VCU basketball has ridden a wave of momentum all the way into the NCAA tournament as they hope to make a run.
The one-bid A-10 is no longer. With VCU basketball winning the A-10 postseason tournament, the conference is again a multi-bid league, with St. Louis joining the fold as an at-large team. But in terms of tournament advancement, the Rams could have the better shot to make waves in March.
How they got there:
VCU had some ups and downs in the non-conference portion of their schedule, defeating South Florida and Virginia Tech by double-digits but taking losses to three tournament teams (Utah State, NC State, and Vanderbilt) and a team that fell short of the bubble (New Mexico). After a 2-2 start to conference play, the Rams began to find their momentum. From January 14 onward, VCU basketball compiled a 16-1 record over their last 17 games prior to the NCAA tournament.
That mark includes the A-10 tournament, where the Rams earned the 2 seed, behind only Saint Louis. Receiving a bye to the quarterfinals, VCU basketball were tasked first with defeating 7 seed Duquesne. The Dukes jumped ahead early, but intermittent offensive spurts from VCU kept the game at bay before an eventual five-point win. In the semifinals, the Rams sprinted out to a 23-6 lead very early in the game against St. Joe’s, which was enough for the game to stay at a comfortable margin throughout.
With Saint Louis falling to Dayton in the semifinals, a victory over the Flyers was all that was needed for VCU basketball to clinch a bid to the NCAA tournament. But it was an anti-climactic final, as the Rams led 40-25 by the time the first half ended. The largest lead of the afternoon for VCU basketball was 17 points, and Dayton never led. The Rams shot 46% from deep, and guard Nyk Lewis recorded a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win.
General Information:
Team: VCU
Location: Richmond, VA
Record: 27-7 (15-3)
Head Coach: Phil Martelli Jr. (1st season at VCU, 3rd overall)
What to know about VCU basketball:
Offensively, there’s two statistics that really stick out for VCU basketball. For one, they can really get to the line with high volume. Amongst Power Five teams plus the A-10, the Rams are sixth of 93 teams in free throw attempts per game, with 25.4 per contest. Forward Lazar Đjoković leads the team with 6.2 attempts per game, while a trio of guards, Terrence Hill Jr., Brandon Jennings, and Lewis, all average at least 3.0 attempts from the line per game.
The other statistic to watch out for is the amount of bench points that VCU basketball averages. The Rams have a season-long average of 34.0 bench points per game, partially because their leading scorer comes off the bench. Hill has started just two games this season, road games against Fordham and Richmond in the conference portion of the schedule. His season average is 14.4 PPG, and when Hill plays well, VCU does too. In fact, when Hill scores 18 points or more, the Rams are 9-0. The team is 18-7 in all other games.
Đjoković is the other Ram in double figures this season. The College of Charleston transfer has seen a huge jump in production compared to last season, and averages 13.5 PPG and a team-high 5.4 RPG. His season average of 1.2 BPG also leads the Rams. Lewis can grab boards on the offensive end with an aggressiveness despite his small stature. That also plays well in March, and the Rams have several others that can make an impact, including Barry Evans and Jadrian Tracey.
NCAA Tournament prediction for VCU basketball: Round of 32
Seed: 11
VCU is the lucky 11 seed that gets drawn North Carolina in the Round of 64. The Tar Heels lost star freshman Caleb Wilson for the season a few weeks ago, and are not nearly as effective without him. VCU, on the other hand, is on a roll and can take advantage of a vulnerable Power Five program that would likely be a 7 seed if not for their name.
If the Rams play their disciplined brand of basketball, limit turnovers, and win the battle of the boards, their first round matchup is theirs for the taking. It’s been a popular upset pick nationally, and for good reason. If there’s a 6-11 matchup to select this year, the best bet should be for VCU basketball to advance to the next round. But Illinois could represent a different kind of trouble for VCU in the next round. The Illini might be 5-5 in their past 10 games, but they’re still playing at a higher level than VCU’s other opponents recently.