Young VCU squad dominates South Florida in the paint
Shaka Smart preached about how good his post players were going to have to be against South Florida. He saw results Wednesday night.
D.J. Haley matched his career-high of six points Wednesday night against South Florida. (Ian Myers/CT)
Jim Swing
Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times’ Sports Twitter
Shaka Smart preached about how good his post players were going to have to be against South Florida.
The emphasis sounded something like: The Bulls have bigger players, and we’re going to have to bully them.
“We’re going to have to do a terrific job on the inside,” Smart said earlier in the week. “If we can battle on the glass for 40 minutes, we got a great shot.
“Then we’re going to have to do a great job defending their bigs.”
There was no doubt that it would be the difference in the game. Flash back to when the two teams met last year, and South Florida bullied and badgered, grabbing 10 more boards than VCU. Ron Anderson Jr. pulled down 13 rebounds, nine on the offensive end. The Rams lost that game 60-59 in overtime.
This year VCU got younger, South Florida got more experienced, but Smart wouldn’t let it happen again.
And it didn’t.
VCU harassed and strong-armed the Bulls, not hesitating to kick a team without one of its leading scorers when it was down. Juvonte Reddic grabbed nine rebounds, D.J. Haley, Bradford Burgess and Treveon Graham combined for 12, and the Rams got revenge on South Florida to the tune of a 69-46 victory.
“They were great. They didn’t get a lot of shots offensively; when they did I thought they had their moments,” Smart said. “They were huge for us defensively. South Florida beat us up physically last year down there with their big guys.”
But it was VCU that would lay down the physical pounding this time around. Perhaps that was most indicative midway through the second half when South Florida forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick laid on the ground grimacing in pain over an ankle injury as Burgess took the ball the other way and converted a turnover into points.
The sophomore duo of Reddic and Haley looked dominant against the pair of upperclassmen Anderson Jr. and Fitzpatrick accustomed to battling in the Big East.
Haley matched his career-high with six points, while showcasing his fade-away hook shot that’s starting to become his offensive trademark on a young VCU team.
“I thought D.J. and Juvonte gave us a physical presence inside,” Smart said. “They didn’t back down. They had a lot of critical rebounds in the second half.”
Said Burgess: “Juvonte and D.J., they were amazing today. They were playing big and boxing out and getting offensive rebounds, getting extra possessions.
“They did just a great job tonight.”
Coming away with a win in the record books and a win on the boards have gone hand-in-hand lately. So far this year VCU has won every game when it outrebounds its opponent.
In years past, VCU has never been a team that dominates the boards. It hindered the team last year, and with an even younger team this year, one would think it would get even worse. But it’s only gotten better.
And outrebounding a sizable South Florida team by seven doesn’t even color Smart bewildered, but it does instill some confidence.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I knew we were capable of it,” Smart said. “But it definitely is pleasing because they have a very good rebounding team.”
