Column: Six-game winning streak shows Rams peaking at right time

Ben Ashauer
Columnist
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The tough losses VCU suffered to Drexel and Georgia State in early January feels like ages ago as we approach February.

The Rams have now reeled off six straight wins after their 67-42 win over Towson Wednesday, which gives them an attractive-looking 8-2 record in the CAA.

While their record looks pretty nice, their opponents’ were far from it over that stretch, though, minus a gritty home win against fourth-place ODU. But VCU did what they had to: get their Havoc brand of defense back on track while getting victories in the process.

Because let’s face it: with a scary upcoming schedule looming in the distance, they needed those wins to help cushion their record.

The Rams may have played down to the competition in a few of those games, but the defense is in good form with a vital rematch at Georgia State on Saturday on the horizon. No team in the six-game span since VCU’s trip to Drexel scored more than 60 points in regulation, thanks in large part to an increased intensity level on the defensive end.

The offense, on the other hand, is still going to need some tweaking in order to feel confident the rest of the way. While Head Coach Shaka Smart still insists that senior Bradford Burgess is the “best player on the team,” he has yet to find a groove on the offensive end. In the past six games he has made only 15 of his 55 shots from the floor.

Luckily for VCU, Burgess hasn’t been dragging the team down with him. The Rams have the luxury of having several players who can be the leader for a certain game. It’s only a matter of time before it’s more than one guy who shows up offensively and the team shoots cohesively.

The most important breakthrough performance over the span may have been Rob Brandenberg’s game against Towson. After last season, most fans figured that Brandenberg might be the team’s most consistent player on the offensive end, next to Burgess.

That shows how much predictions are worth, huh?

After a few terrific scoring outputs and clutch shots down the stretch at the start of the season, Brandenberg just hasn’t been able to find much of a rhythm since then, perhaps due to an injury he suffered prior to the Akron game. If he can build upon the team-leading 16 points he scored last night, then he might find himself back in the starting line-up.

More importantly, it would give VCU one more shoulder to lean on when they need it.

If Smart wants a spark offensively, then having one of their most intense players in Brandenberg on the floor more often wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

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Photo by: Zach Gibson