No. 10/8 Vanderbilt is gearing up for a critical game against the Texas Longhorns this Wednesday, January 14. The matchup will take place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, with a scheduled tipoff at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2. Play-by-play will be handled by Lowell Galindo and King McClure, while the Vanderbilt Sports Network features Kevin Ingram and Tim Thompson on 102.5 The Game.
Dores’ Historic Ranking
Vanderbilt recently climbed into the top 10 of college basketball rankings. They are currently at No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 8 in the Coaches Poll. This is their first top 10 ranking since the 2011-12 preseason poll, and the best in-season mark since finishing the 1992-93 season at No. 8. Additionally, they rank seventh in the NET standings as they prepare for Texas.
Outstanding Player Performance
Sophomore Tyler Tanner has been a standout player for Vanderbilt. Last week, he was named SEC Player of the Week after averaging 24.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.5 steals. He scored a career-high 29 points in a game against Alabama, contributing to his recognition. Tanner is noted as the first player to achieve a performance of 25 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals in an AP top 15 matchup since Trae Young in 2018.
Unbeaten Season for the Dores
Both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Vanderbilt are currently undefeated in the 2025-26 season. This achievement makes Vanderbilt the only school in the nation with both teams boasting perfect records. Furthermore, the school’s football team has seen historic success, bringing the cumulative record of these programs to an impressive 43 wins and 3 losses this season.
Game Statistics
- Vanderbilt has played 645 minutes of basketball this season.
- The team has only trailed for 22 minutes and 2 seconds, accounting for about 3.5% of their total time on the court.
- Vanderbilt has successfully led wire-to-wire in seven games.
- They have trailed for less than a minute in three other games.
- The latest match against Alabama marked just the second instance of trailing in the second half this season.
Recent Achievements
Senior Tyler Nickel also made headlines recently by achieving his first career double-double in a game against LSU, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. This performance included four three-pointers in the first half, helping the team score 52 points, their highest opening frame in an SEC game under head coach Mark Byington.
Series History
This will mark Vanderbilt’s third visit to Austin, with the all-time series currently tied at 5-5. Historically, Vanderbilt is 0-2 in Austin, having lost both games during the Big 12/SEC Challenge in 2013 and 2016. Last season, the teams split their two meetings, and Vanderbilt has never lost to Texas when scoring more than 75 points in a game.
