Exclusive: What Five-Star Forward Bentley Lusakueno Made Of Vanderbilt Basketball Visit

NASHVILLE—-Five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno will have his pick of just about any college basketball program in the country when the time comes for him to make his decision, but it doesn’t appear as if he’s ruled out Vanderbilt.

Lusakueno has already visited Tennessee, Georgia and Georgia Tech and will also visit Illinois and Iowa before the fall is over. It’s still early in the process for Lusakueno–who doesn’t appear to be in any rush to make a decision–but he left Nashville a week ago with a positive impression of Mark Byington and company.

“Besides some travel delays it was great,” Lusakueno told Vandy on SI. “The best part for me is always watching practice to get a feel for the guys and coaches and style. Their facilities are great, and I learned about the way they use analytics in player development, strength and nutrition. I got to see the campus and what the scene is like for a football game too.”

Lusakueno is the No. 6 player in the class of 2028 and would be the highest-ranked recruit in program history if Vanderbilt could land him. There’s a long way to go in the recruitment here, though, particularly since Lusakueno picked up an offer from North Carolina after leaving Nashville.

What Vanderbilt does have going for it here is Lusakueno’s fit in regard to how Byington generally uses his bigs. Lusakueno is a transition-oriented, modern big man that plays more on the perimeter–where he shot 41.9% from 3-point range in EYBL play–than with his back to the basket. Byington has generally gone after players like Lusakueno in the past and will likely pitch him on the idea that he won’t box him into being a traditional big man.

Vanderbilt basketball hosted five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno on an official visit over the weekend.

Lusakueno is the No. 6 player in the 2028 class. pic.twitter.com/Og90aToWsu
— Joey Dwyer (@joey_dwy) September 15, 2026

When Lusakueno watched Vanderbilt practice, he likely saw how Byington used 7-foot Colorado transfer Bangot Dak on the perimeter and envisioned what his role in Byington’s system could look like.

“They play out of concepts, are fast paced, run the floor,” Lusakueno said. “He wants high IQ guys who can make reads and the right plays.”

Vanderbilt enters Byington’s third season after a breakthrough 27-win year two that’s lended itself to significant results on the recruiting trail. Byington and company landed their first-five star recruit in Gabe Nesmith–a class of 2027 prospect that reclassified to join the team in the summer. Nesmith’s commitment opens the doors for other prospects of his caliber to join Vanderbilt.

Lusakueno’s recruitment is of even greater magnitude than Nesmith’s, though, in terms of the statement it would make if Vanderbilt landed him. If it isn’t now, it appears as if Lusakueno’s stock will continue to rise as a result of his decision to transfer to IMG Academy for his junior season.

There’s industry-wide optimism that Lusakueno will develop relatively rapidly as a three-level and off the bounce scorer in the next year as he adds to his 205-pound frame. Lusakueno is already a fluid athlete, shotmaker and a threat to alter shots around the rim consistently at this stage of his development.

Lusakueno’s skillset has clearly made an impression on Vanderbilt’s coaching staff, and they appeared to make a positive impression on him–although he’s still non-committal about where Vanderbilt stands in his recruitment.

“It’s a forward thinking culture and institution with a great community,” Lusakueno said. “They are putting a lot into their sports programs right now to compete and win in the SEC.”

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