Vanderbilt basketball 2025 transfer portal needs under Mark Byington

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Vanderbilt basketball enters its offseason looking to build off a successful first year under Mark Byington that resulted in the team’s first March Madness berth in eight years.

The Commodores used the transfer portal to great success in 2024 after the departure of Jerry Stackhouse left them with just one returning scholarship player. That player, JQ Roberts, entered the portal after seeing little playing time in 2024-25.

They likely won’t need that many new players in 2025. That will allow them to be choosier in filling their needs. Proof of concept under Byington could help lure players who care about the opportunity to win.

Several players have major decisions to make about whether to return. The Commodores likely will have to fend off potential NIL offers for players like Jason Edwards, Devin McGlockton and Tyler Nickel.

Here’s what could be Vanderbilt’s transfer portal wish list for 2025-26:

An experienced point guard

Vanderbilt has Tyler Tanner coming back, and it’s possible he could take over as the primary ball handler as a sophomore. But even if he does, Byington’s system requires multiple players who can handle the ball. The Commodores can’t go into the next season with Tanner as their only option.

Because he is so young, it would make sense to pair him with an older, more experienced point guard who has been the primary facilitator for a college offense. And with Byington preferring a longer rotation of players, getting another point guard doesn’t necessarily take away opportunities for Tanner.

A 3-and-D wing

One of Vanderbilt’s biggest problems in 2024-25 was that it had perimeter players who could score and perimeter players who could play defense, but not both. Chris Manon made a difference with his defense and his driving ability, but his 23.5% 3-point percentage hurt the team’s spacing. MJ Collins, too, is a strong defender, but he shot just 29.3% from beyond the arc.

Then there’s Tyler Nickel, who is an exceptional shooter at 40.5% from 3-point range but struggled…

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Source link : https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2025/03/27/vanderbilt-basketball-transfer-portal-needs-2025-mark-byington/82635075007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-27 10:06:00

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