Inside Tyler Tanner's Legendary March Madness Performance in Vanderbilt's Win over McNeese
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OKLAHOMA CITY—The building was tense with the endless optimism from the largely anti-Vanderbilt crowd on hand and the momentum of the game was propelling this McNeese team into a serious threat rather than a group of gnat-like pests as Tyler Tanner pounded it a few times on the floor.
Facing up Tanner was one of the biggest pests of all, veteran McNeese guard DJ Richards JR–who had just thrown a body blow of his own. Garcia has seen it all in four college seasons–three at McNeese and one at UT Arlington–but he likely hasn’t seen many moments like the one Tanner was about to produce.
Richards thought he was in a fine position guarding Tanner from a step in front of the 3-point line on the left wing, but he was wrong. While he sat in a stance trying to make sure Tanner didn’t get by him, the Vanderbilt guard figuratively told him that he needed to step out and guard him. Tanner’s left foot dropped down parallel to the Vanderbilt bench, the right foot was down too, hands were set and his undershirt scrunched up on his shoulder as if he was Allen Iverson. Richards was still off balance from the combo of dribble moves that he’d just hit him with upon getting a switch.
Bang. Step up and stay on your toes next time, rook.
“I felt like it was open, so I just let it fly,” Tanner told Vandy on SI in the locker room after the game. “I work on those shots a lot in my workouts and there’s so many reps put into it to where I can have belief in myself for that kind of shot.”
The shot and the sequence should be the lede in Tanner’s highlight reel as he either heads to the NBA or works through his representation to secure as much money as he can from Vanderbilt this offseason. To those who love this game and electric off the bounce scoring, it was art. Vanderbilt wing Tyler Nickel jokes that it was a bad shot and Tanner says that “maybe” it was, but it didn’t matter.
It went in.
It’s the type of shot that only a few players in Vanderbilt’s conference have the leeway to take. Tanner is one, and he’s earned it. Nickel may joke that Tanner took a bad shot in the moment, but he wasn’t thinking that in the moment. Everyone else who’s seen Tanner operate this season appears to believe the same thing.
“He creates so much separation,” Nickel told Vandy on SI. “Anytime he lets it fly and he’s got space like that, we all think it’s going in.”
All of a sudden Tanner was no longer a mere mortal on the floor once that shot went in and all but secured a Vanderbilt win. He was a star that just cemented his status as such on college basketball’s biggest stage. The marquee shot could be any of a couple for the Vanderbilt star. Don’t forget, he made one from the logo and another in the closing moments that made just about everyone in the building gasp in awe. There wasn’t much flair in Vanderbilt’s 78-68 win over McNeese on Thursday, so Tanner supplied it himself.
Tanner’s personal trainer Spencer Richardson texts him each morning that he needs to be “BOLD, FEARLESS and CONFIDENT.” On Thursday, Richardson said via text message, Tanner did “just that.” Tanner says he sent Richardson those words prior to Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener and that they represent the reminder he needs in order to have the confidence to be bold enough to take chances and make big plays. Thursday, Tanner had all the confidence in the world.
“That’s the TT I know,” Richardson told Vandy on SI. “His performance today reminded me of those BA days, getting everyone involved and then being an elite closer when necessary.”
The difference in Thursday’s game–which gave Vanderbilt its first NCAA Tournament win since the 2011-2012 season–wasn’t any sort of tactical difference or matchup advantage. It wasn’t even the fact that McNeese has to operate with an upper-end Southland Conference budget and recruiting base while Vanderbilt is a well-resourced SEC program.
The difference was that one team had Tyler Tanner, and the other didn’t.
Tanner went for 26 points–with 17 of them coming in the second half–seven rebounds and five assists. The Vanderbilt guard was relatively efficient on the way to doing it as he made 7 of his 16 field goal attempts and went 9-for-10 from the free throw line. It was the type of performance that gets a team out of a building and alive when it doesn’t have its best.
The Vanderbilt guard is one of just a few players in the country that’s capable of doing that in the NCAA Tournament. A number of NBA evaluators know that and if they don’t, then Vanderbilt’s players will let them know.
“Tyler is the best point guard in the SEC,” Vanderbilt guard George Kimble told Vandy on SI on Friday.
Tanner’s body of work had everything to make that indication heading into Thursday afternoon except what he didn’t have until he ran off the floor side by side with Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles after a win. Tanner was an honorable mention for All-American honors. He was an All-SEC first-teamer. He’s on the Nasmith Award Watch List, which still surprises his father.
All he had left to do was prove it on the country’s biggest stage. Tanner says he doesn’t think that way. It turns out he doesn’t have to in order to take over while the entire country is watching and judging what he can do.
“I definitely love to prove people wrong,” Tanner said. “That’s a part of it. But, I just try to go play my best game so that we can win and all that other stuff will come.”
As evidenced by Tanner being pulled out of Vanderbilt’s locker room before it closed so that he could do a national media hit, all that other stuff–or the stuff that makes the country fall in love with him–is starting to enter his world.
Tanner’s star is rising. Time to buckle up.
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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