Where Does Vanderbilt Basketball's NCAA Tournament Rèsumè Stand After Ole Miss Win

Vanderbilt basketball has won three in a row, but do the numbers reflect what Mark Byington's team has done?

Jan 31, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Ak Okereke (10) dives for the loose ball from Mississippi Rebels guard Travis Perry (11) during the first half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Mark Byington’s Vanderbilt team is rolling again after its Saturday win over Ole Miss in which it made a statement that it can still be a high seed in the NCAA and SEC Tournaments by winning without Duke Miles and Frankie Collins in the lineup. 

The Commodores take the floor on Saturday as the No. 15 team in the AP Top with a top 15 offense in KenPom as well as the No. 17 defense. Vanderbilt’s last three performances demonstrate its staying power on both ends. 

Tuesday, Vanderbilt was far more difficult to stop than the group of household college basketball names that it faced. The Commodores went up by as much as 28 points on their way to an 80-55 win over Kentucky, held the Wildcats to 25.0% shooting from 3-point range and 32.2% shooting from the field. 

“We have a chance to have a good team,” Byington said after the Commodores’ opener. “When you’re a coach you want hope for the season, you want optimism for the season. Some people lie about it, but I can say the truth and say I’m excited about this group. We’ll get better and better.”

As Vanderbilt has taken a leap 2025-26–Byington’s second year at the helm–it’s does so with a roster including just three returning scholarship players in Tyler Tanner, Devin McGlockton and Nickel. All three of which have taken on significant roles on a team that possesses an eight-man transfer class headlined by TCU point guard Frankie Collins, North Carolina big man Jalen Washington, Washington transfer Tyler Harris, Miles and Cornell wing AK Okereke. 

“The priority this recruiting season was to gain some more length, size,” Vanderbilt assistant coach Xavier Joyner told Vandy on SI over the summer. “We knew going into last year we were maybe the smallest team in the SEC regarding length, size so we wanted to upgrade that, which we did.”

That class has given the Commodores a chance to be a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament than they’ve ever been. Here’s where their rèsumè stands these days. 

Quad wins and losses: 

Jan 31, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Mark Byington yells to his team against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Quad 1A: 1-3

Wins: UCF

Losses: Florida, Arkansas, Texas

Jan 27, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Mike James (0) and Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) battles for the ball during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Quad 1: 5-3

Wins: Kentucky, Alabama, UCF, Wake Forest, Saint Mary’s

Losses: Texas, Arkansas, Florida

Jan 31, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) shoots the ball against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Quad 2: 6-0

Wins: LSU, VCU, Memphis, South Carolina, SMU, Mississippi State

Jan 31, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jalen Washington (13) gets fouled by Mississippi Rebels guard AJ Storr (2) during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Quad 3: 2–0

Lipscomb, Western Kentucky

Jan 31, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Chandler Bing (7) brings the ball up court against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Quad 4: 5-0

Eastern Kentucky, Texas Southern, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Central Arkansas, New Haven 

Other valuable metrics: 

NET: 14th

Torvik: 14th

KenPom: 14th

Strength of record: 11th

KPI: 11th 

Wins above bubble: 13th

BPI: 15th

NCSOS: 138th