It’s been nearly 10 years since the Vanderbilt Commodores appeared in the NCAA Tournament, but they’re off to a phenomenal start in 2024 and BBE alum Tyler Tanner has been a key piece of it.
Vanderbilt picked up an early-season signature win over Cal on November 13th and Tanner had his biggest game thus far in his freshman campaign, coming off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes while adding three steals, three rebounds and a pair of assists.
Through four games he is averaging three steals per game to lead the team and has not turned the ball over once.
“He’s super quick,” Vandy coach Mark Byington said. “He’s athletic. He anticipates. The amount of steals he has [is] kind of hard [to replicate]. But his impact guarding the ball, that’s not going to change. It’s probably going to get better and better.”
In the win over Cal, Tyler showed a supreme command of the Commodores up-tempo offense while also playing aggressively on defense. The combination has made him a sparkplug for Vandy early in the season, earning him more minutes and more opportunity.
“I’ve just always told myself, `Do whatever I can to stay on the floor,” he told the Nashville Post. “So, energy has kind of been a niche that I’ve tried to find coming off the bench. Because that first wind of when people are losing their energy. I get to come in and be a new energy. I just like to bring that, especially on the defensive end, so we can have that extra spark.”
Tyler is also quickly becoming a Commodores fan favorite due to his effort and ability.
“That support just means a lot because you have people to fall back on because it’s not always going to be perfect,” he said. “So those people are there for me whenever I play good and when I play bad. I’m just extremely grateful for that.”
