Vanderbilt was picked 11th in the SEC preseason poll, a sign that expectations for the Commodores centered on competing for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid for a second straight year rather than contending for a league title.

It’s time to adjust those expectations.

Vanderbilt won 77-70 in overtime at Memphis on Wednesday to improve to 11-0. No, it wasn’t the Commodores’ sharpest performance — they needed OT to get past a Memphis team that is now 4-6 with a Quadrant 4 loss to UNLV — but it was still another win. And that’s the point. Vanderbilt is now one of just seven undefeated teams in the country heading into Saturday’s road game at Wake Forest, its final contest before Christmas.

“This wasn’t pretty,” Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said. “But to have the resiliency and toughness to come back on the road in this environment, I was impressed with the team.”

If there’s a way to nitpick Vanderbilt’s résumé, it’s this: Unlike fellow SEC programs Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn, the Commodores do not yet have a win over a currently ranked team or a top-30 opponent in the KenPom ratings. They also haven’t had the opportunity.

What they do have are convincing wins. Vanderbilt beat Saint Mary’s by 25 points, SMU by 19 and VCU by 15. Those teams currently rank 33rd, 42nd and 43rd at KenPom, respectively. As a result, Vanderbilt sits as the highest-rated SEC team in KenPom and is projected to finish tied atop the league standings with reigning national champion Florida.

It’s a compelling story unfolding in Nashville.

Vanderbilt sits at No. 15 in Thursday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Michigan remains No. 1 for the ninth straight day. After Saturday’s game at Wake Forest, the Commodores will face New Haven on Dec. 29 before opening SEC play with a trip to South Carolina on Jan. 3.

So when will Vanderbilt finally face a ranked opponent?

That answer comes four days later. Alabama visits Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 7. For what it’s worth, KenPom currently projects a 91-86 Vanderbilt victory.

Top 25 And 1 rankings