CBB Rank 2025: No. 65, VCU Basketball

Phil Martelli Jr enters his first season in Richmond after Ryan Odom leaves for UVA.

The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: VCU basketball.

VCU basketball rolled through the A-10 after a road defeat to Saint Louis in late January. After the loss to the Billikens dropped the Rams’ record to 16-5, VCU rode a 12-1 finish to the season (with the only loss coming to Dayton) to an A-10 tournament championship. 

Into the NCAA tournament, they gave BYU a challenge in the first round, but despite Zeb Jackson’s 23 points off the bench and Jack Clark’s double-double, the Rams fell 80-71. Jackson and Clark are now both gone, along with leading scorers Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile. Sneaky contributor Phillip Russell, who started all but one game for VCU basketball last season, is also gone. 

New head coach Phil Martelli Jr. brings in an interesting mix of veteran contributors (including a double-dip into a certain NEC program) and a couple of former high-profile recruits that haven’t yet found their niche. 

At the point guard position, it’s expected that one-time UConn Husky Ahmad Nowell will take the reins. Nowell, the No. 33-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, per 247Sports, failed to carve out a consistent role with the defending champions after sitting behind Solo Ball and Hassan Diarra. Nowell is built like a bowling ball, and he’ll get a change of scenery this year, which can’t hurt. But Nowell is suddenly the veteran at point, because four-star prospect Nyk Lewis is behind him in the room. 

In terms of the other guards and wings, it’s typical VCU. Jadrian Tracey (Oregon) and Tyrell Ward (LSU), both 6’6″, are likely to start for the Rams. Terrence Hill Jr. and Brandon Jennings return to the Rams after their productive freshman seasons. A lot of the team’s depth, however, comes in the frontcourt. Transfers are the name of the game, with the aforementioned NEC duo being Barry Evans and Keyshawn Mitchell from Bryant. The two combined for 21.8 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 3.3 APG for the Bulldogs last season, and Evans could very well start for as the power forward for VCU basketball this season. 

Lazar Djokovic comes over from Charleston following a solid season for the Cougars. He’ll split time with returning Christian Fermin at the center position. Both are imposing on the defensive side of the ball. Two more players of note are Michael Belle, who recorded 10 rebounds against St. Bonaventure in the conference tournament, and Jordann Dumont. Dumont struggled to carve out a role at Villanova but could break out in Richmond.

Do the Rams once again lead the way in the Atlantic-10? Or will another team dethrone VCU basketball at the top of the conference?

Head coach: Phil Martelli Jr. (1st season at VCU, 3rd season overall)

2024-25 record: 28-7 (15-3)

2025 postseason finish: Lost in Round of 64 to BYU, 80-71

Notable departures: 

• Max Shulga (15.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.0 APG)
• Joe Bamisile (15.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 APG)
• Phillip Russell (10.3 PPG, 2.2 APG, 1.6 RPG)
• Jack Clark (9.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.0 APG)
• Zeb Jackson (10.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 APG)

Notable non-conference games: 

• vs. Utah State (Nov. 7) – Fort Worth, TX.
• at NC State (Nov. 17)
• vs. South Florida (Nov. 26) – Battle 4 Atlantis
• vs. Vanderbilt OR Western Kentucky (Nov. 27) – Battle 4 Atlantis
• Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 28)
• vs. New Mexico (Dec. 10)

Projected Rotation

PG: Ahmad Nowell (6-0, 195, So.)

2024-25 stats: 1.5 PPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 RPG, 6.4 MPG (UConn)

SG: Jadrian Tracey (6-6, 210, R-Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 6.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.7 APG (Oregon)

SF: Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, Jr.)

2023-24 stats: 9.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.8 APG (LSU, did not play in 2024-25)

PF: Barry Evans (6-8, 215, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 13.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG (Bryant)

C: Lazar Djokovic (6-11, 235, Jr.)

