Where Vanderbilt Ranks in AP Poll After Splitting Arkansas with Mississippi State

The Commodores went 1-1 last week against quality conference foes.

Jan 24, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Tyler Nickel (5) flexes at guard Tyler Tanner (3) after a basket during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt basketball is ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25, per the Monday afternoon release of the poll.

The Commodores moved down three spots to the ranking after an 1-1 week in which they fell to Arkansas in what Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington called an “embarrassing” showing and knocked off Mississippi State in blowout fashion.

The Commodores were as high as No. 10 this season, which was the program’s highest since its preseason ranking of No. 9 in 2011-2012. Vanderbilt will face Kentucky on Tuesday night as it looks to move to 18-3 and to capitalize on its Saturday win in Starkville.

Vanderbilt is ranked above traditional ranked programs like Florida, Louisville, Alabama and St. Johns.

“We have a chance to have a good team,” Byington said after the Commodores’ season 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.”

Vanderbilt has put itself among the nation’s elite as a result of its start to the season that includes wins over Alabama, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, LSU, SMU, Saint Mary’s, VCU, UCF and all of its buy game opponents. The Commodores’ rèsumè is among the strongest in all of college basketball as a result of their upper-quad wins as well as their drastic margin of victory in non-power five games.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles said after the Commodores’ Battle 4 Atlantis win over Saint Mary’s . “We’re trying to get to Commodores’ Battle 4 Atlantis win over Saint Mary’s . “We’re trying to get to the end goal and March to be out there playing for a national championship, so that’s the main goal.”

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

Vanderbilt finished last season with its first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2016-17 season after a 20-win season, but this team has all the signs of being better than that one.

“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.”

AP Top 25

(Ranking, Team, First-Place Votes, Record, Points)

1. Arizona (60), 20-0, 1500
2. UConn, 19-1, 1402
3. Michigan, 18-1, 1379
4. Duke, 18-1, 1326
5. Nebraska, 20-0, 1283
6. Gonzaga, 21-1, 1097
7. Michigan State, 18-2, 1072
8. Iowa State, 18-2, 1070
9. Illinois, 17-3, 1060
10. Houston, 17-2, 983
11. Texas Tech, 16-4, 939
12. Purdue, 17-3, 864
13. BYU, 17-2, 837
14. Kansas, 15-5, 614
15. Arkansas, 15-5, 568
16. North Carolina, 16-4, 528
17. Virginia, 16-3. 509
18. Vanderbilt, 17-3, 497
19. Florida, 14-6, 389
20. Louisville, 14-5, 297
21. Saint Louis, 19-1, 286
22. Clemson, 17-4, 245
23. Alabama, 13-6, 202
24. Miami-Ohio, 20-0, 140
25. St. John's, 15-5, 133

Others Receiving Votes: Tennessee 88, Kentucky 51, Georgia 49, Iowa 30, Texas A&M 27, Auburn 15, NC State 8, SMU 4, Saint Mary's 3, Utah St. 2, Villanova 2, Wisconsin 1.

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