Mark Byington was honest about Vanderbilt's early struggles before the Commodores took control in the 78-68 win over the McNeese Cowboys in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
Vanderbilt enjoyed an incredible run in the SEC Tournament, reaching the final before losing to Arkansas. Despite this, they earned an At-Large bid to the NCAA Tournament, taking on McNeese in the first round.
The Cowboys had the upper hand to start, leading for most of the first half. Despite this, Vanderbilt fought back as they took control at halftime and never looked back. Byington reflected on the process on getting the team back on track throughout the course of the game.
“We got off to a bad start. We were moving slow. We weren't ourselves. I think we had an SEC tournament hangover a little bit, but we found our groove. We played better the last 25 minutes,” Byington said before talking about Nebraska.
“I was so worried about McNeese. My staff was worried about Nebraska, but I know they're a heck of a team. They did a great job in the big 10, where it's going to be a road game for us. It's going to probably be 98% fans in here. I've used in our league on chin. Go Big Blue chin, Go Big Red. But it's going to be a road game mentality for us.”
"I think we had a SEC Tournament hangover a little bit."@TheAndyKatz caught up with @VandyMBB HC Mark Byington and Guard Tyler Tanner after Vandy's first win in the NCAA Tournament in 14 years. pic.twitter.com/vRxdjLj6vf
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 19, 2026
How Vanderbilt played against McNeese
Mark Byington and the Vanderbilt Commodores coast to the second round after dispatching McNeese in the first round.
Vanderbilt improved to a 27-8 overall record on the season, having gone 11-7 in its SEC matchups. They finished at third place in the conference standings, getting to the final of the SEC Tournament en route to qualifying for March Madness.
The Commodores will look forward to their next matchup in the Round of 32. They take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the contest will take place on March 21.
