Vanderbilt Basketball Intel: An Imminent Commitment? Bigs? What Remaining Needs? – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt basketball landed three commitments over the weekend, but Mark Byington and company still have their sights set on adding at least one more more significant piece to their transfer portal class before this is all said and done. 
Multiple sources told Vandy on SI that Vanderbilt is in a strong position to secure a commitment from Missouri guard TO Barrett and Saint Mary’s guard Mikey Lewis and could add one of them into the fold imminently. Vanderbilt doesn’t appear to have the space on its roster to add both of them, though. Both were on campus last week.
Barrett averaged 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 46.0% from the field. Vanderbilt’s staff also saw Barrett in person in 2025-26 when he went for 16 points on 3-for-10 shooting in Vanderbilt’s loss to Missouri. Barrett was nationally ranked in assist rate, steal rate and free throw rate. 
Adding Barrett would likely be less expensive than adding Lewis and would give Vanderbilt another point guard by trade to complement Tyler Tanner if he returns and to eat significant minutes at the one if he doesn't. The thinking with adding Barrett is that adding him rather than Lewis could allow Vanderbilt to make another addition elsewhere. That choice could also allow Vanderbilt to avoid blocking standout incoming freshman Ant Brown.
The indication on the other side of the equation is that a few members of Vanderbilt’s coaching staff have had an affinity for Lewis since prior to its Round of 64 game against Saint Mary’s in 2024-25. Lewis went scoreless in that game, but it didn’t change Vanderbilt’s feelings about him. 
Lewis had a breakout season in 2025-26 as a sophomore and averaged 13.9 points, 2.1 assists as well as 2.7 rebounds per game while playing in a slower-paced Saint Mary’s offense. He shot 39.8% from the field as well as 36.8% from 3-point range, but was No. 54 in the country in free throw rate. Lewis went for 19 points in Saint Mary’s loss to Vanderbilt in 2025-26. 
Which one of them, if either, joins Vanderbilt’s roster is the biggest story to follow around the program in the coming days. 
Industry sources polled indicated that Lewis would be their pick of the two guards, but they made that decision in a vacuum–and Vanderbilt is considering a number of other factors while making it.
The case for Barrett is that he has SEC experience, would likely be cheaper and is more of a true point guard than Lewis is. Lewis, though, is a more proven volume scorer and defender. In a way, the ball is in Vanderbilt’s court here. 
A frontcourt update
Vanderbilt landing a commitment from Dak gives it one of the transfer portal’s best bigs and the most talented big man that’s played for Vanderbilt in the Byington tenure. It also allows it to believe that it has the frontcourt sured up. 
Between Dak, Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, returning Vanderbilt big man Jayden Leverett and four-star freshman Jackson Sheffield–who a number of program sources are high on–Vanderbilt has enough to feel comfortable in the frontcourt. It could also get AK Okereke back if his waiver–which argues that the Ivy League’s lack of an available redshirt prevented him from receiving an additional season of eligibility–is granted. 
Boston College transfer big man Jayden Hastings and Vanderbilt are also said to have some level of mutual interest, though, as Vandy on SI has learned. There are murmurs that Hastings was on Vanderbilt’s campus over the weekend.
Hastings is a 6-foot-9 big man that averaged 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1% from the field in 2025-26. He was ranked No. 168 in two-point percentage a season ago while finishing No. 54 in block rate and No. 164 in offensive rebounding rate. Hastings isn’t the sexy option, but he could make sense if it wants a veteran big man that can impact the game without being ball dominant. 
A big man came off the board on Saturday for Vanderbilt as Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski came off the board. Vanderbilt appeared to be a strong contender for Scharnowski early in the recruitment, but it slow played the recruitment and Scharnowski was prone to look elsewhere even before Duke’s late involvement. Once Duke came into the recruitment, it was all but over. 
Where are the needs still?
After Glass, Dak and Buyuktuncel’s commitments, Vanderbilt filled three roles with players that it can feasibly rely on consistently. 
With their commitments, Vanderbilt has at least seven rotational pieces locked in. Glass, Dak and Buyuktuncel will both be in it. Chandler Bing and Leverett likely will be, too. It appears as if four-star freshmen Ant Brown and Ethan Mgbako will both push for heavy playing time, as well. Vanderbilt’s staff also appears to be approaching the portal with a sense of optimism regarding Tyler Tanner and the odds that he could return to school. Okereke also appears to have a case to get another season on the floor. 
Vanderbilt doesn’t have all that many strong needs at this point, but it could use another guard–which Lewis or Barrett will likely be–as well as a 3-and-D wing–although some industry sources appear to believe that its importance is overstated because of what Mgbako can provide–and perhaps another frontcourt player to use as insurance. 
Tyler Nickel? 
Nickel’s name is in the transfer portal, although he doesn’t have any remaining eligibility. 
This is merely one of a seemingly countless number of graduated seniors putting their names into the transfer portal to position themselves to receive another season of eligibility–and another paycheck–if the five-for-five is passed. 
Vanderbilt could have a hard time banking on Nickel receiving another season of eligibility, and its plans with him are unclear at this point, but he clearly has an affinity for the place–even if he goes elsewhere. 
“It’s definitely my college home,” Nickel told Vandy on SI during the season. “Everything about it since I've been here, the coaching staff, the school, the community, the fans, everything about being here has just felt right.”
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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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