Ram Nation has much to look forward to but no room for slip-ups

Ben Ashauer
Columnist

The treys are still falling. The defense is still relentless. The opponents are still walking into the tunnel after the game shrugging their shoulders.

It doesn’t look like much has changed since VCU’s loss to Alabama, barely under a month ago.

While none of the five opponents since that loss were anything to write home about, one has to be impressed with the consistency the Rams have shown night-in and night-out.

One key stat might be the biggest indicator of the team’s success: turnover margin. The Rams are averaging less than just under seven turnovers per game than their opponents this season. VCU is fifth in the nation in that category behind teams such as Syracuse, Ohio State and Missouri.

That’s not too bad for the 10th youngest team in Division-I basketball.

There have been some really big individual performances over that five-game span, but I’m here to focus on the past two against UNCW and UAB.

First of all, in case you didn’t notice, Juvonte Reddic is just playing flat-out Reddic-ulous. I hate that pun as much as anyone else, but never has it been as applicable as it is right now. It’s at the point where you almost have to do a double take upon hearing the announcer yell his name after some of his scores.

Fadeaways? Driving the ball to the rim like it’s his job? Blocks into the stands? Reddic-ulous.

Another player that seems to have completely come out of his shell is freshman Treveon Graham. Granted, that shell had only been on for 10 games in his career, but his aggression on the offensive end has increased astronomically. He shied away from shooting from beyond the arc for the majority of the season so far, but he’s really embraced the green light lately. If he continues to do so, we might have two Bradford Burgesses in the same lineup if you take into account their remarkably similar build and versatility.

It’s really tough to nitpick right now. When UNCW’s coach noted that VCU looks “better than it was at this point in the season last year,” it was just confirmation that Ram Nation has a lot to be excited about thus far.

However, this type of consistency is virtually impossible. Even Shaka Smart won’t be able to control the inevitable headaches that will occur with such a young team. It’s been amazing how well he’s handled it to this point, but the team needs to be prepared for anything down the road.

VCU has a history of losing its focus under Smart over Winter Break during away games. With the next three games on the road, VCU can’t let any slip-ups occur or there could be trouble.

Photos by Chris Conway