Freshman forward comes up big in VCU’s win at Hofstra

Jim Swing
Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times’ Sports Twitter

Prior to Monday night’s game at Hofstra, freshman forward Jarred Guest had only seen 21 minutes of playing time in the VCU men’s basketball team’s 13 games. He grabbed the first two points of his collegiate career at the Verizon Center against George Washington Dec. 4 and hadn’t scored since.

But in the first half of a game where the Rams found themselves in constant foul trouble against the Pride, Guest was given an opportunity. He pulled down six rebounds and had no trouble getting to the charity stripe, shooting 6-for-6 from the line in helping VCU push its lead to 11 at the half.

“Jarred Guest really gave us a big lift with six points and six rebounds in the first half,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “We’ve been waiting on that, he plays with great energy in practice.

“He had been a little bit lost when we put him into the game, but he really went in there and looked like a veteran, he showed some poise.”

On a roster that regularly plays a four-guard lineup and doesn’t carry a ton of depth in the frontcourt, a freshman forward can be hard to fit in.

Smart said Guest’s increased minutes were attributed not only to VCU’s foul trouble, but his performance in practice leading up to the game. And whether or not Guest continues to see more minutes, the ball remains in his court.

“That happens in basketball, you get an opportunity and you’ve got to seize it,” Smart said. “In terms of moving forward how many minutes he gets is completely up to him, we play the guys that are going to help us win.”