Exclusive: Inside Vanderbilt Basketball's Defensive Resurgence – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—-This time last week, Vanderbilt had just wrapped what Mark Byington called an “embarrassing” performance against Arkansas and was last in the SEC in defensive efficiency. 
What Byington watched his group put together defensively that night was completely out of character. It fell asleep. It turned away from physicality. It looked the part of a team that was the SEC’s worst defensive unit at times.
The Vanderbilt head coach said the ensuing film sessions wouldn’t be enjoyable, but he didn’t care. He had to fix his group’s defense.
“I think after the Arkansas loss we really took that one personal,” Vanderbilt big man Jalen Washington told Vandy on SI. “We had lost three in the row, and we knew we had to make a huge emphasis on playing defense. So in practice we just had a huge chip on our shoulders, even going at each other, just about being better on defense and keeping other teams from scoring and making it hard for them.”
Looks like whatever happened in those film sessions worked.
Vanderbilt’s 80-55 Tuesday-night win over Kentucky came on the back of an elite defensive performance in which Byington’s team turned Kentucky over 15 times, held it to 32.2% shooting from the field, 25.0% shooting from 3-point range and just eight assists. Kentucky’s 55 points marked the program’s lowest scoring output since Jan. 2023 when it went for 55 against then-No. 1 Alabama. 
“I wouldn't say much changed,” Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner told Vandy on SI. “People are going to have those nights where they're 15 for 20 to start the game or when they're three for 20. So we’ve just got to stick to the game plan and hopefully it'll all work out.”
Since Vanderbilt’s trip to Fayetteville, everything has seemingly worked out for it on that end. The results of its subsequent trip to Starkville indicated that its defensive struggles had more to do with the law of averages than real deep-rooted issues.
Vanderbilt was average in blocked shots, fourth in the SEC in opponent two-point shot distance, seventh in opponent turnover percentage and eighth in defensive rebounding. Yet, somehow it was last in defensive efficiency and 13th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Perhaps all it needed was a performance in which it reaped the benefits of its efforts. 
As if they were dropped into this group’s proverbial lap, it got those types of outings in back-to-back games. Vanderbilt's pleading to the basketball gods have finally started to pay off. Its win over Mississippi State included it holding star guard Josh Hubbard to single digits on inefficient shooting and the Bulldogs to less than 60 points. Tuesday was perhaps its most impressive defensive performance.
“I think it was some areas where we did it really well,” Byington said of his group’s defense in that outing. “They do a good job of reading in a dribble handoff action. I thought we did a good job of pushing them out in those actions.”
The sobering realities that defined this group on the defensive end a week ago no longer hang over its head as a result of what it did on Tuesday. It was too instinctual for that. It had too much intensity for that.
As it stands, Vanderbilt is third in the SEC in defensive efficiency and has risen 13 spots as a result of its last two performances. 
“We know we have high level defensive versatility,” Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke said. “It really just comes down to we can switch guys, we can be creative, but can you guard your guy one on one? And obviously, we're gonna help. 
We're gonna be in the gaps. We're gonna rotate, but that's really what honestly needs to be better based on the [first] seven games. I think we did a really good job of that today.”
Turns out water has hit its level in regard to Vanderbilt’s defense. The idea that it’s going to put everyone on shut down like it did to Kentucky and Mississippi State is unrealistic, but it’s got something here.
Perhaps all it has to do in order to unlock it consistently is keep it simple.
“Just being locked into the game plan or not having any hesitation,” Vanderbilt wing Tyler Nickel said in regard to the keys to Vanderbilt’s defensive success, “Anything we're doing, knowing our emphasis, knowing our focus, knowing what we were willing to give and knowing what we’re going to take away. And just being very, very disciplined in our game plan.”
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, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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