22. Vanderbilt (5-0)
Not every team is playing a murderous nonconference slate but it’s still important to weigh teams against each other in the right way. Vanderbilt has a great double-digit win at UCF and a slew of solid wins at home, but the metrics really like the Commodores this season and it’s hard to argue against what we’ve seen. Mark Byington engineered a great turnaround last year in Nashville and might have even bigger things ahead in year two.
Despite some streaky shooting from Texas Southern, the Commodores easily dispatched of the Tigers on Thursday in a 109-74 win. Vanderbilt put together another outstanding offensive performance and has scored 100 points in four of their five games to date. Both Tyler Nickel and Tyler Tanner had 20 points apiece in another easy contest.
There are some questions about the defense that will be addressed or answered further into the season, but it’s hard not to enjoy what the Commodores have produced already. This team is regularly eclipsing the century mark and has a balanced offense that imposes its will inside the arc. That first chance to really prove their strength comes at the Battle 4 Atlantis next week, beginning with a matchup against Western Kentucky in just a few days.