Where Vanderbilt Basketball Ranks in Latest AP Poll

The Commodores moved up after a 2-0 start to the season. Where do they stand?

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner (3) speaks with coach Mark Byington during the second half against the Wake Forest at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Vanderbilt men’s basketball’s 2026-27 season is a week into the season and it has been all good things from the team thus far.

Vanderbilt used two dominating wins over Bellarmine and Wake Forest to reach a 2-0 start to the season this past week and were rewarded for doing so. In the latest AP Poll, the Commodores moved up from No. 24 to No. 22.

Vanderbilt is the sixth-highest ranked team in the SEC. The Commodores are behind No. 1 Florida, No. 7 Texas, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 18 Alabama and No. 19 Arkansas in the newest poll. Kentucky is the final team in the conference that is ranked, coming in at No. 24.

Vanderbilt won its first two games through dominating in multiple facets on the floor. The Commodores played some of the best defense they have played in the Mark Byington era to hold Bellarmine to 47 points and Wake Forest to 51 points.

Vanderbilt did not make life easy for its opponents in the first week of the season with its defense and rebounding ability. The Commodores also used a lot of their depth to pull away in both games. 

Against Wake Forest, freshman guard Ant Brown Jr. put on a show from three-point range with four made three-pointers while Nebraska transfer big Berke Buyuktuncel was a physical force in the paint with his defense and rebounding ability.

Perhaps Vanderbilt is still a team that is flying under the radar a little bit given the roster it has and how it has looked the first two games of the season. If a player like Tyler Tanner or anyone has an off night, it is not the end of the world.

“I feel like we can really rely on each other. We all have off nights, I had an off night. I couldn’t get a bucket to fall, but there’s other guys that can score the ball as well,” Vanderbilt guard T.O Barrett said. “We got a lot of guys that can make shots, a lot of guys that can make plays and I think that’s going to really help us especially toward the end of the season.”

This week is another busy week for Vanderbilt. The Commodores host Memphis Tuesday night at 6:15 p.m. CT before playing home against Prairie View A&M in Memorial Gymnasium Friday night.

Vanderbilt and Memphis met last year in Memphis, where Vanderbilt survived a comeback from Memphis in an overtime thriller. The Tigers come into Nashville off a big win over VCU, one of the better mid-major programs this season.

Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest news.