8. Vanderbilt (16-0)
The SEC remains full of exciting and talented teams and yet it’s Vanderbilt seemingly grabbing the attention more than two months into this season. The Commodores' perfect start saw them rise rapidly in the national rankings, a run that's included great efforts against Saint Mary’s and SMU and several other programs. Now that SEC play is beginning in full force, would that prominent start continue?
Wednesday was evidence that their success would continue, as the Commodores won 96-90 over a very talented team in Alabama. Tyler Tanner led all scorers with 29 points as Vanderbilt did just enough in the second half to grab this ranked win. The Commodores then took care of business again on Saturday, ousting LSU 84-73. Tanner had 20 points while Tyler Nickel added 19 points and 10 rebounds in another solid win for this team.
Vanderbilt has won their first sixteen games and answered every test. They’ve won when the outside shots don’t fall and they’ve won when the defense struggles. Many eyes will be on this team as this rise continues against a strong SEC, especially as their metrics continue to soar. The Commodores head on the road to face Texas before a highly-anticipated weekend clash with defending champion Florida.