Vanderbilt basketball loses 17 PPG scorer to transfer portal
03/28/2025 08:15 PM
It is well established that the transfer portal can wreak havoc on the mid-major schools, but lower-profile Power Four programs are also vulnerable to devastating roster upheaval. The Vanderbilt basketball Commodores are losing their leading scorer and arguably the biggest reason they reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Jason Edwards intends to leave Nashville, per On3.com’s Joe Tipton.
The All-SEC Third-Team selection’s decision to enter the portal should not be overly surprising to hoops fans, considering the current landscape of the sport. Moreover, he has already switched schools before and therefore is accustomed to the process.
Edwards worked his way up from Miles College and Dodge City Community College before arriving in the NCAA. He thrived with North Texas, earning All-American Athletic Conference First-Team honors in his 2023-24 sophomore season. The 6-foot-1 guard then secured his best opportunity yet with the Commodores.
Extra exposure in what turned out to be the deepest league in college basketball history obviously appealed to Edwards, but he also had much to offer the Commodores. Under the leadership of new head coach Mark Byington, the Georgia native excelled. He averaged 17.0 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the field, leading Vandy to victories over rival Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri.
Jason Edwards scored 18 points (8-of-18 shooting) in a bitter 59-56 loss to Saint Mary’s in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. His Vanderbilt basketball run ends on a sour note, but he made his mark on the program in only a year’s time. Many head coaches around the country should be trying to court this dynamic talent.
Vanderbilt does not have time to whimper. Byington will look to quickly regroup and find another difference-maker who can help the Commodores return to the Big Dance in 2026.
The post Vanderbilt basketball loses 17 PPG scorer to transfer portal appeared first on ClutchPoints.
