All articles tagged with #vanderbilt
Vanderbilt announced a long-term contract extension for head coach Mark Byington after a 27-9 season that included a No.5 seed NCAA Tournament berth, a Round of 32 appearance, and an SEC tournament final—his second straight trip to March Madness. The extension follows his success at Vanderbilt’s helm after prior stops at James Madison and Georgia Southern, and comes amid UNC coaching rumors surrounding Byington.
Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt 17-13 in a high-scoring midweek game at Dudy Noble Field, with MSU hitters tallying four home runs (Reese, Stallman, Woodson, Milewski) and Vanderbilt matching with four homers (Johnstone, Mancini, Rigdon, Waite). Duke Stone earned the win (4-0) and Tyler Baird took the loss (0-1).
Nebraska stunned Vanderbilt 74-72 after a near-miss half-court shot, with Pryce Sandfort delivering the decisive pass to Braden Frager for the game-winning layup. The Huskers improve to 28-6 and advance to the Sweet 16, with their next opponent coming from a Florida vs. Iowa matchup in Houston.
Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort deferred the potential shot and hit Braden Frager for a go-ahead layup with nine seconds left, as the Huskers edged Vanderbilt 74-72 to reach their first-ever Sweet 16, showcasing the season’s emphasis on space, movement and trust.
Nebraska rallied to beat Vanderbilt 74-72 in Oklahoma City, as Braden Frager’s layup with 2.2 seconds left sealed the Huskers’ first-ever NCAA Sweet 16. The No. 4 seed improved to 28-6, overcoming a second-half rally by Vanderbilt, with Pryce Sandfort and Frager each scoring 15. Nebraska advances to Houston to face the Florida/Iowa winner.
SportsLine’s projection model simulated the Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska NCAA Tournament second-round game 10,000 times, predicting the total will go Over 146.5 and signaling a spread edge on one side, with Vanderbilt listed as 2.5-point favorites.
Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 86-75 to win the SEC Tournament, their first title since 2000, led by Darius Acuff Jr.’s 28 points and 11 assists with key bench scoring from DJ Wagner. The result could shift NCAA bracket seed lines ahead of Selection Sunday as both teams bid for favorable placements and momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas (25-8, No. 3 seed) heads to Nashville to face Vanderbilt (26-5, No. 4 seed) in the SEC Championship at Bridgestone Arena, aiming for the Razorbacks' eighth conference title and first final since 2017. They beat Vanderbilt 93-68 in January behind a double-double from Trevon Brazile; Arkansas leads the series 32-15 and is 6-1 against Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament play. The game airs Sunday at noon CT on ESPN with Learfield radio coverage.
Vanderbilt is favored to win the SEC Championship against Arkansas, with a -2.5 spread and an over/under of 165.5. Following a dominant win over Florida, Vanderbilt’s pace and defense are expected to challenge Arkansas and push the game Over. The reported best bet is Vanderbilt -2.5 (-110), and the article also promotes a same-game parlay and various prop bets (including AK Okereke Over 0.5 threes).
Tennessee earned the No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament after an 86-82 loss to Vanderbilt, setting up a Thursday matchup against the winner of the No. 12 vs. No. 13 first‑round game (Mississippi State versus Auburn or Oklahoma). The event runs Wednesday through Sunday, culminating in the championship before the NCAA tournament selection show. Tennessee previously won the SEC Tournament in 2022 and has made multiple finals appearances under coach Rick Barnes.
Tennessee can clinch an SEC Tournament double-bye with a win over Vanderbilt, potentially earning the No. 3 seed if Arkansas loses; even a loss could yield a double-bye with the right Missouri/Kentucky outcomes. The SEC Tournament begins March 11 in Nashville, and the Vols would start play March 13 if they earn the bye. Tennessee has earned six double-byes under Rick Barnes, including the 2022 title.
Former quarterback Eli Stowers has transformed into Vanderbilt's top tight end, earning All-American honors and the Mackey Award in 2025, while continuing to improve his run blocking; he posted 49 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, and credits his quarterback background with helping him understand offensive and defensive schemes as he refines technique.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, at the NFL combine, pushed back on size concerns by urging teams to evaluate him on tape, highlighting six years of college experience and his quick processing to read defenses as key assets for an NFL career.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia measured 5'9 7/8 at the Senior Bowl, potentially making him the NFL’s shortest quarterback since Eddie LeBaron; though Bryce Young and Kyler Murray are around 5'10
Kentucky travels to Vanderbilt as a 6.5-point road underdog in a key SEC matchup, with projections split: KenPom and Torvik favor Vanderbilt and ESPN BPI gives Kentucky a 32.7% win probability, while the over/under sits at 159.5; Kentucky rides a five-game SEC win streak but is 1-3 ATS on true road games, and Vanderbilt started 16-0 before cooling, now 10-6 ATS in the stretch, with tip-off at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.