Liam Robbins: “I really thought there was no way we weren’t in the tournament."

NASHVILLE—Liam Robbins still recalls putting his crutches down and sitting in his apartment when it clicked.

Most within Vanderbilt’s program had come to terms with it prior to that point, but Robbins was still holding out hope that Vanderbilt basketball was going to be in the NCAA Tournament by the end of the Selection Show. Vanderbilt had won 20 games, made an SEC Tournament run and had knocked off Kentucky twice in the two weeks prior to the season’s end.

The NCAA Tournament committee felt as if it wasn’t enough, though, and Robbins could sense it.

“I’m watching the stream and I was like ‘oh, we’re not getting in,’” Robbins admitted on the Vandy on SI podcast on Monday morning. “Like ‘this is unfortunate.’”

Robbins ended that 2022-23 season as a First-Team All-SEC player, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and had worked his way onto NBA Draft boards prior to a season-ending injury he suffered against Kentucky at Rupp Arena. He ended that season with one thing missing from his rèsumè, though.

The Vanderbilt big man–who is now in the NBA G-League with the Portland Trailblazers– never made the NCAA Tournament in his largely-successful college basketball career. He thought this was the team to do it, though.

“I really thought there was no way we weren’t in the tournament,” Robbins said. “I thought we did enough. I think we had 22 games and then after I went down, we knocked off Kentucky twice. I was like ‘surely.’”

With the benefit of hindsight, Robbins says he “gets it” in regard to the idea that Vanderbilt ended the season in the NIT rather than the NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt lost buy games to Grambling State and Southern Miss that season. When it appeared as if Jerry Stackhouse’s team had entirely turned the corner, it picked up a quad-three loss to LSU.

Vanderbilt won 10 of its last 12 games that season, beat Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida, yet it couldn’t do enough to overcome the effect that those two buy games had on its when it was all said and done. As a result, Robbins and his teammates were left wondering what could’ve been had the committee seen their body of work differently.

“When you reflect on it, it’s like ‘wow, we had some bad losses,’” Robbins said. “It’s one of those things where I’ve kind of kept the good parts. If you were to ask me about that year, I don’t remember a single loss. I definitely didn’t have to get 12 stitches after we lost to Alabama by 60. I don’t keep track of that stuff.”

Feb 18, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Liam Robbins (21) dunks the ball during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Robbins says his memories from that 2022-23 season include moments like then-Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence hitting a buzzer-beater to knock off Tennessee at Memorial Gymnasium, Jordan Wright’s late-game heroics in a win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena and a magical run that allowed Vanderbilt’s coaching staff to dream big in regard to what it could do moving forward.

It’s been three seasons and multiple NBA stints since Robbins was a part of that team–he’s now married and is still working at his NBA dream–but he says he still considers Vanderbilt home in some ways and goes back to Nashville when he needs anything medically. To this day, he’s still asked about what could’ve been with his Vanderbilt team that made a late-season push.

He prefers to remember that team fondly rather than what could’ve been, though.

“I just kind of remember the good parts, and that helps,” Robbins said. “Otherwise, you’re like ‘ah, we didn’t make the tournament, we lost to Grambling, whatever.’ That’s no fun. I just focus on the good parts and we got screwed and should’ve made the tournament. Everyone has their own narrative.”