The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Texas Basketball's Big Win vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt

Texas Longhorns men's basketball takes back-to-back AP Top 25 wins after defeating No. 10 Vanderbilt at home.

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller celebrates a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Texas men's basketball won its second straight game in SEC play on Wednesday night, routing the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores, 80-64.

Ending Vanderbilt's undefeated streak, Texas has now won back-to-back games over AP Top 15 opponents.

Previousley defeating No. 13 Alabama last Saturday, and now conquering the Commodores in last night's 16-point victory, Texas basketball may find itself back on track this season.

The Good - Texas Defense Stepped Up

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Duke Miles (2) shoots the ball against Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Prior to the team's game against Texas, Vanderbilt had entered the Moody Center with a 16-0 record and was one of four teams to remain undefeated in DI. Averaging 91.3 points per game, the Commodores rank 11th in the nation in scoring. Despite Vanderbilt's standout offense this season, Texas held its opponent to a season-low 64 points.

Texas forced 10 turnovers, and despite allowing Vanderbilt to convert on eight three-pointers in the first half, the Longhorns only allowed one successful shot from beyond the arc in the second.

Texas dominated off the boards as well, outrebounding Vanderbilt 42 to 24, and held a Commodores team that averages makes on 50 percent of their field goals, to 37 percent in last night's victory.

The Bad - The Vanderbilt Defense

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) guards Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Texas dominated Vanderbilt in the paint and at the free-throw line in Wednesday's win. Underneath, Texas scored 30 points compared to Vanderbilt's 14, while making 22 trips to the free-throw line. Converting 19 of those 22 free throws, the Longhorns made the most of their opportunities to convert easy points.

Texas was impressive from three as well, making 7 of the team's 17 attempts, shooting around 41 percent. The Longhorns converted more than 50 percent of their shots overall, with standout nights coming from guard Tramon Mark and center Matas Vokietaitis, scoring 21 and 22 points, respectively.

Texas would finish the game with four players scoring in double-digits and another ranked victory to boast for their March Madness résumé.

The Ugly - The Commodores Second Half Performance

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) shoots a three point basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

In the first half, Vanderbilt was 14 for 30 from the field, scoring 37 points and trailing by five heading into the locker room. In the second half, the Commodores went eight for 30, with ten of their 27 points in the latter half of the game coming from the free throw line.

Vanderbilt went 1 of 10 from three in the second half, compared to eight made threes in the first. One of the most explosive offenses in the country, en route to a historic 17-0 start, the Commodores were impeded, due largely to their second-half struggles.