Exclusive: Inside Bangot Dak's Vanderbilt Basketball Commitment – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—For a few weeks, Bangot Dak was fielding phone calls every hour, working to decipher what information was factual and what was exaggerated—and there was plenty of exaggerated information. Dak admits that it’s been hectic, but he did all of the leg work for a situation like this. 
As Dak picked up the phone on Monday afternoon, he didn’t have to talk about finances, travel plans, playing time, or the potential of what could happen. Instead, he was able to talk about his new home and what’s to come. 
Dak led a publicized recruitment in which Vanderbilt, SMU, Oregon and Miami were all heavily involved, but Vanderbilt always appeared to be a strong contender. Vanderbilt knew all along what Dak could do as a result of his unicorn-like skillset and 7-foot frame, and treated him as if they believed he was one of the transfer portal’s best bigs. 
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington often complemented Dak on his ability to get to the rim and pitched him on the freedom that he would have if he chose Vanderbilt. Byington has a track record of taking bigs and allowing them a platform to take a step forward by granting them the freedom to play on the perimeter and allowing them to showcase pieces of their perimeter skillsets. 
Byington had yet to take a 7-footer since arriving at Vanderbilt, but Dak is the rare player at that height that can fit Byington’s system. He can run the floor and step out to shoot it while also being athletic enough to be a defensive anchor. In some ways, Dak is the quintessential Byington big–and he appears to understand that. 
“I feel like my decision a big Mandy came down to you know obviously were Cobin in the been able to do the pass his team,” Dak told Vandy on SI. “He said he feels like if I get shot in his offense that I'll be able to sell my abilities to shoot the ball and you know get to the room a lot more often and just do what I'm able to do. They're not many typical. Big players can do college basketball.” 
Byington hasn’t yet been publicly able to speak on Dak, but he’d likely say that he’s the most talented big man that he’s had since arriving at Vanderbilt if he were able to. Dak was one of the country’s most highly sought after bigs in the transfer portal and is able to make a number of flashy plays in addition to the routine ones that made him a commodity in the first place. 
Dak ranked No. 85 in the country in defensive rebound rate as well as No. 102 in the country in block rate. Even if those numbers don’t repeat, Dak’s presence will matter for Vanderbilt as he headlines its best frontcourt on paper of the Byington era. 
Had Dak stayed at Colorado for his final season, he would’ve had freedom similar to the type that Byington has pitched him on. He would’ve been taking a risk on a program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since his freshman year. Vanderbilt, though, has developed a winning track record of sorts. Dak wants to win again, and believes that he can do that at Vanderbilt. 
That's literally I was a lot in this year because you know they were just playing a lot of tough teams that were always on ESPN or something. I've seen to play a lot throughout the year and I was just always impressed with how fast they played and you know how scrappy guards really were. I think that they both lead they're both like top 1520 in the country and steal so and I think they. They were able to space the floor pretty well with their big, but I just felt like wild When I was coming to this decision on being on a team like that being a lore and being able to stretch the floor out even a little bit more with the team that placed that fast and is that like highly rated offensively, it's just gonna add more to that team so and add more to me so 
Dak paying attention to Vanderbilt likely had something to do with the longstanding connection that he’s had with Vanderbilt assistant coach Rick Ray since he took a visit to Colorado as a high schooler. Ray gave Dak a tour of Colorado’s campus that day and coached him for one season before departing for Vanderbilt when Byington was hired. 
As Dak speaks about Ray, he recalls Ray caring for people and says that knowing him was a factor in him ultimately choosing Vanderbilt. Dak wouldn’t have chosen Vanderbilt only for a relationship, though. It had to make sense for him and—as a result of his fit within Vanderbilt’s system, the money Vanderbilt was willing to address his position with, its need for a big man and the opportunity it provided him to be a part of a winner–it did. 
 "I feel like my game can starving," Dak said, "So, that's ultimately would've came down to."
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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