Vanderbilt Basketball

Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. has declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but he will maintain his college eligibility by not hiring an agent. 

Pippen announced his decision Saturday in a statement on Twitter:

Pippen has two years of college eligibility remaining. He was rated as a 3-star prospect coming out of California's Sierra Canyon High School in 2019. 

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman didn't include Pippen in his most recent ranking of the top 50 2021 NBA draft prospects posted on Monday. ESPN.com doesn't have the 20-year-old among the top 100 players eligible for this year's draft. 

Despite those rankings, Pippen is going to test the draft waters coming off two strong seasons at Vanderbilt. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2019-20. 

Last season was a leap forward for Pippen. He led the Commodores in scoring with 20.8 points per game on 42.8 percent shooting and 4.9 assists per game in 22 starts. 

Pippen was named to the All-SEC first team in 2020-21. He became the first Vanderbilt player to make the All-SEC first team since Luke Kornet in 2016-17. 

Center Lee Dort is joining Vanderbilt next year, announcing his commitment to the Commodores alongside fellow 4-star recruit, teammate Noah Shelby, on Wednesday.

The 6'9", 240-pound Texas native is ranked the No. 9 center in the class of 2022 and the No. 59 player overall by 247Sports. He chose the Commodores over offers from Memphis, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Baylor, California and more.

Evan Daniels, then 247Sports' director of basketball recruiting, evaluated Dort in 2018 and projected him as a future first-round NBA pick:

"Dort is bruising post prospect. He's physical in the paint and excels at rebounding. Most players his age can't handle Dort's combination of size, strength and physicality. He finishes off plays close to the rim, plays with good energy and can impact the game with shot blocking. There's fine tuning to do with his post moves, but there's quite a bit of potential here."

The addition of Dort and Shelby gives Vanderbilt its first ranked recruits for 2022 and moves the program's recruiting class up to No. 3 in the country, behind Ohio State and Kansas, which both have a pair of 4-star recruits incoming.

Former Vanderbilt star Terry Compton died Sunday at the age of 67 as a result of COVID-19 complications, via Mike Organ of the Tennessean.

His brother, Billy Compton, confirmed the news on Facebook with a message about the pandemic:

"Yes Covid19 is real friends. COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate by age. After spending 3 hours by my brothers beside tonight and 5 hours at my Mom’s beside last Tuesday night covered in PPE protective gear I could only have imagined the never ending stress, compassion and potential dangerous situation our health care workers are faced with along with the ongoing attempts to save your loved ones life. Covid19 can and often leaves sad endings."

Compton spent three seasons with Vanderbilt from 1971-74, earning the nickname "The Long Rifle" with his shooting ability even before the implementation of the three-point line.

He led the Commodores in scoring in each of his three years with the team, twice earning All-SEC honors while helping his team win the regular-season conference title in 1973-74. His 16.6 career points per game ranks sixth in Vanderbilt history for players with a minimum of 50 games played.

Vanderbilt athletic director Storey Lee offered her condolences on Twitter Monday:

The Kansas City-Omaha Kings drafted Compton in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA draft, but he never appeared in a game.

Vanderbilt has added a player with significant pedigree after Kenyon Martin Jr. committed to the school Sunday. 

The 2019 power forward announced his decision on Twitter:

He is the son of Kenyon Martin, who spent 15 years in the NBA with five different organizations, including the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and more.

This adds to an intriguing recruiting class for Vanderbilt, which also includes Scotty Pippen, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

The two members of the younger generation played together at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California and will now get a chance to continue working alongside one another in college.

With former NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse entering his first season as head coach of the Commodores, a lot of familiar names will be on the bench next year for NBA fans.

But Martin adds more than just his name.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, the 6'6" player is the No. 239 overall player in the 2019 class but has good athleticism that allows him to make an impact near the basket on both ends of the court. Even if he never becomes a go-to scorer, his rebounding and shot-blocking could help a lot as Vanderbilt tries to return to NCAA tournament contention.

Former NBA All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse reached an agreement Friday to become the new head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic first reported Vandy and Stackhouse, who's been serving as an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, came to terms on a deal. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted it's a six-year contract.

