We're No. 69! Rams Edition

Less than a month until NCAA Selection Sunday, so the final push for teams to bolster their cases for inclusion and to prevent the entire Southeastern Conference from en masse invitation. Compelling cases abound for the 68-team field among programs from marquee leagues and so-called mid-majors. 

 

Personally, I have a soft spot for teams from lower rated leagues that excel over middle-of-the-pack teams in blue blood conferences that possess numerous structural and financial advantages already. Reward teams that enjoy outsized success, rather than brand name programs that benefit from the neighborhood in which they reside (looking at you, Georgia and Nebraska, among others). 

With that in mind, several bracketology noodlers have VCU (that’s Virginia Commonwealth University, for the Mid-Atlantic impaired) among the first four teams omitted, which means that the Rams can still play their way into the tournament, either by winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament and earning the league’s automatic bid, or stockpiling wins as the season winds down and presenting the selection committee with a convincing case for one of the 37 at-large bids (Correction: in a previous post, I mistakenly wrote that the field is comprised of 32 conference champs and 36 at-large bids; I forgot that the demise of the Pac-12 removed one league champ and thus added an at-large berth. Management regrets the error). 

Let’s dig into the Rams. 

Recent History: Pretty fair, for a program outside the Power Conferences. The Rams have made the NCAA Tournament 13 times since 2004 and have won at least 20 games seventeen times in that span, under six different coaches. VCU famously made the Final Four in 2011 under Shaka Smart as a member of the Colonial (now Coastal) Athletic Association, advancing from the First Four and upsetting Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State and Kansas. Their .712 winning percentage in conference play since joining the A10 in 2012 is the league’s best. 

Mascot/Nickname Profile: Rodney the Ram originated in 1963 under the Richmond Professional Institute and replaced an early mascot known as the Green Devil. RPI merged with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968, after which the school changed colors to the current black and gold. 

Home Arena: E.J. Wade Arena at the Stuart Siegel Center, often referred to as The Stu, downtown Richmond (cap. 7,637). Darn fine small arena. School’s pep band is a banger and contributes greatly to excellent gameday experience. Legit homecourt advantage. 

Notable Hoops Alumni: Bones Hyland, Vince Williams Jr., Kendrick Warren, Eric Maynor, Larry Sanders (no, not that one), Briante’ Weber, Treveon Graham, Mo Alie-Cox, an athletic marvel who after a college career as a rebounding and shot-blocking monster neatly transitioned to pro football and became a tight end with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Recent photo of 
Briante' Weber

Current Season: Rams are 20-5 overall, 10-2 in A10, in second place behind George Mason, under second-year head coach Ryan Odom, son of longtime Wake Forest coach Dave Odom and who played for former William and Mary head mustache Tony Shaver at Hampden-Sydney. You might recall that Odom, who replaced Mike Rhoades, was head coach at UMBC in 2018, when the Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, blasting Virginia in the first round of the NCAAs. 

Reason to Believe: Rams are a veteran bunch with size and depth, and they defend the starch out of opponents. Six of their top seven are grad students or seniors, led by 6-4 guard Joe Bamisile (15.8 ppg) and 6-5 Max Shulga (15.1 ppg, team-high 97 assists). They are top-25 nationally in defensive efficiency, top-10 in effective field goal percentage defense. They’re among the national leaders in blocked shots and opponent turnover rate at more than 20 percent. VCU is No. 32 in Ken Pomeroy’s team rankings and No. 34 in NCAA Net Rankings, as of last weekend. They average better than nine 3-pointers per game. 

Reason to Fade Them: Little room for error. The Rams’ non-conference strength of schedule (301) doesn’t help the cause. The A10 is rated only sixth or seventh among conferences, with VCU and Mason the only teams among the top 70 in NCAA Net Rankings. Losses from here on are more likely to hurt its statistical profile more than wins will benefit. The Rams get their lone crack at Mason on Feb. 22 and finish the regular season vs. Dayton on March 7, both at home, in what are their best chances to enhance the resume’ before the conference tournament. If VCU can reach 26 or 27 wins, even without winning the A10 Tournament, it might be enough to sneak in, provided there are few at-large bid thiefs come March.