ANALYSIS/OPINION: Friday night’s game showed patience will be the key for men’s basketball

Ben Ashauer
Columnist

VCU’s first game of the season against St. Francis might not have been what we wanted to see – other than the fact that VCU escaped with a win – but it wasn’t something that should have been unexpected, either.

Many of the fans who watched the pregame Final Four banner ceremony may have been a bit confused upon seeing the Rams run out from the locker room tunnel. It’s probably because most of the video highlights from the ceremony included players that were no longer on the court.

Luckily, they were reminded during a timeout when last year’s seniors Ed Nixon and Joey Rodriguez walked out to half court in street clothes with Rodriguez’s baby.

Speaking of babies, many of the unfamiliar faces on the Rams are freshmen, and they make up about half of the team. While their talent and potential were on full display, so were their inexperience and nerves.

One of the main reasons head coach Shaka Smart encourages his team to play so loosely is because it often calms the team’s nerves, which leads to a smoother shooting stroke. It looks like it might take a while for this year’s team to grasp that concept, as the team was 32.8 percent from the field and 23.3 percent beyond the arc.

Another way the team could play more loosely is with veteran leadership. The only problem is that there’s only one senior on the team, Bradford Burgess. Burgess may be arguably the best player in the CAA, but his role on the team has increased astronomically this season. Not to say it isn’t possible, but his passive demeanor is going to have to change dramatically for the team to find success. Perhaps he’s had trouble adjusting, considering he went 0-for-12 from the floor against St. Francis.

But let’s be positive for a moment. Even though he had two plays worthy of making ESPN’s “Not Top 10,” one has to be impressed with the energy and command of sophomore Juvonte Reddic. His first career double-double proved to be beyond crucial, as he and fellow classmate D.J. Haley controlled the boards, combining for 18 rebounds.

Junior Troy Daniels will take Brandon Rozzell’s role as VCU’s primary three-point shooter. He was able to muster 20 points on 5-of-15 shooting, all from three-point land. He was often credited with being the best shooter in practice all last year, but it rarely translated to the actual games. It’s a good sign to see that he’s already embraced the green light.

As for the group of freshmen, it’s hard to tell who will stand out the most for the team this year. At least one will have to; that’s for sure. Right now, it looks like Briante Weber and Treveon Graham will battle it out for the job as backup guard. Weber may bring the most energy and enthusiasm out of anyone on the team. Graham, on the other hand, seems a bit more subdued but has a knack for getting to the rim.

We didn’t learn a whole lot from this game, but one thing remains a fact: This isn’t the Final Four team from last season. While “Havoc” is the term Smart uses to describe his team’s persona, patience is going to be the biggest factor for the start of the season.

Photos by Chris Conway