2022 Record: 22-15 (11-7)
Head Coach: Jerry Stackhouse: (Career Record 61-69)
Projected Rotation:
PG: Ezra Manjon (10.5 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 3.8 Ast)
SG: Tyrin Lawrence (13.1 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast)
SF: Evan Taylor (Lehigh 14.2 Pts, 6.5 Reb, 1.1 Ast)
PF: Colin Smith (4.7 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 0.6 Ast)
C: Ven-Allen Lubin (Notre Dame 6.2 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 0.4 Ast)
6: PF Tasos Kamateros (South Dakota 12.5 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast)
7: PG Paul Lewis (2.9 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 0.9 Ast)
8: C Lee Dort (1.7 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast)
9: SG Jason Rivera-Torres
10: SG Malik Presley
11: C Carter Lang
12: PG Isaiah West
13: PF JaQualon Roberts
Vanderbilt returns the backcourt duo of Ezra Manjon and Tyrin Lawrence from last season. Manjon, the former UC Davis transfer, proved he can be an SEC level guard last season. He’s not much of a shooter from beyond the arc but can make them on occasion. Some of his strengths are passing and defense. He will be the anchor for Vandy this season in those regards. Vandy is lucky to get back Tyrin Lawrence after he entered the transfer portal. Lawrence averaged over 13PPG last season and shot 36% from 3. He’s very productive on both sides of the ball and will look to increase his numbers once again this season. Paul Smith is the final returning player to the Commodore backcourt. The 3 star guard surprise many in the national media by finding his way into the rotation and being a productive outside shooter. He should see an increase in play time this upcoming season.
Vanderbilt was desperate for big men and found their answer in the portal with Notre Dame transfer Ven-Allen Lubin. The former 4 star and Top 100 player was exactly the type of guy the Commodores needed. He’s an excellent interior post player and has limitless potential to grow this season. Vandy also returns 6-8 PF Colin Smith. He is a former 4 star like Lubin. Smith had an up and down season with the Commordores last year but he’s also a player who is bound for a breakout season. Lee Dort is also returning next season. The class of 2022 4 star played sparingly for the Commodores this past season.
The remaining transfers that Vanderbilt got this offseason were Evan Taylor out of Lehigh and Tasos Kamateros out of South Dakota. Taylor is going into his 5th super senior season and added that experience the Commodores needed. He could be the best shooter on Vandy next season as he shot 43% from beyond the arc last year. There is a huge rise in competition so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the new level. Kamateros is another big man that is also an excellent shooter with a mark of 40% from beyond the arc with the Coyotes this past season. Kamateros is going to be the perfect 6th man for Vanderbilt and adds the necessary shooting and defense off the bench.
Vanderbilt also added 5 freshman to their team this offseason. The class is headlined by 4 star guard Jason Rivera-Torres who saw a late rise in his recruited when the high major offers started to roll in. He is one of the freshman that will likely crack the rotation. The remaining freshman Vandy added this season were 3 stars according to 247 sports. These players include: #164 SF Malik Presley, #178 C Carter Lang, #203 PG Isaiah West, and NR PF JaQualon Roberts.
The SEC as usual is a very competitive conference this season so it will be difficult for Vandy to make much noise in the league. A realistic expectation this offseason for the Commodores will be to get back to the NIT. It’s looking like Vandy could finish anywhere from 9th-12th in the league. Vandy added some quality players this offseason but lost more impactful players to the portal and graduation. This could also be a very important year for Jerry Stackhouse to feel safe about his job security. Stack’s job is safe for now, but an atrocious season could get the hot seat talks going again.