With Vanderbilt Basketball's Season In The Balance, Tyler Tanner Announces NBA Draft Decision

Vanderbilt basketball star Tyler Tanner went through the NBA Draft process and has a decision to announce ahead of Wednesday night's withdrawl deadline.

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner (3) celebrates defeating Tennessee in a SEC tournament quarterfinal game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 13, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner is set to return for his junior season in Nashville, per a report. 

Tanner tested the NBA Draft process after a breakout sophomore season, in which he averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5% from the field as well as 36.8% from 3-point range. He was Vanderbilt’s leading scorer and started to draw buzz in regard to the NBA Draft as Vanderbilt began conference play. 

As expected, Tanner declared for the NBA Draft with the option of maintaining his college eligibility. He went to the NBA Combine and participated in both scrimmages while working to improve his stock and saying that he was intent on doing what he could to stay in the draft. In the end, though, Tanner was a fringe first round draft pick and opted to come back to Vanderbilt for another season. 

The compensation package at Vanderbilt includes what sources tell Vandy on SI is the most lucrative contract in Vanderbilt basketball history, which is particularly notable considering Tanner is a guard–and frontcourt players traditionally have more of a market. 

Tanner always appeared to be wrestling with the decision, but the consensus among evaluators and scouts always appeared to be that Tanner could benefit from returning to school for one more season. There’s room for Tanner to improve his 3-point efficiency, in-between game and frame, but perhaps the biggest reason to return is that Tanner could wait out this historically-good NBA Draft lottery class. 

As a result of his return, Tanner will also have an opportunity to advance his legacy as one of the most accomplished Vanderbilt basketball players of all time. He’s already earned All-SEC honors and has been to the NCAA Tournament twice in his two seasons on West End. Now, he’ll lead Mark Byington’s Vanderbilt program on a quest to make the second weekend for the first time since the 2007 season. The program will go as far as he can take it. 

Tanner signed with this Vanderbilt program a day after it hit rock bottom by losing to Presbyterian on opening night of the 2023-24 season and hasn’t wavered in his commitment to the program despite a coaching change and what could have been a lucrative deal elsewhere this cycle. 

Now, he gets to make an attempt at forming a legacy that stacks up with any player to ever play for Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium.

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