Everything Mark Byington Said at SEC Media Day

BIRMINGHAM, AL---Vanderbilt basketball took the podium at Tuesday's SEC Media Day ahead of its first scrimmage on Thursday.

The Commodores look to make it back to the NCAA Tournament after a berth in Mark Byington's first season as their head coach. Here's what Byington said ahead of the upcoming season.

OPENING STATEMENT

MARK BYINGTON: Good morning. I didn't know I was first. This is such a fun time of year. This is going in 13 years as a head coach. I cherish these days and opportunities to be able to start the season and get going.

I think everybody right now is full of hope. I am the same way with this team. We had a good year one. I know we exceeded expectations. This time a year ago I was explaining to people what it's like to be picked last in the league, how we're going to handle that.

This year the roster changes. There is new guys, new excitement. The most important part of my team right now, you'll see 'em around here today, is the three returning players in Tyler Tanner, Tyler Nickel and Devin McGlockton. Having them back gives us a big step forward compared to where we were a year ago.

We're excited about all the challenges that come throughout the season. With that, I'll take any questions you might have."

Q. Obviously last year you guys come in, picked the bottom of the league, make the tournament. What were the biggest challenges of setting that culture and gratifying part of you seeing that pay off?

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, it was tons of challenges. I think last year all the coaches anticipated the SEC being really good. I don't think any coach could predict it's going to be historically the best league ever. For that to be my first year and to take on that challenge, take it in with a new team. We learned along the way. I hope we do the same thing this year.

With what we did last year, there were a lot of things I thought were positives. The biggest thing that was a carryover that I'm most proud of is kind of reestablishing hope in our fan base and our team. There's great history in Vanderbilt basketball. Bringing people back that might not have been there. I know you guys hear about it. Really I wasn't a complete believer in Memorial Magic a year ago. After going through it the past year, it's real. Our home-court advantage was special.

To name the challenges? Hundreds of 'em. The biggest ones were taking over a new program. The SEC was phenomenal. I really don't think it's going to take a step back. I'm looking at the teams, the rosters, the coaches, everything else. I don't know that it's going to be the best all time, but it's not going to take a step back.

Q. A little bit of a different roster makeup this year. Does that give you flexibility in how to play? Do you get to play a little bit differently?

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, the roster was all completely new last year. This year, we knew we're bringing back a core group of guys. You saw some things in the league that were weaknesses of ours. We had to get bigger. We can play a certain style, do certain things. 

But I thought sometimes in the second half we wore down because we just weren't as big as some teams. Some things got to us. So we changed our roster now. You look at our size, our length. We'll play bigger not just at the center position. We'll also play bigger at the guard spots and the other four positions.

I just thought we got to make sure we're not trying to be like everybody else, but there's something we couldn't overcome last year. You'll see a big size improvement from length and everything else with our team.

Q. A lot made of Tyler Tanner heading into year two. Where is he better? How much more of a factor could he be in year two?

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, a unique stat -- I'm a stat nerd. If you look at our games last year under four minutes, 10 points or less, Tyler led us in minutes. That was a team with fifth-year guards. He was the only freshman that played. He played more minutes than anybody else. So what I could say about that, it shows I could trust him last year. He has gotten better. He's stronger, he's put on weight. His intelligence is better. He's super fast. Unbelievable person who wants to learn.

I naturally think it's going to be a year two jump for him. Also there's more responsibilities on him now. More will be put on him, as well.

Q. I am actually kind of interested in your career pivot. Do you talk to the players, like you work with college players, about that? You went from insurance to basketball. All their plans may not pan out.

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, so the whole story is not always told. With the insurance, I took a two-week class and got my insurance license. My first day on the job I quit before lunch. I don't have a long-term history of selling insurance. It's probably about an hour and a half (smiling).

But along with your point, I feel like I'm a teacher. I did think I wanted to be a college professor. I'm a huge believer in education. We're in an NIL world where everybody's money now. We feel like at Vanderbilt, you're going to have a chance to play in the NBA. The SEC has the most NBA players. We got 15, 20 scouts at every one of our games. 

At the same time with what you can do with Vanderbilt, we feel like it's a generational change with connections. That part of it is emphasized. I don't tell a lot of stories about selling insurance.

Q. You mentioned the NIL. Could you talk about maybe where you feel like that fits in the new rev sharing structure?

MARK BYINGTON: Complicated. I'm not trying to dodge the question. This is extremely complicated. The reason I think it's complicated, it's ever-changing. I thought we might get to a certain spot to where revenue sharing is in place and now we know what we're going to deal with, and we don't. Things are still changing. When you're going through such big changes in college athletics, there's going to be some things you got to work through, some awkward times, rough times. We are going through that and we don't have a system yet.

But the things that you're talking about, revenue sharing, is kind of the base that's going to make a team up right now in college sports. Then the extra part of it's going to be the NIL off the court.

It's something I think we're working through, as well as the other programs, too. I don't think anybody has it figured out right now. If they do, please call me, call Vanderbilt (smiling).

Q. How challenging was the introduction of rev sharing for you guys? How have you had to adapt to it, figure out how you allocate your funds differently?

MARK BYINGTON: I think the biggest adjustment is going to be next year. A lot of teams right now are dealing with the old rules two years ago. I think you'll see a significant pivot with teams, how things are allocated in the next year's teams and roster makeups.

We are thinking about that now. In high school recruiting, thinking about that now. Roster retention, thinking about that now. Then we know when we get to the spring, the transfers. You got to plan ahead. I think you'll see the changes next year.

Q. In the new NIL era, retention is such a huge thing. You were able to retain some new pieces. How challenging is that in the new era?

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, I mean, kind of explain a timeline. We were in the NCAA tournament. We lost a hard game to Saint Mary's, a game that could have went either way. Then on the flight back, I mean, I'm scheduling meetings immediately with players potentially to return.

Then we're actually doing that meeting the next day when we land. The players that are coming back were priority one for us, not transfers or anything else. The reason why they're priority one, they're unbelievable people, they're very talented basketball players, but they care about winning. Don't think that's everybody right now. 

So having those guys who will sacrifice and do different things, care about winning, a big step in us being successful last year. That was the most important thing we did in the spring. That's why we did that immediately after the NCAA tournament, is trying to get that set up.

Q. I know you can't say names, you feel like you're getting more 'yes'-es in high school recruiting from top guys? Is it easier with proof of concept now that you've made the tournament and you've had a successful year?

MARK BYINGTON: Yeah, I mean, I talked about trying to get belief kind of back in our program with the fan base. But also it is with high school coaches, AAU coaches, getting them to understand we can be successful. One of the biggest things in recruiting right now is the strength of the SEC. Everybody saw that, from high school coaches to players. Just the recognition that our league had last year, that helps us in recruiting right now. Flat out, I'm sure the other 15 coaches are saying the same thing. We might be the second-highest level of basketball in the world, behind the NBA. It's right there. Maybe Premier League. 

But at the same time it is extremely high. Players who want to play in that, they want the challenge of that, it's a great league for them. SEC has been a really big selling point for us. I think people are understanding that.