Why Vanderbilt Still Feels Like it Can Make a Deep Postseason Run – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The intensity, passion and momentum of the fans in Bridgestone Arena felt like it could not be better. The battle of Vanderbilt’s and Arkansas’ backcourts was a matchup that basketball fans dream of. Though the Commodores took a 86-75 loss to the Razorbacks, the belief that they can make a run in the NCAA Tournament has not wavered.
Vanderbilt’s backcourt of Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner have been one of the best courts in college basketball this season. The Commodores would not be where they are right now ahead of Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection show if not for the performances of Tanner and Miles over the course of the season.
And that is why Vanderbilt feels like it can make a deep run.
The NCAA Tournament has historically been about the guards. Taking care of the ball and hitting shots is what separates a team that could get upset in the first round and teams that make it to the second and third weekends. In other words, guard play is extremely pivotal.
“It’s super important. I mean, there’s going to be a lot of good guards that we play. Me and Duke [Miles], I think we are the best backcourt in the nation,” Tanner said. “It’s going to be huge because we bring the energy for our team. I think it starts with us, so we’re just going to continue to be leaders for our team.”
Tanner and Miles have been electric for head coach Mark Byington’s group the whole season. With Tanner earning All-SEC First Team and All-SEC Defensive Team and the way Miles has played heading into the tournament, Vanderbilt does not have much to be mad about following a loss in the conference title. Vanderbilt knows and has shown what its guards are capable of.
What makes the two so good is the fact that the duo is productive and playmakers on offensive and defensive ends of the floor. The pressure the two put on opposing backcourts is one of the reasons why Vanderbilt has had so much success this season.
“They’re so quick. They’re so dynamic as well. They can hurt you getting to the basket and they can hurt you in between the game. They are great creators for our offense,” Vanderbilt’s Jalen Washington said. “They’re the engine to our offense. They’re disruptive in the passing lanes and on the ball. They cause a lot for us offensively and defensively.”
Not only do guards have to play well in March to go on a deep tournament run, but guards also have to have chemistry as well. There is no winning basketball without chemistry between teams. Of course, teams that make it to the NCAA Tournament usually are coordinated and on the same page as one another. However, Tanner has confidence that the way he and Miles complement each other is unlike any other backcourt.
“We just play together very well. I think my game complements his and vice versa. Whenever we’re out there playing freely and confidently, we don’t think there’s much that can stop us,” Tanner said. “As we continue to grow and get better throughout the season. When we want to be playing our best, we think we can make a deep run.”
While the conference championship loss is going to sting, Vanderbilt is entering the NCAA Tournament playing its best basketball of the season with two wins against Tennessee and a win over No. 1 seed Florida in the past week.
On top of that, Vanderbilt’s backcourt along with forward Tyler Nickel have started to get back into a rhythm after experiencing a little bit of a lull in the middle of February. The next order of business: finding out who the Commodores will play in the Round of 64.
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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