Vanderbilt Commodores Men's Basketball Knocking on Door of Top 25 Rankings

The Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team is on the cusp of receiving a top 25 ranking.

Vanderbilt Commodores guard Grant Huffman (4) drives against Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) during their game at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This past week was one of the best in recent Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball history as the team continued their excellent performance on the hardwood.

After defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks on Jan. 15 thanks to a last-second shot from Devin McGlockton, the team improved its record to 14-3 on the season. It evened their SEC record up at 2-2 heading into a massive matchup against their in-state rival, the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Commodores welcomed the No. 6 ranked team in the country into Memorial Gymnasium, looking for their first statement victory of the campaign.

It certainly wasn’t easy, but they picked up a massive 76-75 victory, defeating Tennessee for the second time in three years in Nashville. Coincidentally, both times the Volunteers were ranked No. 6.

The victory ended up costing the school a pretty penny as the fans storming the court led to a major fine. It was the second violation of the SEC policy against storming the field since fans did the same thing in the fall when the football team defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Riding a two-game winning streak and owning a 15-3 overall, Vanderbilt is knocking on the door of a spot inside the top 25 rankings.

They don’t have a number next to their name yet but are heading in the right direction after receiving 35 votes in the AP Top 25, which put them at 28th in the country. The Louisville Cardinals, another upstart team this season who are ranked No. 25, received 125 points for the final spot.

In the Coaches Poll, the Commodores weren’t as highly regarded, receiving only 16 points. There were six other teams ahead of them that were outside of the top 25.

The last time the men’s team was ranked was the 2016-17 season, the final one with Kevin Stallings as head coach before he left to take the job with the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Vanderbilt will have two golden chances this upcoming week to make another statement and strengthen their case for a spot in the rankings.

On Tuesday night, they head on the road to face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide, who are currently ranked No. 4 in the country. After that, they will be hosting the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

Just like the game against Tennessee, tickets are already sold out for the marquee matchup against Kentucky. It is the first time since 2019 that Memorial Gymnasium has been sold out for a men’s basketball game.