Why Vanderbilt Basketball Feels It's Peaking At The Right Time After Florida Win – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—The closest thing to a Vanderbilt player acting as if he was a superhero had just unfolded in front of everyone in the building’s eyes and there Chandler Bing was descending from the rim as if he was controlled by some supernatural power. 
Bing turned and let out a scream in the direction of the Vanderbilt student section–and as he did it, the residue was flying off the rim as a result of the power that he’d just unleashed on it. The Vanderbilt freshman turned and ran the other way, but he’d have to wait to unleash his power again. 
In the moments following Bing’s assault of the rim, head referee Pat Adams got on the loudspeaker and announced that the officials were pausing the game to take a look at the rim in the spirit of player safety. 
“I just saw something fall from the goal,” Bing told Vandy on SI. “It was like a piece of the rim or something. That was crazy. I’ve never done that before.” 
Bing’s dunk was spectacular in itself, but it was just one in the series of a few unbelievable moments that defined a result that gave Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington the biggest win of his tenure to this point. 
Vanderbilt always believed it was capable of going out and doing what it did on Saturday, and it did it. Vanderbilt led Florida for 34:42, led by as much as 25 and sealed a 91-74 win to get itself to the SEC title game. This wasn’t Vanderbilt just beating Florida. This was it proving that Todd Golden’s team–which had won 11 games in a row prior to Saturday’s game–isn’t invincible. This was Vanderbilt punking the No. 4 team in the country on a neutral floor. Vanderbilt was better than Florida in just about every way, and in most ways it wasn’t even close. 
Bing’s heroics were among the most telling moments of the afternoon. In some ways he channeled magic, as did this Vanderbilt team. 
Even if Vanderbilt had lost in the margins, it had too many players put on capes and demonstrate epic heroism for it to lose a game like this. Vanderbilt big man Jalen Washington went for 17 points and seemingly couldn’t miss. Tanner went for 20 points on 10 shots and was perhaps the brightest star on the floor. How could anyone forget Duke Miles–oh, Duke Miles–going for 17 points and getting to the free throw line 10 times? 
This was Vanderbilt’s day, and nobody–not even the defending national champions–was going to take it from Byington’s team. Not with the way this group is playing these days. 
Not all that long ago, Vanderbilt hadn’t played its best basketball in a number of weeks. Now, it appears to be hitting its peak at the most important time. 
“You're like, we got to finish on the road, and then go to the SEC tournament, you almost felt like we had to do this,” Byington told Vandy on SI. There was a couple games this year where something was not right about us. And that happens in different teams. 
But going on the road and kind of just being in that situation, I think it kind of helped us toughen up a little bit. I think we understood that we’ve got to win with a certain style.”
Byington indicated earlier in the week that he believed this Vanderbilt team was peaking at the right time after Vanderbilt’s win in Knoxville, and since then it’s picked up two ranked wins. Bigger than that, it’s found itself again–and it’s going to the SEC Title Game for the first time since 2012. 
Vanderbilt’s offense is flowing again. The biggest difference between Vanderbilt these days and the form it took on a few weeks ago is its defense. Vanderbilt turned Florida over 14 times on Saturday, held it to 45.6% shooting from the field and below 30% shooting from 3-point range. Perhaps the biggest thing that this Vanderbilt team has going for it is that it believes it’s got as much swagger as it’s had all season as it pursues its goals.
“We're not only a talented team, but we play hard,” Okereke told Vandy on SI. “You really need the two to work together, especially if you have the goals of winning the SEC Championship National Championship. 
You really can't have one or the other going to have those, so it's pretty reaffirmative.”
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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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