Tyler Tanner (No. 3) of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots against Jerrell Colbert of the McNeese Cowboys during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
Tyler Tanner (No. 3) of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots against Jerrell Colbert of the McNeese Cowboys during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
In the end, Tyler Tanner may still return to Vanderbilt for his junior season.
But his comments to DraftExpress heading into this week’s NBA Combine indicate the star point guard is very seriously considering a jump to the pros next season.
“My goal is to play in the NBA,” Tanner told the basketball prospect website Sunday.
“Always has been since I was a kid. I’m fully focused on making it. [The NBA Combine] is another opportunity to show what I can do. The way I make those around me better and raise the level of my teammates. I’ve always built my game on that.”
Tanner, a Brentwood native and first-team All-SEC performer in 2025-26, declared for the NBA Draft last month while still maintaining his college eligibility.
He would need to remove his name from the draft by May 27 if he wants to return to the Commodores for a third year.
The 6-0, 175-pound Tanner will no doubt weigh his performances in Chicago this week during the combine, which features strength, agility and shooting drills Tuesday, followed by scrimmages Wednesday and Thursday.
Some of the players expected to be taken near the top of the draft will skip the scrimmages, but Tanner plans to participate.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the draft,” Tanner told DraftExpress. “I’m not running from anything. I love to play.”
Tanner has been projected as a late first or early second round draft selection, with Yahoo Sports ranking him the 23rd-best prospect available, ESPN listing him 30th and CBSSports placing him 34th.
Tanner filled up box scores during his sophomore season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He shot 49 percent from the field, 37 percent from three-point distance and 85 percent from the free-throw line, earning honorable mention All-America honors.
But there are concerns about Tanner’s size on the NBA level.
“”I hear that all the time,” Tanner said. “That’s the elephant in the room. I play bigger than my size. The way I defend, the steal and block rates, that’s what matters, not just the eye test. I find ways to make my [lack of] size an advantage.”
Many Vanderbilt fans have been optimistically believing Tanner would choose another season in college, earning significant NIL money and playing before friends and family once again.
But his recent comments may have added some doubt to the equation.
“I’m pouring all my energy into getting drafted as high as I can,” Tanner told DraftExpress. “Fit is a big piece. I haven’t communicated what would cause me to decide to come back [to school]. I’m already a better player now than I was at Vanderbilt.”
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