Men’s basketball poised for biggest season yet
Quinn Casteel
Sports Editor
Analysis/Opinion
It’s a topic that has been harped on relentlessly in the college basketball media: the VCU men’s basketball team is on the rise and ready to make that next step as a program.
But just how big will this season be for the Rams?
It will be the biggest yet and for a number of reasons. Among those: talent, perception and a phenomenal schedule.
To start, this may be the best collection of talent the program has ever had. The additions of ESPNU Top 100 recruits Jordan Burgess and Melvin Johnson are the icing on top of the cake for a team which returns 80 percent of its scoring from a year ago. Sports Illustrated college basketball writer Luke Winn recently ranked Treveon Graham as the nation’s No. 1 sophomore ready for a breakout year. Meanwhile, junior big man Juvonte Reddic has earned himself national expectations as well.
But talent is nothing new to the Rams.
VCU has been the only significant NBA contributor in the Commonwealth over the past four years, but the team has still been perceived as underdogs throughout their continued success in that span. And in college basketball, where human-generated rankings and seedings dictate the balance of power, perception is everything.
The perceived weakness of the Colonial Athletic Association last season led to one of the biggest NCAA Tournament snubs in the past decade, with Drexel being left on the wrong side of the bubble despite being solidly within the top 60 of the RPI.
Perception has long been the extra cards in the deck stacked against mid-major conferences, but for VCU, all that has changed and not simply because of the program’s realignment to the Atlantic 10. This season, the country and the national media will have a brand new perception of the VCU Rams, and that is a reputation as one of the “bullies” of mid-major basketball.
Now, the A-10 is not really a true mid-major, but that is irrelevant when it comes to the way VCU will be viewed by the powers that be in college basketball. The league is somewhere in between a true mid-major and a high-major such as the ACC or BIG EAST, but regardless of conference, VCU has established itself as one of the prestigious few “bullies” alongside teams such as Gonzaga, Memphis and Wichita State.
As one of the select powerhouses, VCU will now have the rare opportunity to actually be overrated as a program of their stature. That’s not to say that the Rams are by any means an overrated team right now, but their recent dominance will earn them respect from year-to-year based on reputation alone.
VCU has a rare opportunity to put itself in a class with a team like Gonzaga, which has made 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Because VCU’s perception has evolved so much over the last three years under Shaka Smart, the recruiting trail and in turn the scheduling has become a lot more Ram friendly.
Look no further than the Battle 4 Atlantis lineup to know that VCU is at an all new level. To be in a preseason tournament with Duke, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Stanford and Memphis is a symbol of status and an important accomplishment for the program. Normally, elite teams avoid rabidly defensive teams like VCU, but when it means an extra gold star in your body of work when it comes time for Selection Sunday, they’re going to oblige a meeting with the Black-and-Gold.
For as many benefits as a rise in national respect will get you, including a spot in the preseason top 25 which is likely for VCU this year, there is no substitute for winning. With the athletic department having already sold out of season tickets for the season and even opened a waiting list, it’s clear the city is on board for another winning year.
Although another 25 win season may not be in the cards in 2012-2013, 20 against the right teams should easily land VCU in the Tournament this year and for years to come.
- Juvonte Reddic, Jr. – Power forward
After being among the most improved players in the country a year ago, Reddic is getting more attention from college basketball national media than any other VCU player. Reddic’s 6.7 rebounds and 10.3 points per game should improve exponentially over the next two years.
- Troy Daniels, Sr. – Shooting guard
Daniels was 49th in the country in three point shooting percentage a year ago, and he shot almost seven three pointers per game. He’s not a one-dimensional player though. His defensive abilities fit into the HAVOC system and he rebounds very well for his size and position. Daniels will bring even more to the table as a senior.
- Briante Weber , So. – Point guard
Weber was 25th in the country in steals per game (2.14) as a freshman last season. He is the heart and soul of the defensive energy that HAVOC brings. His defense will always be there, but the question at this point is how much he will bring on the offensive side.
- Treveon Graham, So. – Small forward
No VCU player got to the free throw line at a higher per minute rate last season than rising sophomore Graham. His role in the offense will be significantly better with his predecessor at the position Bradford Burgess out of the picture.
