VCU basketball looks to use its experience to turn a 2024 NIT appearance into a March Madness birth in 2025.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: VCU basketball.
In 2023, Ryan Odom took over for former head coach Mike Rhoades, who took an open job at Penn State. Odom’s first year with VCU basketball went pretty well. He guided the Rams three rounds deep in the NIT and over the course of the season, delivered wins over the Nittany Lions, Samford, and Dayton.
Year two of Odom will come with a big increase in expectations. The three-headed monster of Max Shulga, Zeb Jackson, and Joe Bamisile is back. While the Rams don’t have a true small forward with that lineup, they have one of the best trio of guards in the nation to finish out games with. And with one full year to earn each other’s trust and build chemistry, you have to think they will put the Atlantic 10 on notice in 2024-25.
Odom added a pair of key transfers in journeyman Jack Clark and 5-10 point guard Phillip Russell. Russell comes over from UT Arlington, and his scoring skills should strengthen the VCU bench. Meanwhile, Clark has been playing college basketball since the 2018-19 season and will give the Rams one of the oldest, most experienced starting lineups in the country.
Still, the bench will feature Fats Billups and Bamisile, who of course, plays starters minutes. It’s a deep bench and it compliments a talented starting lineup very well.
We might have picked VCU to finish second in the Atlantic 10, but the Rams have everything right out in front of them to conquer the conference and rep the Commonwealth of Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Ryan Odom (2nd season at VCU, 10th season overall)
2023-24 record: 24-14 (11-7)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Utah (74-54) in quarterfinals of NIT
Notable departures:
- Sean Bairstow (10.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.7 APG)
- Toibu Lawal (7.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 0.3 APG, 66.7 FG%)
- Kuany Kuany (5.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.5 APG)
- Jason Nelson (4.9 PPG, 1.7 APG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Boston College (Nov. 8)
- vs. Seton Hall (Nov. 21)
- vs. Vanderbilt OR Nevada (Nov. 22)
- Charleston Classic (Nov. 24)
- vs. Colorado State (Dec. 14)
- at New Mexico (Dec. 18)
Projected Rotation
PG: Zeb Jackson (6-5, 185, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG
SG: Max Shulga (6-4, 197, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 41.5 3P%
SF: Michael Belle (6-7, 215, So.)
2023-24 stats: 3.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.7 APG, 34.8 FG%
PF: Jack Clark (6-10, 207, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 4.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 APG (Clemson)
C: Christian Fermin (6-10, 225, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 5.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, 57.0 FG%
6: Joe Bamisile (6-4, 190, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 37.0 3P%
7: Fats Billups III (6-7, 180, Rs.-So.)
2023-24 stats: 4.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.6 APG, 40.3 3P%
8: Phillip Russell (5-10, 165, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, 1.9 RPG, 38.0 3P% (UT Arlington)
9: Luke Bamgboye (6-10, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #140 ranked recruit
10: Brandon Jennings (6-4, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #290 ranked recruit
VCU Basketball team MVP: Max Shulga
Shulga had previously committed to play at Villanova for his final season of college basketball, before deciding to return to the Rams. It sort of feels like an addition, even if Shulga played for the Rams last season. He could have played basketball at a handful of different places last season but opted to stick it with his guys for one more go-around.
Shulga brings a lot to this Rams team, and while he ultimately shares the scoring with Jackson and Bamisile, his three-point shooting allows him to really catch fire and put up some pretty big numbers. And I’m not just saying this because I saw him drop 25 points live at St. Bonaventure last season. He also had 20+ points in six other games.
Shulga benefits from having a lot of talent around him, but there’s no doubt that when the Rams need a bucket, he’ll be near the top of the list to be the guy to deliver.
VCU Basketball make-or-break player: Phillip Russell
The Rams lose their backup point guard from a year ago, and Russell will look to be the direct replacement to Jason Nelson. While Nelson held down the fort well, Russell has the chance to bring a lot more scoring to the Rams’ bench.
Last season, VCU basketball only averaged 71.0 PPG, 257th in the country. While the starting lineup has more than enough options to put the ball in the basket, a bench of Russell and Bamisile could be very tough to stop. The step up from UT Arlington to VCU won’t necessarily translate evenly, but if Russell can outperform Nelson’s mark of 4.9 PPG, this bench can really flourish.
Key analytic: Adjusted tempo
VCU basketball played a fairly methodical game last season, finishing just inside the top 300 in adjusted tempo. The Rams also placed 350th in field goal attempts per game, despite launching the 90th most threes in the country.
It’s an interesting way of looking at things. The Rams make it a point to play their game around the arc, but if the shots aren’t falling, they’re limiting how many points they can actually put up.
While VCU won 24 games last season, I’d like to see a bit more urgency when it comes to their offense. Ryan Odom has a solid four of five talented offensive options to utilize. There’s no reason to limit what they can ultimately do.
VCU Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 2nd in the Atlantic 10
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Exit