Tennessee fans have one clear rooting interest in Tyler Tanner’s draft decision

The NBA Draft is almost  here and the Tennessee Vols have been doing very well in the NBA combine. Nate Ament, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Felix Okapra all have a legit shot to be drafted.

On the other hand, the Vols reloaded very well, as Rick Barnes was aggressively pursuing some of the most elite talent in the portal and knocked it out of the park. The Vols will be a national title contender and an SEC favorite.

These 3 NBA teams would be perfect landing spots for Nate Ament

With that said, a big decision looms for Tennessee’s in-state rival, Vanderbilt, and its star player. Point guard Tyler Tanner was very good for Vanderbilt last year, averaging nearly 20 points a game, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.

Jeff Goodman talked to 10 NBA executives, and they think the decision is clear that Tanner should stay in college.

Tyler Tanner could come back to Vandy next season

The 6-foot, 173 Pound point guard right now is projected to be a late first-round pick or early second-round pick, making the decision very tough for him. Tanner has until this Wednesday at midnight to make a decision on whether he will return to college for another season or stay in the NBA draft.

If Tanner comes back, this is very bad news for Tennessee. Sure, the top dogs in the conference will be Tennessee in Florida next year, with Arkansas looming behind, but there’s no denying that if Vanderbilt gets Tanner back, then they will have a very good team.

The Commodores added former Missouri guard  TO Barrett, who absolutely destroyed Tennessee last season. Plus, Berke Buyuktuncel from Nebraska has made his way to Nashville as well. Overall, Vanderbilt has reloaded nicely through the portal and if they get a player like Tanner back, it will push them into a top 20 team.

What makes Tanner so good is his feel for the game. He’s a very good athlete who is a playmaker with the ball in his hands whether he is working it as a floor general or scoring off the dribble. One thing that will hurt him at the next level is his lack of size and strength needed to be effective in the NBA. His ceiling is probably a scoring guard off the bench.

A lot depends on what Tanner’s priorities are. If he really wants to play in the NBA, then obviously staying in the draft is the best decision. However, if he wants to make more money and potentially compete for a national championship being a star player then obviously coming back to Vanderbilt is the right move for him. The risk with that is his stock could fall if he gets injured or has a mediocre season. 

Coming back does open the door for Tennessee to have a couple of very intense battles with the Commodores again, which is always fun. Of course, we would like them to be horrible, but there is absolutely no denying that a heated rivalry Game is always a blast. As Vols fans, let's hope he stays in the draft.

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