When The Lights Got Bright, Tyler Tanner Came Through

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner received a pass from teammate Chandler Bing with just under 10 seconds remaining with a six-point lead. Tanner passed the ball to guard Tyler Nickel, who walked the ball up the court. As Nickel drained the clock out, Tanner faced the ruckus and loud crowd of Memorial Gymnasium and pumped up the fans even more. He knew the job was finished and he was the main reason the job was done.

It was a quick start for Tanner in No. 11 Vanderbilt’s 96-90 win over No. 13 Alabama that turned into a slow first half for him. After getting a quick six points early in the game, Tanner got himself in foul trouble with two early fouls that kept him sidelined for seven minutes of the first half. It was not a bad performance to start the game by any means, but Tanner knew he had much more in the tank that foul trouble prevented him from displaying.

And then the second half happened. Just like how a superhero puts on a cape before saving the day, Tanner went into takeover mode out of the locker room and put on a masterclass of a performance on what turned out to be a special night for Vanderbilt.

Tanner got the ball seemingly every trip down the floor in the second half and made play after play after play. He put the team on his back and delivered a 23-point second half performance and had four assists and two steals. Whether it was driving to the hoop, finding himself open on the three-point line or finding his way to the free throw line, Tanner found points in every way imaginable.

It was not anything that was said during halftime that triggered him to get locked into a rhythm. Rather, it was as simple as having a will to win. Wednesday, Tanner had more will to win than anyone else on the floor.

“I really wanted to win that game. There was not necessarily a switch. In the first half, I had those two fouls and I didn’t get to be out there the whole time, but I was just comfortable out there. Coach was drawing up some good plays for me to get me going,” Tanner said.

A will to win and the comfortability factor was exactly how Tanner was able to take over the game and lift his team to a 15-0 record. When a player that can put up points in a hurry like Tanner gets comfortable in a game and knows he can beat you almost single-handedly, he becomes the most dangerous player on the court.

Ultimately it has been his comfortability as well as his confidence growing from his first year to this year that has played a major role in his growth as a player. That was on full display Wednesday night. Tanner always knew he had the skills and the capabilities in his game to be good and play like an All-SEC player, it was just about piecing it all together with confidence. The difference between his freshman season and this season has been astounding.

“Confidence. That’s the biggest thing in my game. Last year I had all the tools I needed, but my mental wasn’t fully straight. And this year, coach is giving me that confidence, my teammates are giving me that confidence. And it’s allowed me to play freely,” Tanner said.

The confidence combined with the performance Tanner put on against Alabama was why Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington kept putting the ball in Tanner’s hands.

“There was a time in the second half I didn’t want anybody else to touch the ball but him. And I thought he’d make a play for himself or somebody else around him. I’m not saying I’m a smart coach, but I’m smart enough to give him the ball,,” Byington said.

Tanner has been a big part of why Vanderbilt has started 2-0 in SEC play. While people never know what the future holds down the line, if Tanner continues to play like he is the rest of conference play then who knows where his abilities could take him.

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