt, two guys who played increasingly large roles as the season went on. Bing, in particular, looks to have a breakout sophomore campaign next season after he was Vanderbilt’s most talented defender this year. His offensive production went up as the season progressed, and he has the physicality and size to be an elite player at the SEC level. Big man Leverett was a bit raw this season but also progressed as an impressive rebounder and true center. Plus, junior George Kimble III will return next season after missing the entirety of 2025-26 with an injury. He had a stellar campaign as a sophomore for Eastern Kentucky, and I expect him to compete for a starting role.
Add in a star 2026 freshman class that ranks No. 16 in country, and Byington’s got a solid foundation to build upon. In particular, two top 100 recruits in Anthony Brown and Ethan Mgbako headline the incoming class, with Brown looking like an elite point guard already. The 6’1 guard averaged 28.1 points per game in his senior season at Archbishop Carroll and is a true three-level scorer, especially excelling when he gets downhill in the lane (remind you of anyone on this year’s team?). Mgbako is more of a small/power forward, but he’s shown an impressive midrange game with elite athleticism and a strong frame. Incoming forward Jackson Sheffield should be another piece to add height to Byington’s roster — something which past teams have lacked.
Vanderbilt’s staff will have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks to find plenty of new transfers. Expect some current Commodores to leave for the transfer portal, too. Byington will need to find a true center with veteran experience, especially considering the inexperience of Sheffield and Leverett, as well as another point guard. Adding a true deep threat or two would also help to replace Nickel and fit the style of Byington’s high scoring offense.
This is the new era of college basketball, where a team must be rebuilt year after year in the time span of a month. Buckle up as next year’s roster is created.
Celebrating the small wins
This season has been defined by breaking records. Outside of Vanderbilt making it to the second round of March Madness for the first time since 2012, it also began the season a perfect 16-0 for the first time since 2008, reached the SEC Tournament final for the first time since 2012 and racked up 11 conference wins for just the third time in the last decade.
Those records alone make this season a success, especially in just the second year under Byington. A team full of mostly transfers, who weren’t necessarily the highest rated or most heavily recruited, were able to come together and take down some giants along the way. Vanderbilt was predicted to finish 11th in the preseason SEC media poll but earned the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament a few weeks ago. They silenced the doubters and put together a historic season with a blend of new guys — that has to count for something.
“Maybe they weren’t the most high-profile players in the portal, but it was the right guys,” Byington said after the loss to Nebraska.
And I couldn’t go an entire Memorial Minutes without singling out one of the most influential players in Vanderbilt’s history: Tanner.
The star guard has done more than he could ever imagine for this program, taking them from a bottom-tier SEC program to a true contender. He earned First Team All-SEC — the first Vanderbilt player to do so since Liam Robbins in 2023 — All-SEC Defensive Team and an All-American Honorable Mention.
On top of those valuable accomplishments, he’ll have the chance to declare for the NBA Draft in the coming weeks, currently being projected as a potential first round pick. Just showing future recruits that Vanderbilt can produce top-level talent holds value itself. He could return to the Commodores for the 2026-27 season — a very lucrative NIL deal would certainly have to be proposed — but I would not be shocked if he opted to take his talents to the next level immediately.
For now, though, let’s all take a moment to appreciate this 2025-26 Vanderbilt team. So long as Byington remains at the helm of this program, it appears to be in safe hands. From an elite backcourt to the coach who continues to build a powerhouse on West End, this was a magical season that Vanderbilt fans should remember forever.
