13-03-2025
Will Commodores make NCAA Tournament? Where Vanderbilt stands in latest ESPN bracketology update
Vanderbilt basketball was eliminated from the SEC tournament with a first-round loss to Texas on Wednesday, and it might've impacted its NCAA Tournament chances.
Vanderbilt fell to Texas 79-72 on Wednesday but finished the season with a 20-12 record and an 8-10 record in the SEC, which is expected to lead all conferences in NCAA Tournament bids. The Commodores also have impressive wins, with victories over Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Missouri this season.
Vanderbilt and first-year coach Mark Byington are looking to reach the big dance for the first time since 2017.
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"We beat a lot of teams that are probably gonna be 1- or 2-seeds this year, so we're a little bit banged-up right now," Byington said after the Texas loss. "I anticipate us being fully healthy the next couple days, and then we will look like we did maybe a week and a half ago. We played great basketball the entire year, but I think we had a stretch there in February, I think we were one of the best 20 teams in the country."
While Vanderbilt has an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume, its three-game losing streak against Arkansas, Georgia and Texas haven't helped its cause.
Here's a look at the latest on Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament chances, according to ESPN's bracketology:
The Commodores were listed as a No. 10 seed in ESPN's latest bracketology update and are firmly in the field as of now.
Vanderbilt was listed one spot behind Oklahoma in the "Last Four Byes" section, with six teams projected behind the Commodores for an at-large bid. Vanderbilt should be fairly safe, barring chaos scenario bid stealers.
Vanderbilt is 5-9 in Quad 1 games and 4-3 in Quad 2, with no losses in Quad 3 or 4 games this season. The Commodores fell to No. 48 in the NCAA's NET rankings after the Texas loss, which ranks behind North Carolina (37), Utah State (38), Texas (41), Oklahoma (43), Xavier (45) and Boise State (46), who are all also on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
While Vanderbilt should be fine come Selection Sunday, ending the season with three consecutive losses leaves some room for concern as it awaits its NCAA Tournament fate.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Where Vanderbilt basketball stands in latest ESPN bracketology update
