Birmingham, AL--Vanderbilt guard AJ Hoggard seems to believe that Vanderbilt's projected last place finish in the SEC preseason poll could be exactly what it needed.
Hoggard has always carried a chip, but feels one spreading team wide now.
"Sometimes I think certain things call for a chip and I think that did," Hoggard said. "I think that kinda motivated our team, we kinda needed it a little bit."
As Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington took over and the buzz surrounding Hoggard's commitment took Vanderbilt's program over, it felt as if it was in the honeymoon phase of building a program.
As of the release of the preseason poll Vanderbilt's honeymoon phase is over. Perhaps that's a good thing as Vanderbilt sits weeks away from opening night.
"Sometimes you gotta have a reality check, we kinda needed that a little bit," Hoggard said. "It just got us back to work and more focused and more close knit."
Hoggard and Vanderbilt haven't bought in to those external expectations regardless of what they're up against in the SEC.
As a result, the fifth-year guard believes it can make those rankings inaccurate upon a look back at the end of the season.
"We're confident in each other," Hoggard said. "We have an opportunity to change the outcome."
That confidence comes despite what is considered a lack of size externally. Vanderbilt wing Tyler Nickel says that concern hasn't popped up within the program.
"A lot of people from the outside say we're small compared to a lot of SEC teams," Nickel said. "We have so many guys that can play and do so many different things that I think it definitely negates [the perceived lack of size.]"
Byington, who didn't see the poll until Tuesday morning, has heard the talk of his group's deficiencies. He doesn't let that scare him, though.
"We will use that motivation," Byington said. "I know it's probably gonna anchor them. I hope it does."
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington has been around the block and sees the futile nature of preseason polls. He's ok with his players taking it to heart, though.
"This just kinda shows even more than that, now this is what a group of people think about a collection of guys together," Byington said. "It just adds to it.
"I do have guys that don't feel like they're a last-place team and guys that did not come to Vanderbilt this year to finish last."
