Vanderbilt earns an NCAA Tournament invite, will play Northwestern Thursday

Jim Brown-USA TODAY SportsBryce Drew’s first season at Vanderbilt started with a 24-point loss. It will end in the NCAA Tournament.

The Commodores didn’t just sneak into the bracket, they made it all the way to a No. 9 seed. They’ll face fellow nerd school Northwestern on Thursday. The game will mark the Wildcats’ first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The team made history Sunday, becoming the first program to ever earn an at-large bid to the Big Dance with 15 losses. Vandy’s bold non-conference schedule — the ‘Dores faced the NCAA’s toughest lineup, according to RPI numbers — and big wins over Florida (three times!), Iowa State, South Carolina, and Arkansas were enough to ensure the team’s…