Editor's note: This article appeared in print before the start of VCU's season. As of Nov. 18, VCU had a 4-0 record and was ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 poll. The starting lineup for the first four games was as predicted below, with one change: senior guard-forward Mike'L Simms in place of Vince Williams.
Point guard Marcus Evans fends off Temple University’s Nate Pierre-Louis during the 2018-19 season. (Photo courtesy VCU Athletics)
Virginia Commonwealth University’s men’s basketball team played its first game at the Stuart C. Siegel Center on Nov. 19, 1999. To launch the new on-campus facility, the Rams scheduled a perennial powerhouse — the Louisville Cardinals. After VCU fell behind by 20 points, a remarkable comeback ensued. Final score: VCU 79, Louisville 74.
Today, VCU’s 20-year record at the Siegel Center stands at 263-44 — an 86% winning percentage. At the box office, the Rams are working on a streak of 134 consecutive sellouts that stokes their home-court advantage. After games, visiting coaches frequently bemoan the Siegel Center’s raucous atmosphere, telling scribes it played a role in their team’s loss.
Last season was Mike Rhoades’ second as VCU’s head coach, and the Rams finished with a 25-8 record overall, which exceeded most expectations. In doing so, VCU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA’s Division I national championship tournament.
That invitation to the Big Dance was the Rams’ eighth in the last nine seasons, which testifies to the momentum of the basketball program. Barring bad luck, the 14-man squad Rhoades has assembled for the upcoming season could turn out to be the best Rams team ever to run the floor at 1200 W. Broad St.
VCU defeated Louisville in the Rams’ first game at the Siegel Center on Nov. 19, 1999. (Photo courtesy VCU Athletics)
Popular publications that rate Division I basketball teams have listed VCU in their preseason Top 25 polls. Among them are CBS Sports, NBC Sports and SBNation. Because the Rams are in the Atlantic 10 Conference, rather than one of the blue-blood “Power Six” conferences, garnering such respect is unusual.
Why now? In addition to the aforementioned momentum, four starters with scoring averages in double figures are returning from a team that finished the regular season by winning 12 consecutive games. Five bench players are also back. But the standout factor for the high hopes is probably VCU’s head coach.
Rhoades, 47, won the A-10’s 2018-19 Coach of the Year recognition, and the former Division III national player of the year (1995) has developed a strategy that seems to suit his team. His approach is to use 10 or 11 players, rather than the usual seven or eight. This encourages his players to go all out, all the time. This scenario also calls for a dose of unselfishness. Because the playing time is spread around, that means scoring fewer points as individuals.
What those Top 25 predictions are likely reflecting is the effectiveness of Rhoades’ method — whether the Rams’ results fulfill that promise remains to be seen.
Starting 5
The likely lineup when the Rams take to the court
(from left) Marcus Evans, De’Riante Jenkins, Issac Vann, Vince Williams, Marcus Santos-Silva (Courtesy VCU Athletics)
Senior guard Marcus Evans, 6-foot-2 (averaged 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds last season): Evans is solid on offense and defense. With his savvy and natural confidence, he handles pressure smoothly and was selected for the A-10’s all-conference first team last season. The downside? He’s been injury-prone.
Senior guard De’Riante Jenkins, 6-foot-5 (11.3 points, 3.9 rebounds): As a junior, he showed maturity by evolving from a scorer into a leader and a clutch player. With his reach, he plays taller than 6-foot-5. Last season, he was picked for the A-10 all-conference third team.
Senior forward Issac Vann, 6-foot-6 (10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds): With his athleticism, he can be a force on offense and a tenacious stopper on defense. However, lapses of inconsistency have prevented his all-conference-caliber talent from fully developing.
Sophomore guard-forward Vince Williams, 6-foot-6 (4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds): Because of his development in last season’s second half, he finished it off getting a starter’s playing time. His crafty, muscular style in the paint was a plus at both ends of the floor.
Junior forward Marcus Santos-Silva, 6-foot-7 (10 points, 7.4 rebounds): His steady improvement as a sophomore helped the Rams ambush some accomplished opponents in 2018-19. His strength and hustle present problems for most big men who contend with him.
