T.O. Barrett is finally back on the floor for Vanderbilt, and the moment after Tuesday’s 105-82 win over Memphis said plenty about what his return means.
Three young fans were waiting on him as he wrapped up his postgame interview at Memorial Gymnasium, and Barrett took the time to sign each shirt carefully before turning back to the questions. For him, it was a small scene. For Vanderbilt, it was a sign that one of its key additions is beginning to settle in.
“It feels amazing, man,” Barrett told Vandy on SI following Vanderbilt’s Tuesday win over Memphis. “I don’t think the fans really know how much their support and their love means to the players.
It feels great when you’re outside or just in the city and people acknowledge you. That means a lot to me.”
That kind of night had been a long time coming. Barrett had spent the summer sidelined by a hamstring injury, and he didn’t get back into practice until two weeks before the season. He missed all three exhibition games, then made his first game appearance for Vanderbilt in the opener against Bellarmine on a minutes restriction.
The time away was frustrating, but Barrett says it also sharpened his view of the game. While Vanderbilt’s other guards handled the action in practice, he was often stuck on the sideline beside the assistant coaches or working with a trainer to rebuild strength in the hamstring.
He wasn’t able to run live, and that drove him crazy. Still, he believes the pause helped him slow the game down and see where teammates were making mistakes, where they were succeeding and where he could improve.
Barrett didn’t pretend the whole stretch was easy.
“I came to a new school and I’m hurt, I couldn’t really establish myself,” Barrett said. “It was frustrating, but I tried to stay mentally strong. Now, I’m back and I’m just extremely grateful.”
Vanderbilt didn’t bring Barrett in to be a volume scorer. It brought him in because he can do a lot of things that matter. He gives Mark Byington’s read and react offense a steady ballhandler, a tough point-of-attack defender and a player who can work on or off the ball.
The staff had already seen what he could do up close. Barrett turned in a 16-point game against Vanderbilt while at Missouri, going 8-for-9 at the free throw line, adding five assists and hitting 2-for-5 from 3-point range. He also made life difficult for Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner in that game, and that defensive effort clearly left a mark.
“That was the main emphasis with him, if he’s on you, try to get the ball out of your hands and move around,” Vanderbilt forward Sebastian Williams-Adams-who faced Barrett while at Auburn a year ago-said. “Just try to get him away from the actions because he’s such an active, disruptive defender.”
Barrett’s value showed up in Columbia, too. Missouri used him on 20-24% of its offensive possessions, and he finished with a national ranking in assist rate, free throw rate and steal rate. He also had a 28-point game in a Missouri win over Tennessee, a reminder that he can do more than just defend and facilitate.
He won’t be asked to carry the offense that way very often, but Barrett believes there’s more scoring in him than people realize. He said he takes pride in his defense at the point of attack, trusts his ballhandling and doesn’t buy the idea that he fits into just one box.
“I’ve never been the type of person to say that I’m a shooter,I’m a driver, I’m a passer,” Barrett said. “I feel like I’m a basketball player.”
That’s the version Vanderbilt is getting now that he’s healthy again. And after months of waiting, Barrett is finally getting the chance to show it.
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Mark Byington Wasn't Happy After Vanderbilt's Blowout Win
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Mark Byington, though, came away focused on what happened after halftime rather than the final margin. The second-half stretch left him dissatisfied, and it sounds like the early-season rotation could be in for some tweaking as he sorts out which players are earning more consistent minutes. [Read more 🡒]