Men’s Basketball
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Men and women’s basketball teams victorious in ACC/SEC challenge
On Dec. 3, both the men's and women's basketball teams took part in the ACC/SEC Challenge doubleheader at Memorial Gym. The No. 17 Vanderbilt men's team defeated SMU with an 88-69 win, while the No. 15/14-ranked women's team beat Virginia, 81-68. Read MoreDec 4, 2025
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Through the portal: the transfer portal is one more way for Vanderbilt to fulfill its mission of unlocking potential
Through the transfer portal, which is part of what the NCAA calls the notification-of-transfer model, student-athletes have gained more autonomy to find a place that fits. While the name conjures sci-fi images, the portal itself is a transparent central database of student-athletes who are exploring transfers, accessible to coaches and administrators. It’s one more way for the best and brightest—a little older and perhaps a little wiser—to find Vanderbilt, which is a place that for 150 years has been about preparing you for where you’re going. Read MoreMay 14, 2025
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Vanderbilt names Mark Byington as head coach for men’s basketball
After leading James Madison to its most successful four-season stretch in over 30 years, highlighted by a victory in the NCAA Tournament last weekend, Mark Byington was named men’s basketball head coach at Vanderbilt by Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee. Read MoreMar 27, 2024
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Catalyst for Change: Shan Foster, BS’08, has found success off the court in working to end violence against women
Foster, the vice president of external affairs at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, leads the AMEND Together initiative, a prevention program dedicated to ending violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys to be part of the solution. Read MoreJul 23, 2020
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Storybook Endings: New book by former basketball student-athlete Barry Goheen
Barry Goheen, BA’89, JD’94, the Vanderbilt basketball player who became nationally known for his numerous clutch shots that lifted the ’Dores to victory, is author of the new book about his playing days. Read MoreFeb 17, 2020
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Powerhouse: Jerry Stackhouse named men’s basketball head coach
After an extensive national search, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletics Director Malcolm Turner announced April 5 that Jerry Stackhouse is Vanderbilt’s next men’s basketball head coach. Read MoreMay 23, 2019
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Joe Toye: Guard and Leader
Men's basketball's Joe Toye, an economics major and the lone senior on the Commodores’ roster, is the embodiment of student-athlete-leader. Read MoreDec 17, 2018
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Grade A Talent: Vanderbilt’s successful recruiting model finds student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom
As the only private institution in the Southeastern Conference, Vanderbilt is charged with competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics with student-athletes who also can thrive in the classrooms of a top-15 nationally ranked university. Read MoreAug 28, 2018
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Trailblazer Tribute: New basketball scholarship honors Perry Wallace
Civil rights trailblazer Perry Wallace, BE’70, who became the first-ever African American varsity basketball player in the Southeastern Conference when he suited up for Vanderbilt in 1967, has been honored with a new scholarship at the university. Read MoreJun 8, 2018
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In Memoriam: Perry Wallace, BE’70, 1948-2017
By Andrew Maraniss, BA’92 “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Perry Wallace, who through quiet strength and courage blazed a trail that still serves as a lesson in resilience and perseverance in the face of incredible obstacles. We are more fortunate for having known him and for… Read MoreFeb 26, 2018
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Enduring Spirit: Red-carpet event held for premiere of Perry Wallace documentary
Just three days after Perry Wallace, BE’70, died, hundreds of people—including family, friends, teammates and fans—gathered at Vanderbilt’s Langford Auditorium on Dec. 4 for the premiere of Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace, a documentary about the late Wallace’s courage and struggles as a student-athlete breaking the color barrier in the SEC. Read MoreFeb 26, 2018
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Foul Play: Matthew Fisher-Davis draws on NCAA tournament mistake for motivation
After an onslaught of scathing remarks about busted brackets and a bad attitude, Fisher-Davis has been using the criticism as motivation to train even harder for the upcoming season. Read MoreNov 21, 2017
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Joe Thomas Ford Jr., BA’76: All-star sportsman
Former Vanderbilt basketball star Joe Thomas Ford of Paducah, Kentucky, died June 20 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was 64. Read MoreSep 7, 2017
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Courtside Commemoration: Vanderbilt Athletics Honors Civil Rights Leaders During ‘Equality Weekend’
Equality Weekend, a three-day event that honored 21 of Nashville’s civil rights leaders, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Vanderbilt’s breaking the SEC color barrier with men’s basketball players Perry Wallace, BE’70, and Godfrey Dillard. The 21 leaders were honored at the Commodore men’s basketball game Feb. 18 and the women’s game Feb. 19—both of which were Vanderbilt victories. Read MoreMay 29, 2017
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To Honor and Educate: Equality Weekend
As part of Black History Month, Vanderbilt’s basketball teams suited up in specially made jerseys for their winning games on Feb. 18 and 19. The back of each uniform featured the name of an individual who played an influential role in the civil rights movement. Read MoreMay 29, 2017
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Strong Inside: Courted by athletic powerhouses nationwide, Perry Wallace, BE’70, chose Vanderbilt—and made SEC history
Each year Vanderbilt selects a book for all incoming first-year students to read during the summer before arriving on campus. This year’s selection is Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South by Andrew Maraniss, BA’92. Here we present an excerpt adapted from Strong Inside, which is currently being made into a documentary film and a children’s book. Read MoreAug 10, 2016
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Hoop Dreams: Two new Vanderbilt basketball coaches bring pro experience—and Indiana bona fides—to Memorial Gym
Vanderbilt begins a new chapter in its proud basketball tradition as Bryce Drew and Stephanie White take the helm of the men's and women's teams. Read MoreAug 10, 2016
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Miracle Maker: Henderson Stuns Fans with 80-Foot Shot
The miracle shot was a memorable moment for Josh Henderson, a Roanoke, Virginia, native who has persevered through several serious injuries to emerge as a key contributor during his sixth season at Vanderbilt. Having earned his B.A. in economics in 2014, he’s now working toward an M.Ed. in leadership and organizational performance at Peabody. He is the only graduate student on the team’s roster. Read MoreMay 12, 2016
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Buzzer Beater: Luke Kornet Took One Last Shot at Playing College Basketball and Scored Big at Vanderbilt
Kornet nearly escaped notice by college recruiters nationwide in 2013. Today he is a top player in the SEC and a likely NBA pick. Read MoreJan 27, 2016
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Homecoming: A New York Times Best-Seller and an Unlikely Friendship
The man sitting next to me on the night of Dec. 3, 2014, was Perry Wallace, and many of the 400 people approaching him were fellow Vanderbilt alumni, including members of Wallace’s Class of 1970. It was an exhilarating and emotional scene at the Nashville Public Library, the official launch of my biography of Wallace (Strong Inside), the first African American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference. Read MoreMar 23, 2015