Vanderbilt later made an official announcement that included a statement from its new head coach:

"I am extremely excited to join the Vanderbilt family and build on the incredible accomplishments of its athletics program and men's basketball program. I look forward to furthering Vanderbilt's unique approach to athletics—blending a powerhouse competitive spirit with elite academics to holistically develop talented student-athletes and celebrate victories on and off the court.

 "I would like to thank [athletic director] Malcolm Turner and chancellor [Nicholas] Zeppos for giving me this fantastic opportunity to direct the Vanderbilt men's basketball program into its next great era."

The 44-year-old North Carolina native played 18 NBA seasons that featured stops with eight different teams. He retired as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.

Two years later, he joined the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. He transitioned to become head coach of Raptors 905, the team's G League affiliate, the following season. He was named Coach of the Year and led the team to a championship in his first of two years in charge.

He joined the Memphis staff for the 2018-19 campaign.

Stackhouse discussed winning a title with Raptors 905 and his desire to lead another coaching staff during a March interview with Stephen Hunt of the New Bern Sun Journal.

"Yeah, [the G League title] just shows to work, guys coming together, giving of themselves. That was the blueprint for me and that's why I feel like that blueprint works," he said. "I'm obviously chomping at the bit to get an opportunity to do it at the highest level, but I think it all translates just from the fact that it's being a work team with a gameplan, an identity of how you want to do things. We got the crown."

Being a head coach at the collegiate level is the closest thing to the same role in the NBA.

He'll inherit a Vanderbilt program coming off a disappointing 9-23 season that led the school to fire head coach Bryce Drew.

The Commodores actually started the campaign well with a 9-3 record that featured wins over the USC Trojans, Arizona State Sun Devils and Liberty Flames, a mid-major program that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

They proceeded to lose 20 consecutive games, including an 0-18 mark in SEC play.

Vandy's roster had one senior, guard Joe Toye, and freshman forward Simi Shittu declared for the 2019 NBA draft.

Otherwise, Stackhouse should return most of a young roster, and his name recognition should help the Commodores in their recruiting efforts this offseason and beyond.

Vanderbilt has reportedly "zeroed in" on Jerry Stackhouse to become its next head men's basketball coach, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium. 

Stackhouse is currently an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA and spent time as the head coach of the Raptors 905 in the G League.

Goodman noted Vanderbilt athletic director Malcolm Turner was president of the G League before coming to the school in December.

Stackhouse impressed during his time with the G League, leading his squad to a title while being named the league's Coach of the Year in 2017.

While he had been a head coaching candidate with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, he eventually landed on the Grizzlies coaching staff.

His experience coaching at the NBA level and with AAU teams combined with his 18 years of experience playing in the NBA could bring him plenty of success in college.

On the other hand, not everyone is convinced about the hire:

Bryce Drew was fired after going 9-23 this season, including 0-18 in the SEC. In three seasons, the former Valparaiso coach went 40-59 with just 16 total wins in conference.

Jerry Stackhouse is on the Vanderbilt Commodores' radar as they look to replace former head coach Bryce Drew.

247Sports' Evan Daniels reported Stackhouse, who's an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, and Charlotte Hornets assistant Ronald Nored are "names of interest" for the Vanderbilt vacancy.

The fact Stackhouse has yet to enter the head coaching ranks—on either the NBA or college level—is surprising.

The 44-year-old was a two-time All-Star and spent 18 years in the NBA as a player, giving him the kind of experience teams often covet when they begin a coaching search.

In a short amount of time, he has made a name for himself on the sideline as well. After spending one season on the Toronto Raptors staff, he became the head coach of the team's NBA D-League affiliate, Raptors 905. Raptors 905 won a D-League title in 2017, with Stackhouse earning Coach of the Year.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Stackhouse interviewed with the Raptors last offseason after they fired Dwane Casey. The New York Post's Marc Berman reported he met with the New York Knicks as well.

Toronto promoted another assistant, Nick Nurse, while the Knicks landed on David Fizdale as their next head coach. Stackhouse then left the Raptors and joined the Grizzlies last June.

Going to Vanderbilt would likely be a means for Stackhouse to further position himself for an NBA coaching job down the road.

