Vanderbilt men's basketball coach Mark Byington landed a tall 1-2 punch Friday, when he plucked a pair of 6-foot-10 players and former high school teammates from Gary, Indiana, from the transfer portal.
Jalen Washington, who spent the past three seasons playing for North Carolina, is one, according to On3.com. The senior-to-be forward was good for 5.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 36 games for the Tar Heels this season when they finished 23-14. The West Side High School graduate averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 93 games spanning three seasons in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Nicholson, who played for Jacksonville State for three seasons is the other, also according to On.3.com. Like Washington, Nicholson is a senior-to-be. He averaged 7.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 36 games during the 2024-25 season for the Gamecocks, who finished 23-13. Nicholson averaged 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks 76 career games for JSU.
Former Vanderbilt guard Jason Edwards, who led the Commodores with 17 points per game during the 2024-25 season, committed to Providence on Friday, his third school in three years.
Vanderbilt was 20-13 this season, which ended with a
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