Takeaways From Vanderbilt's 109-74 Win Over Texas Southern

NASHVILLE---Vanderbilt basketball seemingly didn't break a sweat on Thursday night as it took down Texas Southern 109-74 to move to 5-0 on the season. The Commodores led by as much as 41 and never left this up to chance.

Here's some takeaways from that performance.

What an offensive clinic Vanderbilt put on

Vanderbilt appears to be able to beat anyone in a race to 100 points these days.

The Commodores had perhaps their most complete offensive outing on Thursday night as they shot 53.4% on the night and had seven double-figure scorers on their way to scoring 100 points for the fourth time in five games this season. Everything appears to be working for this group.

Thursday night not unequivocally being Vanderbilt’s best offensive showing says something about it.

Byington’s program has taken care of its business in buy games

Byington’s team is 5-0 for the second-consecutive season after Thursday-night’s win and has seen a trend emerge.

The bad memories that have been accounted for in this gym in regard to buy games are slowly disappearing from the memories of those who have been around this program, at least they should be. Byington is 11-0 in buy games since taking over at Vanderbilt and has seen just one of them end in his team winning by less than 10 points. None of the program’s four buy-game wins this season have ended in anything less than a 25-point win.

That says something about the way Byington has scheduled, but also the intensity in which this program has approached those games with.

Jalen Washington has his best output of the season, but isn’t stepping out much

Washington–who came into Thursday night averaging 6.8 points per game–finished Thursday night with 11 on 5-for-9 shooting while grabbing six rebounds and four assists while appearing to be as sharp as he’s been this season, but the part of his game that he talked up this offseason hasn’t come to fruition.

The North Carolina transfer and those surrounding him raved about his ability to step out and shoot it, yet he’s taken just one shot from 3-point range this season and has made just six of them.

Vanderbilt likes Washington’s ability to rim run and block shots, but he still hasn’t unlocked the part of his game that could make him a more dynamic player.

A wing status update

In a seemingly stunning twist, Vanderbilt freshman wing Chandler Bing–a late addition to its 2025 class that was a three-star recruit–is seemingly in better standing than Louisville/NC State transfer Mike James.

James shouldn’t be entirely counted out of being a rotation player for this Vanderbilt team–after all, he’s working back into shape after a year away from competitive basketball–but when Byington has been asked about him, his most encouraging words were that he will “need everybody” down the stretch of a long season.

The former Louisville wing–who averaged over 12 points per game there–has it in him to be a go-to guy for Vanderbilt, but appears to have a long road to go as he looks to get to that point.

On Frankie Collins

Collins has a minor ankle injury and missed Thursday night’s game as a result, but the indication is that his absence appears to be more precautionary than anything.

The veteran point guard is expected to be good to go as Vanderbilt travels to the Battle of Atlantis during Feast Week. The Commodores playing three games next week appeared to be a factor in them being cautious with Collins.

Vanderbilt will need the TCU transfer as it gets into non buy games.

On Mason Nicholson

After missing the first four games of the season due to an illness that allowed him to be around the team but has had a slow ramp up process, Nicholson played nine minutes on Thursday night and caught an alley oop for his first points in a Vanderbilt uniform.

The statline wasn’t as significant for Nicholson as his mere presence on the floor was ahead of a three-game stretch in which Vanderbilt’s depth will be tested. It appeared as if Vanderbilt put Nicholson out there for a test run of sorts on Thursday before it needs him for meaningful minutes in the coming weeks.

Nicholson is expected to provide some dirty work minutes in the frontcourt at the back end of Vanderbilt’s rotation.

Time for the real show

Vanderbilt travels to Atlantis next week to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis. It’s not as strong of a litmus test as previous season’s fields would have been, but this program will still be tested in other ways as it has to win in a tournament setting for the first time.

The Commodores open the tournament against Western Kentucky, but could also face Saint Mary’s, South Florida, VCU, Virginia Tech and Colorado State.

Time to see if this group keeps passing the tests that are in front of it.