2024-25 stats: 7.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.1 BPG (College of Charleston)

6: Christian Fermin (6-10, 235, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 4.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.6 APG 

7: Nyk Lewis (6-1, 195, Fr.)

247Sports No. 56 Recruit in Class of 2025

8: Terrence Hill Jr. (6-3, 180, So.)

2024-25 stats: 3.4 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.3 APG 

9: Michael Belle (6-8, 220, Jr.)

2024-25 stats: 2.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.8 APG 

10: Keyshawn Mitchell (6-11, 215, Jr.)

2024-25 stats: 8.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.6 APG (Bryant)

11: Brandon Jennings (6-4, 175, So.)

2024-25 stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.8 APG

12: Jordann Dumont (6-8, 220, R-So.)

2024-25 stats: 1.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 6.7 MPG (Villanova)

13: Jordan Tillery (6-5, 180, Fr.)

247Sports No. 222 Recruit in Class of 2025

14: Obinnaya Okafor (6-9, 215, R-Jr.)

2024-25 stats: 0.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.1 APG, 1.3 MPG 

VCU Basketball team MVP: Tyrell Ward

Ward did not play last year after leaving the team prior to the season. The former LSU Tiger, however, emerged as a genuine bucket at the Power Five level at the end of the 2023-24 season. Over the final nine regular season games of that year, the previously 12-10 Tigers won five of their last nine games with Ward leading the way. Two of those wins (South Carolina and Kentucky) came against ranked opponents. In that span, Ward averaged 13.1 PPG, shot 46.5%(!) from deep, and only committed six turnovers. In between a February 17 win on the road against South Carolina and a one-point victory against Georgia on Feb. 27, Ward played in four games and didn’t commit a single turnover. That span included 86 minutes on the court without giving the ball up. 

If Ward can rediscover that type of production and extrapolate it over a season for VCU basketball, the sky is the limit. At his best, he can be the number one option on a good SEC team. What does that entail for a mid-major? The 6’6″ wing is crucial to the Rams’ success this season.

VCU Basketball make-or-break player: Ahmad Nowell

Nowell has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders this year in Richmond. Every guard that started a game for the Rams last season is out of VCU, and Nowell is also going to be tasked with mentoring new freshman Nyk Lewis. Nowell didn’t see much of a role last season, but did show flashes. In a close loss to Colorado, Nowell dished out five assists. Despite averaging just 6.4 MPG, he had two games of five assists, and that aforementioned performance against Colorado was managed in only thirteen minutes. 

Nowell wasn’t efficient shooting the ball, but keep in mind that small sample sizes can so often be deceiving. Taking shots in garbage time in the Big East simply isn’t the same as starting for a good mid-major. A change in scenery really should benefit Nowell, as he won’t have the massive expectations that come from playing in Storrs, but he’ll still have plenty of responsibilities in Richmond as VCU tries to replace a lot of backcourt production. 

Key analytic: Blocks per game

VCU was really good at sending shots back last season. How good? The Rams were ninth of 364 D-I teams with a rate of 5.43 blocks per game. Part of that success was due to the returning Christian Fermin. The center was second on the team with 1.4 blocks per contest, second with 4.3 blocks/100 possessions, and second with a block percentage of 8.0%. To put that into context, if Fermin played enough minutes to qualify for conference leaderboards, he’d be third in the Atlantic-10 in block percentage, only behind Justice Ajogbor (St. Joe’s) and Miles Rubin (Loyola-Chicago). 

Besides Fermin, College of Charleston Lazar Djokovic, who could start at center, averaged 1.1 BPG last year with the Cougars, leading the team. Djokovic had ten games with multiple blocks, including one game against Northeastern with four. Elsewhere, the blocks might be harder to come by, but the Rams might be able to pace the A-1o once more. 

VCU Basketball 2025-26 projections

Projected conference finish: 1st in the A-10

Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Second Round Exit