What’s next for Vanderbilt men’s basketball after successful 2022-23 season?

BY LOGAN BUTTS

By most metrics, the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team just completed the most successful season of the Jerry Stackhouse era and one of the program’s better seasons of the last decade.

The Commodores reached the postseason for the second consecutive season for the first time since three straight appearances (two NCAAs, one NIT) that bridged the gap between Kevin Stallings and Bryce Drew.

After bowing out to UAB 67-59 in the NIT quarterfinals at Memorial Gymnasium, Vandy finished the season 22-15. This marks the program’s best record in over a decade, since the 2011-12 campaign when a John Jenkins-led squad went 25-11, won the SEC Tournament, and beat Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

And yet, the program still feels like it’s in a bit of a no man’s land. Yes, the team has made back-to-back postseasons, but they stalled out in the NIT quarterfinals in both runs. Say what you want about the Stallings era, but Vandy made the postseason in 12 out of his 17 seasons, including seven NCAA Tournament bids.

Stackhouse inherited a mess from Drew, who did land the ‘Dores in the 2017 NCAA Tournament in his first season, but subsequently won 12 and 9 games over the next two years. Even getting this program back into the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation, which was the case after a scorching run from February onward, was a near-Herculean effort by Stackhouse. It garnered him Co-SEC Coach of the Year honors and multiple national award finalist mentions.

The ‘Dores are set to lose a couple of key members of their eight-man rotation to graduation or the transfer portal, including SEC Defensive Player of the Year Liam Robbins. But the return of Tyrin Lawrence and players like Jordan Wright and Quentin Millora-Brown potentially exercising their extra “Covid” year of eligibility will be a major boost. Their 2023 recruiting class, led by Goodpasture star and top in-state recruit Isaiah West, could also help fill holes.

Stackhouse’s recent comments about his plan to drop strong mid-majors from Vanderbilt’s schedule going forward due to their perceived effect on the ‘Dores missing the NCAA Tournament (maybe try beating Grambling and LSU if you want to avoid that problem) leave the program in a fascinating state heading into next season.

Vanderbilt has the most momentum it has had in a long time, since the peak of the Stallings era, but there are also some critical questions that need to be answered this offseason.