Frank Fanelli
Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew is rolling on the recruiting trail. On Wednesday, five-star Class of 2018 power forward Simi Shittu committed to be a Commodore, giving Drew his second five-star pledge of the cycle. Shittu’s pledge gives the Commodores their highest-rated recruit since point guard Darius Garland committed… last week.

Shittu is the third member of Vanderbilt’s stunning 2018 recruiting class, which is now ranked eighth nationally and third in the SEC behind Kentucky and Florida. The 6-foot-9 standout ranks as the No. 8 overall player, the No. 1 power forward, and the No. 1 player from the state of Vermont. Shittu chose Vandy over more than 20 scholarship offers, including North Carolina, Alabama, Baylor, UCLA, and Texas, among others.

The new wave of Vanderbilt basketball started with a Nov. 8 commitment from four-star prospect Aaron Nesmith, followed shortly by Garland, and now Shittu. Shittu says the decision for him was easy and he feels he could be the missing piece to take the program to the next level. I fully agree with his statement and they may have a chance now.
Drew took over Vanderbilt in 2016 after five years at Valpo, and has already led this rising program to an NCAA Tournament berth. With the influx of talent expected soon and with a top 10 recruiting class, it seems postseason berths could be more of the same in the future. Keep a lookout for Vandy in the future.