Vanderbilt combo guard Isaiah West has become the seventh member of the Commodores to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal since the end of the 2023-24 season.
West announced his decision Tuesday afternoon on social media, writing that “After careful consideration and constant prayer I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given at Vanderbilt and want to thank everyone who has gotten me to this point.”
A Springfield native and Goodpasture Christian High alum, West averaged 2.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in 25 games (including nine starts) as a freshman in 2023-24. He twice posted 12 points, once in a win over Central Arkansas and again in a victory over Missouri. West made four-of-five three-point attempts in the victory over the Tigers.
But in his final 11 games of the season, West totaled just 18 points, making only four-of-17 shots from the field.
The 6-2, 190-pound West was a three-star recruit at Goodpasture, choosing Vandy over offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee State, Wake Forest, Nebraska and Middle Tennessee State, among others.
West joins a long list of Vandy players entering the portal following the end of a 9-23 season and the firing of former head coach Jerry Stackhouse. Other Commodores looking to transfer include forwards Colin Smith, Lee Dort and Carter Lang, as well as guards Tyrin Lawrence, Jason Rivera-Torres and Paul Lewis.
Smith and Rivera-Torres have not closed the door on a return to Vanderbilt.
The only returning contributors from last season at this point are forwards Ven-Allen Lubin and JQ Roberts, as well as guards Malik Presley and Jordan Williams.
Vanderbilt’s new coach, Mark Byington, has added two players to the roster from the portal: forward Jaylen Carey and guard/forward Tyler Nickel.
The 6-7, 220-pound Nickel averaged 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest at Virginia Tech last season, after transferring from North Carolina following his freshman season (read here). Carey, a 6-8, 245-pound forward, played for Byington at James Madison last season, averaging 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.