Vanderbilt Summer Basketball Notebook: Mason Nicholson's Transformation, Tyler Harris' Task, Leadership

Perhaps the only way to truly grasp a college basketball coaches’ confidence in the group he’s built is to look at the schedule he’s chosen to assemble. 

That appears to be the case for Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington–who is often gracious with the media, but appears to like to hold his cards a bit in terms of building out his roster. Byington appeared confident in the group he’s built in an offseason interview with Vandy on SI. 

Byington appears to be backing up his confident words with a schedule that multiple sources have told Vandy on SI will be less buy-game heavy and will be more focused on games that will test Byington’s roster. 

As of his mid-June interview, Byington had three games left to schedule and was still searching for one additional Quad One opponent. His group better be ready to go because it will be tested often. 

Mason Nicholson’s offseason transformation

A key for Nicholson becoming a Division-I player in the first place is now a key for him again. The 6-foot-10 center played at 280 pounds last season and is looking to lose “15-18” pounds this offseason as he looks to become a consistent rotational piece for Byington’s team. 

“Right now, he’s out of shape,” Byington told Vandy on SI in mid June. “He’s about 15 to 18 pounds too heavy. I want to see what it looks like because he’s losing weight rapidly. I want to see what it looks like when he gets to a more ideal weight by the end of the summer.” 

Nicholson’s sheer size will put him in the mix for playing time in the fall, but he’ll have to adapt in order to play in an up-tempo offense like Byington’s.

Tyler Harris’ summer task

Harris is learning all the ins and outs of being an off the bounce two guard within Byington’s system–although Byington notes that the two, three and four positions in his offense are all similar. 

The 6-foot-8 wing played primarily the three and generated most of his looks in catch and shoot situations. Harris succeeded in those situations and became one of college basketball’s premier shooters. 

Now he’s got something to add to his repertoire this summer. 

“He can expand his game, his ballhandling is good and his shooting is good,” Byington said. “He’s got to get his shot off quicker because he can shoot 40% from 3, but if everybody knows you can shoot you gotta be able to get them off quicker. “

Leadership?

Byington won’t know enough about his leadership until his team gives up a run on the road and gets back to the huddle, but he’s got an idea as a result of the first few weeks of practice.

It’s the suspects you’d expect. 

“There’s certain guys that are having a good voice,” Byington said. “Tyler Nickel is gonna be a big one. Frankie Collins, Duke Miles and then hopefully Tyler Tanner, I think he’s gonna grow into it, Mike [James] is gonna be, I don’t know if he’s gonna be vocal like that, Mike will probably be more leadership off the court.” 

 Vanderbilt doesn’t quite have an identity or a leader yet, but it’s learning more about itself each day. Time for it to keep doing what it’s been doing. Time for it to keep working.