Vanderbilt vs. McNeese: NCAA Tournament Predictions & Preview

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 15, 2026

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first round 2026 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our NCAA Tournament predictions and preview for Vanderbilt vs. McNeese.

2026 NCAA Tournament Predictions & Preview: Vanderbilt vs. McNeese

Here are the odds for this opening-round matchup of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Let’s dive into our preview and predictions for this NCAA Tournament matchup.

Vanderbilt 2026 NCAA Tournament Preview

Mark Byington’s transformation of this program in two years is one of the better coaching stories in the country. The Commodores went out and assembled a transfer class specifically built to add length and physicality. It shows. After an impressive SEC tournament run, Vanderbilt carries a KenPom top-10 offense and top-30 defense into March. Tyler Tanner is the anchor with 19 points and five assists per game as a sophomore guard who can take over a game from start to finish. Duke Miles, 16.5 points and four assists a game, is back and healthy as the backcourt partner who elevates the ceiling. With both players on the court, Vanderbilt ranks 11th in overall rating with the seventh-best offense nationally, per Hoop-Explorer. Tyler Nickel stretches the floor with his 6-7 frame and has been one of the most reliable secondary scorers in the SEC, shooting 39 percent from deep with over seven three-point attempts per game. Jalen Washington gives them a legitimate presence in the paint. Six players on this roster average at least nine points per game, which is the depth that separates them from where this program has been. This is a team that went 13-0 in non-con, ranking sixth nationally when sorting by non-con play alone. They took two of three from Tennessee and handled Florida wire-to-wire in the SEC semifinal. They know how to play up in competition and beat good teams.

The real weakness is the glass. Vanderbilt ranks outside the top-175 nationally in rebounding margin, and their style lends itself to getting bullied by physical frontcourts that can control second-chance opportunities. Six of their eight losses came when Vandy failed to grab over 25 percent of their misses as we've seen teams win with their size. This Commodore squad has the talent to beat anyone in the bracket. Whether they do depends on whether Tanner and Miles can keep carrying the offensive load while the depth around them holds up.

McNeese 2026 NCAA Tournament Preview

Will Wade is gone, coaching at North Carolina State now after last year’s Round-of-32 run that included a win over Clemson. Bill Armstrong inherited the program, kept two key starters in Javohn Garcia and DJ Richards, added freshman Larry Johnson, and somehow the Cowboys didn’t miss a beat. KenPom has McNeese around No. 65 nationally, which is impressive for a Southland team and puts them on Cinderella notice.

The identity has not changed from the Wade era. McNeese is the nation’s top team in defensive turnover rate, first in steal rate, and among the most aggressive pressing teams in the country. The Cowboys play at a tempo and pressure level that most teams haven’t seen all season, and they win by turning the game into a chaotic track meet where their length and activity wear down opponents . No opponent goes deeper into the shot clock in D-I hoops than those that play McNeese. Offensively, the Cowboys take care of the ball and make trips to the charity stripe. McNeese also ranks first in the nation at turning steals into points. The Cowboys’ sixth-rated field goal attempt rate (FGAR), combined with their third-rated defensive FGAR, makes them shot volume darlings. From a pure attempt standpoint, McNeese will likely get more looks at the rim than their opponent no matter who they play.

The vulnerabilities are baked into the same style. The constant switching and pressing creates mismatches on the glass, and teams capable of attacking the offensive boards have punished them badly, with Santa Clara and George Washington combining for over 55% of their offensive rebounding opportunities against the Cowboys. Three-point shooting is also a real question mark. All five of their losses came when shooting below 26% from deep, and the roster doesn’t have reliable perimeter marksmen outside of Tyshawn Archie, ranking outside the top-300 in 3pt shooting percentage as a team. If they can force turnovers at their usual rate, limit trips to the line, and keep opponents off the offensive glass, they are a dangerous double-digit seed that no team wants to face.

More NCAA Tournament Predictions & Previews

#1 Duke vs. #16 Siena
#8 Ohio State vs. #9 TCU
#5 St. John’s vs. #12 Northern Iowa
#4 Kansas vs. #13 Cal Baptist
#6 Louisville vs. #11 South Florida
#3 Michigan State vs. #14 North Dakota State
#7 UCLA vs. #10 UCF
#2 UConn vs. #15 Furman

#1 Arizona vs. #16 LIU
#8 Villanova vs. #9 Utah State
#5 Wisconsin vs. #12 High Point
#4 Arkansas vs. #13 Hawai’i
#11 Texas vs. North Carolina State
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Kennesaw State
#7 Miami (FL) vs. #10 Missouri
#2 Purdue vs. #15 Queens

#16 UMBC vs. Howard
#8 Georgia vs. #9 Saint Louis
#5 Texas Tech vs. #12 Akron
#4 Alabama vs. #13 Hofstra
#11 Miami OH vs. SMU
#3 Virginia vs. #14 Wright State
#7 Kentucky vs. #10 Santa Clara
#2 Iowa State vs. #15 Tennessee State

#16 Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh
#8 Clemson vs. #9 Iowa
#5 Vanderbilt vs. #12 McNeese
#4 Nebraska vs. #13 Troy
#6 North Carolina vs. #11 VCU
#3 Illinois vs. #14 Penn
#7 Saint Mary’s vs. #10 Texas A&M
#2 Houston vs. #15 Idaho

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