Vanderbilt has its preseason centerpiece, and the SEC coaches and media didn’t waste much time making the obvious call.
Point guard Tyler Tanner landed on the All-SEC First Team as the league rolled out its preseason honors this week in Birmingham, Alabama, alongside SEC basketball media days. Tanner’s inclusion was the headliner for Vanderbilt, and it came with a familiar cast around him on the First Team: Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard, Tennessee guard Juke Harris and Florida bigs Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu.
For Vanderbilt, Tanner’s spot near the top of the league’s preseason hierarchy feels like a natural extension of what he did last season. He powered the Commodores to fourth place in the SEC regular season and helped carry them to the SEC Tournament championship game against Arkansas in March.
His numbers back up the hype. Tanner averaged 19.5 points per game, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds during the 2025-26 season. He also shot a little under 49% from the field and a little under 37% from three-point range.
The preseason poll followed the same general shape for Vanderbilt. The Commodores were picked to finish sixth in the SEC this season, behind Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.
That forecast comes after a season that ran well ahead of expectations. Vanderbilt finished 27-9 and reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament before its run ended in a heartbreaking loss to No. 4 seed Nebraska in the second round of March Madness.
Now the focus shifts to whether Mark Byington’s group can push even farther. Byington added a transfer class that is expected to play a major role, and he also brought in a freshman group that is expected to chip in across the year.
The 2026-27 season has already gotten a little taste of game action. Vanderbilt beat Virginia in an outdoor exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina, at the end of September.
Two more exhibitions are still on the schedule, with UAB coming to Memorial Gymnasium on Oct. 19 and Miami (FL) waiting in the final exhibition on Oct. 23.
After that, the real thing begins. Vanderbilt opens its regular season at home against Bellarmine on Nov. 2 as it looks to take another step in the Byington era.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Faces A Defining Test With Its Bowl Hopes At Stake
Vanderbilt heads into Saturday trying to stop a skid that has started to chip away at an encouraging opening to the season. After early promise, the Commodores have lost three straight and are coming off a lopsided defeat to Ole Miss, a stretch that has put more pressure on a team still trying to prove its early form was not a mirage.
Clark Lea has kept the focus on the same themes that carried Vanderbilt in September: toughness, discipline and playing to its standards. Arkansas is the next chance to show those traits again, and while the bowl chase is still alive, the Commodores need a cleaner performance to keep that path realistic and to steady a season that has suddenly become less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Clark Lea Put Vanderbilts Biggest Problem On Blast After Ole Miss
Clark Lea did not soften the message after Vanderbilts 52-17 loss to Ole Miss. The Commodores coach pointed to an inconsistent performance and an unacceptable penalty problem, making it clear that the issues run deeper than one rough afternoon. His emphasis was on discipline and accountability, two areas he believes have to change if the program is going to move forward.
Lea also said the teams mentality has been too entitled and stressed that words are not enough without action to back them up. To try to clean up the operation, he has already put a new practice rule in place tied to penalties, a small but telling sign that the response to Vanderbilts latest setback is going to be about changing habits, not just reviewing film. [Read more 🡒]
Clark Lea Addressed A Vanderbilt Dismissal That Hits The Offense
Vanderbilts offense took a hit this week when wide receiver Kayleb Barnett was dismissed from the football team following his arrest on charges including aggravated assault by strangulation, identity theft and false identification. Barnett was arrested without incident and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13, while the program now has to move forward without a player who had been part of its receiving mix.
Head coach Clark Lea addressed the dismissal in a press conference, framing it as a reflection of the standards the program expects everyone to meet. It was not presented as a casual roster move, and the decision underscored the clear boundaries Vanderbilt is trying to maintain as it navigates a situation that reaches beyond football and into the broader expectations of the program. [Read more 🡒]