If you purchase through our Amazon affiliate links, we may receive a small compensation!

6 Months of Amazon Prime — $0

4,300 words
18–27 minutes

Why Mark Byington called Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner the most valuable player in country

Written by

Mary Reid

in

Add Next Stamina on Google

Tyler Tanner has accomplished things in two seasons that most people don’t in their careers.

As a sophomore in 2025-26, Tanner was one of the biggest breakout players in college basketball for Vanderbilt. The 6-foot guard was named First Team All-SEC and to the SEC All-Defensive Team and was an honorable mention All-American after averaging 19.5 points per game, along with 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals. He holds single-season program records in both assists and steals and the single-game record in assists.

Tanner declared for the 2026 NBA Draft and took his decision down to the 11th hour before finally withdrawing and deciding to return to Vanderbilt, giving coach Mark Byington and the Commodores their centerpiece.

“You see what he does on the court,” Byington said Oct. 13 at SEC Basketball Tipoff ’27 at the Hotel Wildemont Birmingham, Alabama. “To have a first team all-league guy back who can do so many things to impact the game, makes others better, can score, is not scared of big moments, has been in big moments, we continue to expect him to expand and keep getting better. And the thing I’ve talked to him about is, that might not be shown in a certain stat, but I can tell you he’s better. I’m around him every day, and I’ve watched what he is.”

Amazon Prime Plan Selector
Amazon Prime Eligibility Check

Find Your Qualified Amazon Prime Trial

Select your category below to unlock your specific free trial and discounted membership rate:

Recommended Plan

Prime for Young Adults

6-Month Trial for $0
Trial courtesy of Grubhub. After trial, auto-renews at 50% off (just $7.49/month). Cancel anytime.

Included with Prime for Young Adults:

  • Fast, Free Delivery: Unlimited Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day Delivery on millions of items.
  • Unlimited Streaming: Prime Video with award-winning Originals, movies, and live sports.
  • $0 Food Delivery Fees: Free Grubhub+ membership included (save ~$120/year).
Try Prime for Young Adults ($0 Trial) ➔
Recommended Plan

Amazon Prime (Standard)

Free 30-Day Trial ($0)
Only $14.99/month (plus tax) after trial. Cancel anytime.

Included with Amazon Prime:

  • Fast, Free Delivery: Unlimited Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day shipping options.
  • Instant Entertainment: Award-winning TV shows, movies, music, and photo storage.
  • Full Access to Alexa+: AI assistant for entertainment, deals, and smart home tracking.
Start Your 30-Day Free Trial ($0) ➔
Qualifying Plan

Amazon Prime Access

30-Day Free Trial + 50% Off
For qualifying government assistance (SNAP, EBT, Medicaid). Just $6.99/month after trial.
  • Full Prime Benefits: Free shipping, Prime Video, and exclusive shopping deals.
  • No Long-Term Commitment: Cancel or pause membership anytime.
Claim Prime Access Discount ➔

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 21: Tyler Tanner #3 of the Vanderbilt Commodores dunks the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 21, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

1 / 50

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt basketball guard for Commodores, Mark Byington

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 21: Tyler Tanner #3 of the Vanderbilt Commodores dunks the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 21, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

Tanner was named a preseason First Team All-SEC this week, losing a close race to Florida’s Thomas Haugh for SEC Preseason Player of the Year.

“Coming back to the same staff, I’m just super excited about being ready to play here soon,” Tanner said on the SEC Now set. “I love all my teammates. It’s been great so far, since I did make that decision, I’m ready to get better. I’m liking every day, to be 1% better. I think it’s going to be a great experience.”

Tanner is one of just three players returning for the Commodores. He joins Chandler Bing and Jayden Leverett as holdovers, with the rest of the team consisting of freshmen and transfers.

Byington said that a metric he was shown had Vanderbilt as the second-youngest major conference team in the country this season − the team has just two seniors and no fifth-years, compared to seven freshmen and four sophomores.

Tanner, thus, is now one of the team’s veterans and leaders.

“The other side of having him back, the person having back,” Byington said. “He’s as high character, good of a person as you’re ever going to meet. And that is our culture, and that shares with the other players on the team. So if your best player will sacrifice and is unselfish and is about the right things, that spreads to the rest of the guys. And so having him back for all those reasons, there’s not a more valuable player in the country.

“Just everything that he can do on the court, off the court, what he means to me, what he means to Vanderbilt. So I’m glad we got year three with him.”

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Mark Byington called Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner the most valuable player in country

AMAZON TODAY’S DEALS

UP TO 92% OFF

More posts