The Commodores are headed in the right direction despite winning only nine games this year. Joe Toye is the only senior on the roster, and the team's top four scorers are either freshmen or sophomores.

The only question is whether Stackhouse would prefer to move down to the college level or hold out for an opportunity in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers will both be looking for new head coaches this summer, and a few more teams are likely to join that list in the months ahead.

Vanderbilt announced Friday that it is parting ways with head men's basketball coach Bryce Drew after just three seasons on the job.

Drew released a statement on Twitter on the decision:

Stadium's Jeff Goodman was the first to report that Vandy athletic director Malcolm Turner had made a bold decision just two months into his tenure by opting to fire Drew on the heels of a 9-23 season that included an 0-18 mark in SEC play.

In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Drew led the Commodores to the NCAA tournament one time.

Turner released the following statement in conjunction with the announcement of Drew's dismissal:

"Vanderbilt is committed to competing at the highest levels on and off the court. After careful consideration, we've decided to make a change to the leadership of our men's basketball program. Bryce has represented Vanderbilt in exceptional fashion in his time here. I appreciate all of the contributions Bryce has made over the past three seasons to Vanderbilt, and we wish him all the best."

Per Steve Layman of News Channel 5 in Nashville, many were surprised by Drew's firing:

While Vandy had a rough 2018-19 season with no wins in SEC play and went just 12-20 the previous season as well, Goodman noted that firing Drew was a somewhat curious decision given his recruiting success.

Drew landed a pair of McDonald's All-Americans in Darius Garland and Simisola Shittu, who were both set for significant roles as freshmen in 2018-19, although Garland appeared in just five games due to a knee injury.

If Garland opts to enter the NBA draft, it is expected that he could be a lottery pick, which is something the Commodores have never produced.

Also, Vandy had one of the youngest teams in the country this season, and with only one senior on the entire roster, it seemingly has a great chance to bounce back in 2019-20, especially if Garland decides to return for one more season.

The 44-year-old Drew ends his time at Vanderbilt with a 40-59 mark, which included a 19-16 record in 2016-17 and a narrow first-round loss to Northwestern in the NCAA tournament.

Before joining Vanderbilt, Drew was the head coach at Valparaiso for five seasons, going 124-49 with two NCAA tournament appearances.

Given Drew's strong recruiting ability and history of success at the mid-major level, he figures to be a hot coaching candidate should he decide to catch on elsewhere in 2019-20.

Scotty Pippen Jr., who is a 3-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California, announced that he will be attending Vanderbilt University, per a Twitter announcement: 

Pippen Jr. is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls. He is a 6', 160-pound guard who also had offers from Colorado State, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and Washington State.

Pippen explained to Evan Daniels of 247Sports why he picked Vanderbilt over those schools:

"I picked them because I have a good relationship with the coaches," Pippen said. "I like the school a lot. I think it’s a great fit for me academically and athletically. I feel like they needed me at the point guard position."

Pippen also explained how he may fit into the Commodores' future plans when he steps on campus. "They just needed a point guard," he said. "They want me to come in right away and be able to play the point and help run the team."

Josh Gershon, a 247Sports analyst, provided a quick scouting report for Daniels as well:

"Pippen is a consistently improving point guard who is having a strong senior season after making a big jump as a prospect throughout the spring and summer with the Oakland Soldiers. He has good speed and improved athleticism, sees the court well and is a capable scorer from all three levels. Between his obvious bloodlines and constant improvement, there are plenty of reasons to believe in Pippen's future."

Pippen joins a strong class of 2019 that already included two 4-star recruits: 6'8" power forward Dylan Disu and 6'6" shooting guard Austin Crowley. He fills out a well-rounded class ranked No. 30 in the country by 247Sports.

That class may find opportunities to contribute sooner rather than later for a Vanderbilt program that is struggling: The team went just 12-20 last season and is 0-2 to start SEC play. The Commodores are 9-5, but they only have a No. 80 listing on the Ken Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings thus far.

Still, Drew is only in his third season leading the program and guided to the team to the NCAA tournament in his first season, so this class could help him vault Vanderbilt back to March Madness before long.