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Vanderbilt lands commitment from 5-star PG Darrius Garland

during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Christian Petersen

Monday was a big day for the Vanderbilt basketball program, as head coach Bryce Drew received a verbal commitment from one of the best point guards in the Class of 2018. Darrius Garland, a 5-star prospect who attends Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee, announced Monday afternoon that he will remain in state to play his college basketball.

In receiving the verbal pledge from Garland, Vanderbilt beat out UCLA, Indiana and Kentucky. Garland is Vanderbilt’s second commitment in the 2018 class, joining 6-foot-5 wing Aaron Nesmith. It goes without saying that Garland’s commitment is a huge development for Vanderbilt, which won 19 games and reached the NCAA tournament in Bryce Drew’s first season as head coach.

With Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher-Davis both being seniors, there was a clear need to bolster the numbers on the perimeter in the 2018 recruiting class. By reeling in Garland, a talented floor general who can both score and distribute the basketball, the Commodores have a player they can build around moving forward.

In addition to playing at Brentwood Academy, where he earned Division II first team all-state honors as a junior, Garland played for the Bradley Beal Elite program on the Nike EYBL circuit. Garland averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 assists per game in EYBL play this spring/summer.

The last time Vanderbilt landed a recruit as highly regarded as Garland was back in 2008 when John Jenkins, the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee, committed to the school. Jenkins would go on to earn first team All-SEC honors as a junior and help lead the Commodores to an SEC tournament title.