VCU basketball has turned into a consistent winner in the mid-major hoops world. But in 2026-27, the Rams have a roster built to compete with the best in the country.
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.
Last season, VCU basketball had one of the top moments in March Madness, knocking off 6-seed North Carolina in the first round. They fell to Illinois in the round of 32, but proved they were one of the top teams in college basketball after the short run.
This season, the Rams will be without leading scorer Terrence Hill Jr., plus a few other rotation pieces. But last year’s roster was very deep, so VCU still manages to return seven players who averaged between 4.3 and 13.2 points per game. That practically fields a starting five of returning players, if it weren’t for Phil Martelli Jr. hitting the transfer portal for some great reinforcements.
Blake Harper is the big get, coming over from Creighton, where he put up nearly eight points per game. Torey Alston comes in as an outstanding rebounder and post-scorer, averaging over 13 a game at Middle Tennessee and grabbing nearly eight boards per game. And then there’s Nyle Ralph-Beyer, who hit on over 44% of his threes and averaged over 14 a game at Sacred Heart. All three of them should work well in replacing, if not improving, VCU’s roster from a year ago.
Take that blend of transfer portal adds and returning talent and you don’t just have a favorite in the A-10, but a team that could be in the top tier of any Power 5 conference in America. And to add just a little bit more spice, the Rams bring in a pair of four-star freshmen in Sammy Jackson and Collin Ross. At the very least, it’s good to have talent to develop for next year, but they also may be able to crack the rotation and become valuable parts of an already deep and experienced team.
VCU basketball is no stranger to winning, but this could be a historic season if all goes well and you better buy in now, because the stock price is about to explode.
Head coach: Phil Martelli Jr. (4th season overall, 2nd at VCU)
2025-26 record: 28-8 (15-3)
2026 postseason finish: Lost to Illinois (76-55) in second round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Terrence Hill Jr. (15.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 37.0 3P%)
- Jadrian Tracey (9.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 36.0 3P%)
- Barry Evans (7.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG)
- Keyshawn Mitchell (3.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.5 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- at Memphis (Nov. 7)
- at Santa Clara (Nov. 19)
- vs. Providence (Nov. 23) – Maui Invitational
- vs. Arizona OR Colorado State (Nov. 24) – Maui Invitational
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 25)
- vs. FAU (Dec. 12) – Orlando, FL
- vs. Mississippi State (Dec. 19) – Huntsville, AL
Projected Rotation
PG: Brandon Jennings (6-4, 180, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 43.1 3P%
SG: Nyk Lewis (6-1, 195, So.)
2025-26 stats: 8.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 36.2 3P%
SF: Blake Harper (6-7, 220, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 36.4 3P% (Creighton)
PF: Michael Belle (6-8, 220, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 54.1 FG%, 50.0 3P%
C: Lazar Djokovic (6-11, 235, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.2 BPG, 50.0 FG%
6: Ahmad Nowell (6-1, 190, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 4.5 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.6 APG, 41.4 3P%
7: Tyrell Ward (6-6, 185, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.5 APG
8: Torey Alston (6-9, 215, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, 55.5 FG% (Middle Tennessee)
9: Nyle Ralph-Beyer (6-4, 180, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, 44.0 3P% (Sacred Heart)
10: Jordan Tillery (6-5, 190, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 59.4 FG%, 12 GP
11: Sammy Jackson (6-7, 210, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 65 ranked recruit
12: Collin Ross (6-11, 205, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 109 ranked recruit
13: Joshua Wyche (6-7, 215, Rs.-Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 0.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.3 APG, 37.5 FG%, 11 GP (Lafayette)
VCU basketball team MVP: Nyk Lewis
The Rams’ second-leading scorer from a year ago, Lazar Djokovic, now returns as one of the top big men in the Atlantic 10 and the star of many stars on VCU. Djokovic is arguably the best fit you could have for what VCU wants to do offensively. He has some post moves, but is primarily a stretch four playing the five spot, able to space the court, and also bring down boards at the five spot. Many look at him as the team’s true MVP.
But I’m looking at the guard spot and Nyk Lewis. The team’s off-guard starred as a freshman, starting in all 35 games and averaging nearly nine points per game in about 24 minutes per game. A guy like Djokovic doesn’t have the season he has without some tremendous guards, and Lewis is exactly that.
There are a lot of guys who could lead VCU in scoring this season, and it’ll truly be by committee, but after his freshman year, you can’t help but think Lewis turns into a household name.
VCU basketball make-or-break player: Blake Harper
VCU’s bench is extraordinary and could arguably go 12 deep. At the very least, they have a legitimate 10-man rotation that can interchange and make sure no one has to play 35+ minutes per game. But can anyone become a sixth-man and set themselves apart?
I’m not sure if the Rams necessarily need that, but Ahmad Nowell could certainly be that guy. He’s a former UConn guy, played sparingly for VCU last season (10.5 MPG), but still found his way to buy a very consistent bucket-per-game average. But in some cases, Nowell exploded, going for 19 points in 15 minutes against Rider and is the biggest spark off the bench this team has.
But what could Blake Harper provide at the small forward spot? Coming over from Creighton, Harper could be a true go-to guy and take that load off Djokovic’s shoulders. Obviously, this could be Lazar’s year, Nyk’s year, or even a breakout for Brandon Jennings. But Harper was clearly brought in to help replace the scoring the Rams lost with Terrence Hill Jr. It’ll be very interesting to see how well he translates from Creighton to an A-10 team that arguably is just as talented as Creighton.
Harper could be another strong piece of a great starting five. He could also turn into a true star for the Rams, his third team in three years.
Key statistic: Opponent fouls per game
Teams can’t truly control the ref’s whistle, but VCU did draw nearly 20 fouls per game last season, and you can’t ignore that. The Rams put up over 80 PPG, and getting to the free throw line was a big part of it, where they took nearly 25 a game a season ago.
Djokovic got to the line the most, taking 6.1 free throws per game – one of the best rates in the country. Lewis and Jennings also return, having gone to the line quite a bit last season too. And then there’s Alston, who isn’t a great free throw shooter, but attempted 6.2 per game a season ago with MTSU.
If you play the Rams, you have to know they’ll find a way to the charity stripe.
VCU basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the A-10
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 exit