Vanderbilt Basketball is entering the 2026-27 season with real buzz, and the reason starts with what Mark Byington built last year. The Commodores rolled to 27 wins, reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, and now look poised to open the new campaign ranked in the preseason.
That rise comes with an early test, too. Vanderbilt is one of the first programs to play a public preseason game, taking on Virginia in an exhibition on Sunday. With that backdrop, there are a few big questions hanging over this team.
The biggest one is simple: what does Tyler Tanner do next?
Tanner was one of last season’s breakout names, earning All-SEC honors while leading Vanderbilt with 19.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. He entered the NBA Draft process but chose to return for his junior season, giving the Commodores a proven star to build around.
If he takes another jump, he could be headed to the next level after this year. For Vanderbilt, that makes 2026-27 a pivotal season, especially with a Sweet 16 run setting the standard for what this group can chase.
Around him, the roster looks very different. Byington added a top-25 recruiting class, giving the program a fresh wave of talent and more ways to grow beyond Tanner.
Gabe Nesmith, a top-30 wing prospect, stands out as one of the highest-rated high school recruits to ever join Vanderbilt. Ethan Mgbako, a top-50 guard/forward, is another name worth tracking as a long-term piece.
That freshman group should have a real chance to crack the rotation right away. With so much playing time up for grabs, there’s a path for those newcomers to make an immediate impact and help reshape the supporting cast around Tanner.
The other major storyline is who steps up as Vanderbilt’s second-best player.
That role was filled last season by Duke Miles, who averaged 16.1 points and 4.5 assists but missed 10 games because of injury. Tyler Nickel also gave the Commodores scoring punch at 13.5 points per game. Both are gone now, and Vanderbilt is leaning on a five-man transfer class to help replace that production.
Ace Glass arrives after averaging 16.4 points per game as a freshman at Washington State. Bangot Dak brings size and production from Colorado after posting 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a junior forward. Sebastian Williams-Adams, who scored 7.0 points per game at Auburn, is another player to watch and a potential breakout candidate after arriving as a former top-50 prospect with some clear upside.
Vanderbilt has a strong baseline with Tanner back in the fold. The bigger question is how high this team can climb once the new pieces settle in. That supporting cast will decide whether the Commodores are simply good again, or something more.
In Other News...
Vanderbilts 3-0 Start Faces Its First Real Test At Auburn
Vanderbilt heads to Auburn with a 3-0 record, but the early unbeaten start has come with an asterisk. The Commodores have not exactly looked convincing yet, and this trip offers a clearer read on where the team really stands. Freshman quarterback Curtis is set to make his first SEC road start, adding another layer of pressure to a matchup that should reveal more about Vanderbilts ceiling than the first three games did.
Coach Lea has put the focus on cleaner execution, fewer mistakes and a more defined identity. For Vanderbilt, the challenge is not just surviving an SEC road environment, but putting together a more complete performance across all phases and finding a way to control the game. If the Commodores can do that at Auburn, the unbeaten start will begin to feel a lot more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Special Teams Meltdown Just Put The Commodores In Trouble
For a Vanderbilt team that has spent plenty of time stressing special teams as a point of emphasis, the first quarter and a half at Jordan-Hare Stadium was about as rough as it gets. Auburn got into the backfield again and again, blocking three punts, while the Commodores also stumbled through a failed fake punt, a running into the punter penalty and a missed field goal in the opening stretch.
The result was a game that quickly tilted in Auburns favor, with the Tigers ahead 14-3 and Vanderbilt trying to steady itself before the second quarter got away entirely. When a phase of the game thats supposed to be a strength turns into a string of self-inflicted mistakes, the margin for error shrinks fast, and the Commodores were left searching for any kind of reset. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Gets A Needed Boost But One Cole Spence Question Remains
Cole Spence was back on the field in the first quarter against Auburn, giving Vanderbilt an overdue lift after the tight end missed the first three games of the season with a knee injury. Even with his return, the setup suggests the Commodores are still easing him back in, as he is expected to handle limited snaps while wearing a knee brace and compression sleeve.
For an offense adjusting to life without Eli Stowers and leaning on freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, any added presence at tight end matters. Spences return helps, but it also leaves one key question hanging for Vanderbilt: how quickly can he become the kind of regular contributor the offense needs, rather than just a brief boost? [Read more 🡒]