Dayton transfer Rodney Chatman commits to Vanderbilt

Earlier this week, I wrote that Vanderbilt potentially had a very thin backcourt if Scotty Pippen Jr. did not return after declaring for the NBA Draft. On Saturday, Vanderbilt addressed that issue.

Rodney Chatman was a two-year starter at Dayton, averaging 32.3 minutes per game in 12 games in 2020-21, and 26.8 minutes in 31 games in 2019-20, the year when Dayton lost two games all season and finished #3 in the AP poll. Not much of a scorer — Chatman averaged 7.8 ppg over two seasons — he has a reputation as a good defender on the perimeter, evidenced by averaging 1.8 steals per game last season.

A native of Lithonia, Georgia, Chatman started his career at Chattanooga, where he started as a sophomore and was the team’s second-leading scorer in 2017-18, averaging 13.3 ppg. He can probably play a similar role to Max Evans, with good defensive ability on the perimeter paired with occasional offensive outbursts, like when he dropped 21 points on Ole Miss in December 2020.

This leaves Vanderbilt with two scholarships available for next season — one if Scotty Pippen returns.