What Does the Vandy Men's Team Need to Stay Inside the Top 25?
To put it bluntly, Vanderbilt's second half collapse on Saturday against Oklahoma did not help its chances of staying inside the AP Top 25 whatsoever, but did it completely rule them out?
More than likely, yes. The Commodores will probably see themselves land just outside the Top 25 come this next week, as they only came into the contest ranked 24 in the country. Michigan, who finished at what would essentially be the 26 spot in the poll, also defeated Rutgers on Saturday, which means that the Wolverines will probably find their way into that company as well.
Michigan received 129 votes in the AP Poll this past week, with Maryland closely behind at 116. It's going to be hard to keep from being jumped by those two, as they just rattled off a series of wins, including a win over No. 17 Illinois for the Terps.
There will be movers and shakers among the higher ranks of this week's poll for certain, but it's likely that Vanderbilt's men's squad will land outside of that elite company. However, that doesn't mean that the team's shot at the NCAA tournament is in jeopardy, so if the Commodores can move past this loss, they should be in good position.
Next week does offer promise for Vanderbilt to hang around that 25 spot, as well. The team travels to Florida, where it's safe to bet they'll be an underdog, before returning home to host Texas, who has moved up the NET rankings with a few good wins over Texas A&M and Missouri, followed by a close loss to a solid Ole Miss team.
If the Commodores can split those two games, they should still be in contention for a top 25 berth. Lose them both, though, and it's Bad News Bears for the NCAA Tournament hopeful Commodores.
Tanner Marlar has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.