PRESS BOX: Let’s run it back – VCU and UVA renew in-state rivalry

In light of statewide support, VCU Men’s basketball will rekindle it’s in-state rivalry with the University of Virginia beginning in 2017.

The home-and-home series will tip-off Nov. 17 at the Seigel Center. In 2018, the rivalry will head up interstate 64 to John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. VCU and U.Va. held a closed scrimmage last season, but did not play after splitting a home-and-home in 2013 and 2014. 

The Rams and Cavaliers went on a 13-year hiatus from competition after U.Va. won 10 of 11 meetings throughout the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. VCU Coach Will Wade said he realizes the hierarchy of Virginia collegiate basketball has changed dramatically since then.

“Obviously, they’re a great program and a great team that’s going to be tremendous for our schedule,” Wade told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “We’re a program that has finished inside the top 40 in RPI for five straight years. It’s a good game for everybody. I think our program has elevated to the point where it’s a solid game for them.”

Only 70 miles apart, the Rams and Cavaliers are natural rivals, but a lack of mutually sustained success has hindered the development of any basketball-associated animosity between the schools.

This is no longer the case. In the past three seasons, the Cavaliers have gone 89-19 while finishing fourth, sixth and third in the final Associated Press poll. The Tony Bennett era has seen U.Va. basketball ascend to heights unreached since the departure of legendary center Ralph Sampson in the early 1980’s.

Similarly, basketball on Broad Street has never been better. VCU is one of eight schools to consecutively appear in the last six NCAA tournaments. The Rams have reached eight of the last 10 tournaments while averaging 26.3 wins a season. Furthermore, VCU boasts a final-four run in 2011, which is an achievement that has eluded the Wahoos for the last 32 years.

For the first time in decades, Virginia collegiate basketball is experiencing a power struggle. In a state long-defined by depth, there is now finally a clear-cut top-dog and number one challenger.

VCU junior point guard and Richmond native Jonathan Williams spoke about having another shot at the ‘Hoos before he graduates. Williams did not play against them as a freshman in 2014. 

“You know they’re going to be really good and very fundamental,” Williams said. “They’re one of the best teams in the country so that’s a matchup we really want. That’s somebody we’ll really be looking forward to playing.”

Despite the early hype, Williams said he’s always trying to keep his focus on the task at hand.

“With games like that, you know when it’s coming up. You know when you’ve got a couple games to go until you play them,” Williams said. “That’s when the old guys come in handy, though, because you may look forward to a U.Va, Mason, ODU or Richmond but maybe we play a Davidson or LaSalle before that and you’ve gotta think about that too.”

This approach has been a staple of VCU basketball’s success for the past decade. Since the Seigel Center opened in 1999, the Black and Gold are a staggering 220-35 in what is widely regarded as one of the country’s most electric arenas.

However impressive, VCU’s home record only includes six matchups against AP-ranked opponents in which the Rams are 4-2. In contrast, U.Va welcomed four ranked opponents to Charrlottesville last season alone. 

“I can’t say enough about how gung-ho Virginia’s been about playing and how great they’ve been to work with,” Wade said. “It’s difficult. It’s not often that you have a willing partner that’s a big-time program.”

Sports Editor, Zach Joachim
Zach is a junior pursuing a dual degree in print journalism and English. A proud Norfolk-ian, he enjoys long walks on the beach, English literature of the romantic period and anything pertaining to Harry Potter or baseball. Zach an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan who can usually be found working at the Student Media Center or running along the James. // joachimz@commonwealthtimes.org

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