The Vanderbilt Commodores seemed like they were on the cusp of losing arguably the best player on their team. After a two-year stint, second-generation star Tyler Tanner looked like he was on the verge of moving on to the NBA.
But his status has now come into question after a post on social media by his agency, the CAA. As a result, Vanderbilt may be getting its superstar point guard back in the lineup for the next collegiate year as well.
Why Tyler Tanner Could Return to Vanderbilt Next Season
Tyler was born to D’Wayne and Jenifer Tanner, who were both excellent players in their own right at Rice University. D’Wayne still holds the record for most career steals in the Southwest Conference with an astounding 291 to his name.
That defensive instinct carried over with the younger Tanner as well. Starting his high school career at Brentwood Academy, he was a do-it-all senior who averaged 26.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 3.3 assists.
After his high school career, he made his way over to Vanderbilt and was instantly impactful with them. As a freshman, even though he did not start a single game, he proved his value on the defensive side of the ball.
While he averaged just 5.7 points and 2.2 rebounds, his 1.7 steals per game in 20 minutes a night became his calling card. However, the potential for offensive growth was clearly there, as his scoring showed signs of life later in the year.
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That jump came in his second year at Vanderbilt. As he became a full-time starter, he averaged 19.5 points and 5.1 assists per game while remaining a defensive menace with 2.4 steals a night. He was able to lead the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament, where they even won a game.
Giving Nebraska tough competition in the Round of 32, the Commodores ultimately lost 74-72, but Tanner finished the night with 27 points and four assists against the Cornhuskers. From there, it seemed inevitable that he would be making his jump to the professional scene.
However, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic made an interesting observation about his agency: “Feels like an important note here in Tyler Tanner’s agency announcement from CAA that they are representing him for ‘NIL Representation.'”
That could imply that his tenure with the Commodores isn’t over just yet. Instead, after becoming a star for the program as a sophomore, Tanner could be looking to come back for at least one more year to potentially lead them on a deeper run through March Madness.
