Vanderbilt’s only home exhibition came with plenty of the little things head coach Mark Byington wants to see before the real games begin: pressure defense, turnovers forced and a team that kept extending the lead instead of letting UAB linger.
The Commodores rolled past the Blazers 97-65 Monday night in Nashville, breaking the game open late in the first half and never giving UAB a path back in. Even without a public broadcast, the stat sheet told the story clearly enough. Vanderbilt was active, disruptive and, at times, messy with the ball.
The Commodores finished 35-for-67 from the floor, good for 52.2%, and made 11 of 29 from three-point range. The long-range start was shaky - they opened roughly 2-for-11 - but settled in after that and hit half of their last 18 attempts from deep.
Free throws were a different story. Vanderbilt went just 16-for-29 at the line, a 55.2% clip, and had several chances to pad the margin that slipped away.
Turnovers were the one glaring issue. Vanderbilt gave it away 17 times, and that kind of sloppiness is not going to sit well with Byington.
But the defense more than made up for it. The Commodores came up with 12 steals, and Tyler Tanner was responsible for six of them.
Vanderbilt also blocked seven shots against UAB.
Freshman guard Ant Brown Jr. turned heads in his first taste of Memorial Gymnasium, posting a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. He also grabbed two rebounds, and his passing popped on several possessions.
Bangot Dak gave Vanderbilt a strong inside presence with 15 points and five rebounds. He took a few open threes early in the game, then settled down and did most of his work around the basket as the night went on.
Tanner led the way in scoring with 18 points and added six rebounds to go with his six steals. Before the game, he said Friday he had spent the offseason working on his defense, and that showed against UAB.
Ace Glass also gave the Commodores a lift, finishing with 12 points and five rebounds while knocking down three of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel brought physicality and a strong presence on the boards, finishing with seven points and 10 rebounds. Vanderbilt also got eight points and four rebounds from Jayden Leverett, eight points and one rebound from Sebastian Williams-Adams, six points and five rebounds from freshman guard Ethan Mgbako, four points and five rebounds from Chandler Bing, five points from freshman Mavrik Hawkins, and two points and two rebounds from freshman big man Jackson Sheffield.
Vanderbilt wraps up preseason play Friday with an exhibition against Miami (FL) in Coral Gables. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Already Looks Different Under Mark Byington For One Reason
Vanderbilts first glimpse under Mark Byington offered a pretty clear theme: this group already looks more connected than a typical roster still trying to find itself in October. Against UAB, the Commodores moved with real purpose and got meaningful contributions from Tyler Tanner, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Bangot Dak, with Dak showing why he was such a sought-after transfer. For a team that enters the year as one of the youngest in the power conferences, the biggest early takeaway wasnt just talent. It was how willingly the pieces seemed to fit together.
Byington was encouraged by the larger picture even as he noted the kind of early-game sloppiness that comes with a new group learning how to play together. The turnovers and nervous moments were part of the process, but the bigger point was that Vanderbilt did not look like a roster still waiting to become a team. If that cohesion holds as the competition gets sharper, the Commodores may have found a foundation that can accelerate their growth far sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Fans Just Got An Intriguing First Look At Ant Brown
Vanderbilts exhibition win over UAB offered an early glimpse of what freshman Ant Brown might bring to the Commodores this season, and the first impression was a promising one. Brown showed enough defensive energy and enough feel as a passer to stand out in a game that gave Vanderbilt a chance to start sorting out roles before the real schedule begins.
The freshmans ability to handle the ball and create for others caught the attention of head coach Mark Byington and teammate Tyler Tanner, both of whom came away encouraged by the debut. For a team still figuring out how its backcourt will fit together, Browns performance added a little more intrigue to the offense and suggested there may already be a young guard ready to carve out meaningful minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Needs Jared Curtis To Answer One Growing Concern
Jared Curtis finally met with the media this week, and the timing mattered almost as much as the comments themselves. After a stretch in which Vanderbilt has been searching for steadier quarterback play, the young starter addressed his recent performance and the teams broader struggles, while Clark Lea explained why the conversation came now, pointing to Curtiss adjustment to the starting role and the injury that sidelined him for the Georgia game.
Curtis did not duck the issue, saying he knows he needs to be better as the offense tries to find its footing. Even so, he also made clear he still trusts Leas plan and his own development, which leaves Vanderbilt in a familiar spot: hoping the quarterbacks growth can catch up to the demands of the moment before the concern around his play grows any louder. [Read more 🡒]