BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mark Byington says Vanderbilt basketball has reached the point where the standards are higher. Now he has to meet them with one of the youngest rosters in major college basketball.
Speaking at SEC Tipoff at the Grand Bohemian Hotel on Tuesday, the Commodores coach said Vanderbilt will be the second-youngest high-major, power-conference team in the country, behind only Arkansas. Vanderbilt finished fourth in the SEC last season and reached the SEC Tournament title game, and Byington said belief in the program has grown on campus and across Nashville.
He said he chose to stick with the players he recruited rather than load up on older transfers, and he expects the team to keep getting better through the year. Vanderbilt has already played two exhibitions.
The biggest change is size. Byington said his first two Vanderbilt teams leaned on offense and forced steals but lacked size and physicality. This is the biggest team he has coached, and he wants defense and rebounding to be its staple heading into March.
Experience comes from two transfers who started in the league last season, guard T.O. Barrett, who started at Missouri, and Sebastian Williams-Adams. Byington said both will be asked to share leadership. He also gave an injury update: Gabe Nesmith is not practicing, and Barrett had missed the last two days, with the staff being cautious.
The centerpiece is guard Tyler Tanner, a first-team All-SEC pick who is back for a third year. Byington called him as valuable as any player in the country, on and off the court. Tanner and Chandler Bing represented the players at the event. Vanderbilt was the first school on stage at the two-day event, with Shea Ralph and her women’s team going before Byington.
