VCU NCAA Tournament Preview, Prediction
The VCU Rams have made it to the NCAA Tournament. Here's a preview of the team and a prediction of how they'll do during March Madness.
The VCU Rams have made it to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a preview of the team and a prediction of how they’ll do during March Madness.
Resume
Team: VCU Rams
Record: 24-10
Conference: Atlantic 10
Head coach: Will Wade
How they got here: At-large bid
The Good
The Rams can put points on the board in a hurry and do a great job on the glass. The frantic defense made famous under former head coach Shaka Smart is still there and creates a lot of live-ball turnovers. Melvin Johnson has been great finishing on the break. He’s a quality inside-outside scorer, and when he’s running and JeQuan Lewis is finding him on the break, VCU is a headache.
The Bad
Johnson, Lewis and Korey Billbury are impressive, but beyond that group, the Rams don’t have many guys who can knock down a three. That allows opponents to pack the lane and makes it tougher for VCU to function in the half court. If the Rams don’t control the tempo, they run into a lot of problems.
Prediction
The Rams are going to be dangerous, and although they won’t be putting together a magical run, they can surprise some teams. They gave Duke and Wisconsin all they could handle in November, proving they won’t be wowed by a big-name opponent. A sleeper to get to the second weekend.
