Vanderbilt opens the 2026-27 season tonight with a home game against Bellarmine, and the Commodores arrive with a fresh ranking and a roster built to push beyond last year’s finish.
The Commodores are No. 24 in the preseason AP Top 25 after going 27-9 a season ago and reaching the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt spent the offseason reworking its roster, and the expectation around this group is that it can take a bigger step this winter.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
There is already one injury note for the opener. Vanderbilt freshman guard Gabe Nesmith will be out tonight, head coach Mark Byington said Friday. No timetable has been given for his return.
This is the first basketball meeting between Vanderbilt and Bellarmine.
Vanderbilt’s last game action came in an exhibition loss to Miami, while Bellarmine’s exhibition against Wright State was closed to the media.
If a player goes down during the game, updates will be tracked as they become available. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Vanderbilt also brings back wing Chandler Bing for his second season in Nashville, with his defense drawing attention heading into the year. Auburn forward transfer Sebastian Williams-Adams is another key piece in the program, and Vanderbilt views him as a unique presence on and off the floor. The Commodores are also being discussed in terms of what their range could look like this season, from floor to ceiling, as they chase a deeper run.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Heads Into Mississippi State With New Questions At Key Spots
Vanderbilts depth chart took another hit coming out of the Kentucky loss, with the Commodores now facing a stretch run that suddenly looks a lot thinner at several spots. Head coach Clark Lea said freshman running back Evan Hampton and linebacker Josiah Broxton are done for the season, leaving the staff to reshuffle both the backfield and the defense as it turns its attention to Mississippi State.
Hampton broke a bone in his lower leg during the Kentucky game, while Broxton tore his ACL in practice and is headed for surgery. There is at least some better news on the defensive side, with EDGE Brian Allen Jr. expected to return after an ankle injury and linebackers Jamison Curtis and Jaylin Lackey back at practice, but Daniel Vollmer Jr. is likely unavailable because of a hernia, adding more uncertainty to a unit already trying to absorb the losses. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Final Stretch Just Got More Pressure Before Alabama
Vanderbilts path through the final month of the season is getting tighter by the week, with a road trip to Mississippi State up next before the schedule turns back home. The Commodores will kick off at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network, and the matchup comes with the kind of urgency that has followed this team all season as it tries to keep its postseason hopes alive.
At 3-5, Vanderbilt does not have much margin left, and every remaining game now carries real weight in the bowl chase. The stretch only gets more demanding after Starkville, with Alabama waiting later in the month at FirstBank Stadium in a game that will arrive with plenty of attention and even more pressure on the Commodores final push. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Just Landed In A Recruiting Fight Fans Will Notice
Rick Pitino has spent much of his time at St. Johns piecing together rosters through the transfer portal, but the Red Storm are now making a more traditional recruiting push as well. One of the names to watch is a highly regarded forward in the 2027 class, a prospect whose recruitment is starting to draw real attention because of the programs involved and the kind of battle it could become.
For Vanderbilt, the appeal is obvious: getting into the mix for a player of that caliber is the sort of sign that a recruiting staff is doing real work on the trail. St. Johns has the added advantage of strong NIL backing in basketball, which gives Pitino another tool as he tries to broaden his approach beyond transfers and build longer-term recruiting momentum. [Read more 🡒]