Mark Byington knows that winning streaks don’t last forever. The Vanderbilt Commodores are ranked 10th in the country, but the first-year head coach isn’t celebrating yet. With Alabama coming to town and the hardest part of the schedule coming up, Byington made it clear to his locker room what it takes to make it through March.

Mark Byington discussed his current team’s chemistry on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube channel, and he also explained how their development accelerated because they remained together.

“This team is a team that really cares about each other. If you walk into our locker room and somebody has a good game, they’re so happy for each other. We know tough times are coming, but if you’re going through tough times, adversity, or how hard this job is, you want to take it with guys who care about each other and care about the right things,” Coach Byington explained.

Those returning players have been very important to Vanderbilt’s offensive success. The Commodores are second in the SEC and tenth in the country in assists per game (19.9) and ninth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.88). Tyler Tanner is a good example of this growth. He went from scoring 5.7 points per game last season to 16.0 this season, and he has already made 24 three-pointers, which is more than his freshman total of 17. The team’s assist rate of 60.8 percent ranks in the top 35 in the country, which enables them to shoot 62.8 percent from two-point attempts, the fourth-best in the nation.

The Commodores’ coach, on the other hand, made it clear that just having a lot of offensive firepower won’t help you win in the NCAA Tournament.

“One thing you looked at us last year is we weren’t great on defense. I think we were last in the SEC,” he acknowledged on CBS Sports. “Our defensive focus and priority has got to stay. We’re better this year, and we’ve got to take an even bigger jump there. To win on the road in this league and do some things, and to be able to stop these guys or come close—that’s a major, major thing.”

The first real SEC test of that defense will be against Alabama on January 7 at Memorial Gymnasium. Vanderbilt already beat South Carolina in their first game of the season, but the Crimson Tide is a whole different story.

Vanderbilt’s Perfect Start Positions Them Among the Nation’s Elite

The numbers that show Vanderbilt’s success tell a powerful story. The Commodores are 14-0 and ranked No. 10 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll as they get ready to play Alabama. They have the kind of wins that matter in March, like beating SMU, Saint Mary’s, and UCF, which shows they can handle good teams.

Byington has made a huge difference in his second season as the head coach of the program. With a 34-13 overall record over two years, including an NCAA Tournament appearance, he knows how to quickly build winning teams. The coach has gotten everyone on his team to buy in, as shown by how selfless they are on the field and how hard they play defense.

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Byington believes in his team because of how well they can score. Vanderbilt scores an average of 93.4 points per game, which puts them in the top 10 in the country. They also have Top 30 percentages for field goals, three-pointers, and free throws. They are in the top 25 in the country in assists, steals, and blocks per game because they move the ball so well.

When five players score in double digits, it makes it hard for the other team to match up. Duke Miles is in first place with 17.1 points per game, and Tyler Tanner is in second place with 16.2. Devin McGlockton grabs seven rebounds per game, and Jalen Washington adds 5.3 boards and a presence in the paint. Vanderbilt can attack defenses from different angles because of this depth.