25. Vanderbilt (2-0)
Suffice to say, there’s been a definite shift at Vanderbilt since Mark Byington took over this program last season. The Commodores bounced back in a major way last season and have a team that can do damage again in a strong SEC. Byington and his staff have done a masterful job of turning Vanderbilt into a contender but can they live up to those heightened expectations?
The first game was a strong statement, as the Commodores won 105-61 over Lipscomb in what became a laugher very quickly. Tyler Nickel scored 20 points, Tyler Tanner had 18, and AK Okereke added 16 in a great team performance. Another strong opening half guided Vanderbilt to another win over the weekend, as they won 105-93 on the road at UCF. Duke Miles led with 20 points while three other players each scored 17 points in another offensive explosion.
While not the best of the conference’s bunch, Vanderbilt did just win on the road against a Big 12 opponent and are already looking dangerous offensively. There’s great balance in this offense and these new pieces are fitting in quite nicely after the opening week. Giving up 93 points to the Knights wasn’t the best, but Vanderbilt has time to get things straightened out with a flurry of home games coming up.