Top 50 Four-Star Basketball Recruit Picks Auburn Over Vanderbilt
There is a new era underway for Vanderbilt on the basketball court.
After the Jerry Stackhouse tenure ended in disappointing fashion for what the expectations were when he took the job, the Commodores were able to hire away successful James Madison coach, Mark Byington, to take over the program.
So far, things have looked good for Vanderbilt.
They have decimated their opponents by outscoring them, getting to 4-0 in the early season before they head to South Carolina and compete in the Shriners Children's Hospital Charleston Classic where they'll take on another undefeated team in Nevada as their first matchup.
That will undoubtedly be the biggest test of the year to date, and coming out of that showcase event, fans should have a better understanding of how this team might fare throughout the season.
When Byington took the head coaching job, he used the transfer portal to field a roster.
But in order for Vanderbilt to have long-term success and become a viable program, they have to triumph on the recruiting trail so they can have consistent talent playing in Nashville.
Right now, there are two players committed in the 2025 class, three-stars Jayden Leverett and Jaylon Dean-Vines. That puts them 80th amongst Division 1 teams and last in the SEC per On3's rankings.
Byington was looking to make a statement with one of the most high-profile targets he was pursuing.
Vanderbilt was in the running to land four-star prospect Sebastian Williams-Adams, but unfortunately, they couldn't get that one home with the announcement that he committed to Auburn.
The 6-foot-8 wing from Texas is ranked as the 39th-best player in the country by ESPN, so picking him up would have been a huge get for this program.
While the Commodores were seen as a longshot to earn a commitment from him, they were still in the running until the end, a great sign for how Byington and his staff might recruit going forward.
