NASHVILLE—Tyler Tanner steals the ball on the logo midway through the second half. He passes the ball off, then follows a missed layup, gets the rebound, and puts it back over a nearby defender to extend Vanderbilt’s lead. Tanner is the biggest piece of Vanderbilt’s program, which is built to win, and yet his performance took place in a house that was half-packed.
Now I’ll admit, this article had more weight when I started writing 10 minutes before tip-off. At that point, the student section was a mere four rows deep. There were more empty seats behind the home basket than supporting fans. Gradually the stadium started to fill up, and with it, the atmosphere improved to the minimum level an SEC arena should be.
Granted, the game was given a 5 p.m. tip-off. Even last year, amid Vanderbilt’s journey to a No. 5 seed in the March Madness tournament, attendance for early games was relatively low. But that represents the problem in itself.
Vanderbilt basketball culture still isn’t matching the program head coach Mark Byington and Co. have built here. In the biggest out-of-conference home game in recent memory – Wake Forest proved they’re no slouch this season – and Vandy’s student section was half-empty by halftime. Is this a Vanderbilt football game!?
In all seriousness, how Vanderbilt played was more important than the atmosphere of the game. Although sloppy at times, with a first half that included plenty of loose dribbles and errant passes, the Commodores put up consistent points throughout the contest and overwhelmed Wake Forest’s defense.
Mark Byington spoke recently about how he believes the team has the pure size to match up with any team, and obviously there’s no lack of quick finishing ability with Tanner on the floor either. Both were on display in Vanderbilt’s 74-51 win over Wake Forest.
So, fans – and students, I’m talking to you specifically – it’s time to show up, huh? You’ve got a team poised for a deep tournament run and enough open seats that getting a ticket shouldn’t be a problem. Cost isn’t either; student section tickets are free!
At the very least, the atmosphere needs to improve by the time SEC play comes around. Ask any player on Vanderbilt’s roster, and they’ll say a packed Memorial Gym is the best-case scenario. If fans and the media alike expect Vandy basketball to continue to grow into a perennial contender, the energy has to match.
Heck, there were five British guys in the stands dressed in Union Jack suits, cheering their heads off throughout the game – but more on them tomorrow. The point is, if they can show up and show out, so should the Vanderbilt faithful.
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