Vanderbilt Basketball Proves How Dangerous It Can Be in Latest Win

The Commodores are showing how lethal they can be going forward.

Dec 17, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Duke Miles (2) drives against Memphis Tigers guard Sincere Parker (23) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

The “Golden Age” of Vanderbilt athletics is not just limited to the magical and memorable season that Vanderbilt football has been having. It has spread throughout all Vanderbilt athletics, including men’s basketball.

Sunday, Vanderbilt had a dominating win over Wake Forest 98-67 as the Commodores collected their third win against quadrant I teams. Vanderbilt was expected to be a team that was very capable of making it to the NCAA Tournament and was picked to finish 11th in the SEC for the 2025-2026 season. But so far, just like Vanderbilt football did, it seems that Commodore basketball is now far surpassing expectations.

In fact, Vanderbilt might just be a serious threat to win the SEC this season. Not only is Vanderbilt 12-0 going into its nonconference finale against New Haven on Dec. 29, but it is the way Vanderbilt has won the vast majority of its games that says something.

Vanderbilt has been out scoring opponents by 22 points a game this season, averaging 94.1 points while surrendering an average of 72.2. The Commodores are getting out and running the floor and scoring at will, making it hard for opponents to keep up with them.

While Vanderbilt has not had to play the toughest schedule thus far, it has passed each of its biggest challenges with ease. The Commodores took out Saint Mary’s with a 25-point win in a mid-season tournament championship game, beat a SMU team with multiple wins against SEC teams by 19 and a Wake Forest team that came a point short of beating Michigan and Texas Tech by 31 points.

Vanderbilt is not just skating by, it is dominating its competition night in night out. Vanderbilt did have two consecutive underwhelming performances against Central Arkansas and Memphis, but the way in which the Commodores responded against Wake Forest is proof of how far this Vanderbilt team could potentially go when March rolls around.

What has been so impressive about Vanderbilt’s season thus far is that the team has shown to have a roster that has the pieces to make a run not just to the Sweet 16, but into the Elite 8 and maybe further.

One of the things that teams need to have in the most crucial parts of the season is guard play. A back court that can run a consistent offense is essentially a requirement to have amongst teams that make it far in the NCAA Tournament. Luckily for Vanderbilt, one of its strengths is not only its guard play, but the depth it has at the guard position.

It all starts with Vanderbilt’s leading scorer Duke Miles. Miles is averaging 17.1 points per game along with 4.7 assists. In the game against Wake Forest, Miles finished with 17 points and nine assists. Miles has shown to be a scorer and the ability to contribute to the offense in other ways. Coming from Oklahoma in the offseason, Miles has shown that head coach Mark Byington’s offense is a much more comfortable system for him.

On top of Miles is guard Tyler Tanner, who possesses the same abilities as Miles, scoring and assisting consistently. The sophomore has taken a big step up from his first season at Vanderbilt and is proven to be a reliable go-to guy. Tyler Harris has also shown to be a guard that can contribute to the team’s potent offense, especially if he gets his shot going.

Vanderbilt certainly has the offense and the shooting to make a run. Defensively, Vanderbilt has been solid as well. Though it ranks middle of the pack amongst SEC teams in scoring defense, it is top 20 in the country in opponent field goal percentage, forcing teams to shoot below 40 percent on average.

Unanswered questions will soon be answered with SEC play around the corner, but Vanderbilt has not given fans reasons to doubt the team’s ability to compete with the top teams in the conference. Certainly, the Commodores have the pieces a team needs to win the SEC and possibly make some program history; it is just a matter of showing it in front of everyone.