Exclusive: Ace Glass Has Big Goals For Vanderbilt Basketball Career, Return to SEC – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—Ace Glass envisioned life in the SEC would come naturally to him as he awaited his freshman season at Texas A&M under then-head coach Buzz Williams. Fate didn’t align with his plans, though. 
Williams left A&M for the open job at Maryland, which forced Glass to re-evaluate his options. Glass and his agent decided that playing for Washington State coach David Riley–who told Vandy on SI that he believes Glass will thrive at Vanderbilt as a result of his character, coachability and natural scoring ability–was the best move for him as a freshman. 
Glass admits that deciding to leave Washington State was a difficult decision for him, but he says his goal was always to find his way back to the SEC. Now, he’s chasing his goal as a member of Mark Byington’s third Vanderbilt team. After a standout freshman season–in which Glass set Washington State’s freshman scoring record and scored 16.4 points per game–Riley understood. 
Everyone around Washington State had to know that something like this was coming for Glass after the year he had, but the finality of it isn’t lost on him. 
“I feel super blessed,” Glass told Vandy on SI. “I just give all the glory to God. I feel like I’ve gotta keep working and show what I can do in the SEC this year.” 
When the transition to the SEC comes to mind, Glass doesn’t bring up anything about the inevitable pay raise that he’s taken on, the ability to play on national television or any individual goals. All he brings up is winning. 
In Washington State’s 12-20 season, Glass was among the biggest bright spots. Now, though, Glass is joining a Vanderbilt program that finished the 2025-26 season with a 27-9 record and was one shot away from the second weekend. The natural next step for this program is to get out of the Round of 32, but Glass has bigger things on his mind. 
“I don’t care about the second weekend, I’m trying to make the Final Four,” Glass said, “That’s my goal. I want to win. I want to win an SEC Championship and get to the Final Four. My main concern will be 100% winning.” 
For Vanderbilt to win at the level that Glass envisions, it needs him to be among its best players. Vanderbilt brought Glass in to be one of its best players and to add a dimension to its offense as a result of his off-the-bounce scoring ability that’s placed him No. 6 in the country in points per possession as an off the dribble scorer. 
Glass isn’t the type of player that a program brings in and subjects to a 3-and-D role. He’s an explosive scorer capable of changing the outlook of a game by carving up mismatches or faulty pick and roll coverages. Even if things aren’t setting up for Glass to take over, he’s still capable of ripping off a 10-0 run by himself by taking and making a number of difficult shots. Vanderbilt is likely going to live with Glass hunting his shot often if it means that he’s confident enough to lead a run. 
That’s what it did in 2025-26 with its primary backcourt of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles, both of which its staff used in recruiting to show Glass the type of freedom that its guards operate with. That film moved Glass. 
“I really like how they didn't really have a one and two they really just both brought it up,” Glass said. “They both catch and shoot. They both did a lot of things. Just having a freedom to catch and shoot come off ball screens, be in isolation, just different things where I don't have to just come off the ball or just come off ball screens. I can have a ball in my hands off my hands so that's something I like a lot about coach Byington’s offense.” 
If all goes right for Glass in year one at Vanderbilt, his individual season will look a lot like it did in 2025-26 while he was Washington State’s leading scorer as a freshman. Glass scored in double figures against Seton Hall, Washington and Gonzaga—which he did it against twice. USC was the only power-five team that Washington State faced that Glass didn’t reach double figures against. His best game came in a 40-point outing in Washington State’s overtime loss to Arizona State. 
He believes that he’s in a system that will allow him to translate that production, it appears. 
“Coach Byington is a great coach and he sees me as a great fit for that program and in a place where I can really win and really show my skills,” Glass said, “And show that I can be on a winning team and do the same thing I did last year.”
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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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