Vanderbilt's stellar 2022 class officially signs
Wednesday marked the beginning of the early signing period for college basketball with Vanderbilt officially announcing the signings of their four commitments in the 2022 class.
Lee Dort, Noah Shelby, Colin Smith, and Malik Dia are part of a Vanderbilt recruiting class that ranks 4th in the SEC and 14th nationally, according to Rivals.com.
- Dort, a bruising 6-foot-10, 240-pound center, committed to the Commodores back on April 7th along with his high school and AAU teammate Noah Shelby. The No. 48 prospect chose Vandy over the likes of Baylor, Arkansas, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and others.
Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy on Dort's game from the Pangos All-American Camp in June:
"Dort is the bully in the best possible way. The 6-foot-10, broad-shouldered big is as physically imposing as players come and established himself as a force from the jump on Sunday night, going for 10 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in his opening game. There was more where that came from on Monday, as the future Commodore showed some improved low-post move and seemed to dunk almost everything. Dort has long known how to use his strength to create space, but the fact that he is developing a versatile set of moves and some decent touch around the rim is encouraging."
- Vanderbilt offered Smith back in June of 2020 and have made him a priority ever since, their efforts were rewarded when the No. 73 players committed to the Commodores on October 10th shortly after his second official visit to West End since the summer. Smith chose Vandy over the likes of Stanford, Arizona State, and Michigan.
Rivals.com basketball analyst Dan McDonald on Smith's game:
"The 6-foot-8 combo forward is one of the more reliable shooters in the class and a really high IQ player."
- Along with his high school and AAU teammate Lee Dort, Shelby helped get Vanderbilt's talented 2022 class off to a big start back on April 7th. The No. 101 player in the class chose the Commodores over the likes of Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi State, Virginia, and others.
Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy on Shelby's game:
"Shelby has the reputation of a volume shooter, but he is starting to cut out bad shots in favor of playing within the offense and he put on impressive scoring displays both at Pangos and the Dallas Cricuit League event a few weeks back. His incredible range is what sets him apart, but it’s clear he’s starting to mature as a player and he is valuing possessions more as a result."
- Dia is the only Vanderbilt signee outside the Rivals150 rankings, but the local Ensworth (Tenn.) product put together a nice spring and summer on the AAU circuit and created a ton of momentum with his multi-level scoring and defending. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound prospect chose the Commodores over a Top 6 that also included Marquette, Georgia, Western Kentucky, Loyola (Chicago), and Murray State.
Dia on why Vanderbilt was the right fit for him:
"Coach (Jerry) Stackhouse has a great personality and really wants guys to get better and do things correct. All he cares about is helping the players and with that comes success and winning. Coach Adam (Mazerei) is a high-energy coach who helps you a lot and walks through things and helps the players with skill development, drills, and plays. Coach (Michael) Curry is the guy behind it all and sees everything."
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