Men’s Basketball presses forward with tournament hopes

Ryan Grube, Contributing Writer

All streaks must come to an end. That’s the motto Men’s Basketball has lived with after last season’s first failed tournament bid in seven years, but it has not blocked tournament hopes for 2019.

Mike Rhoades, the third VCU head coach in four years, endured growing pains while rebuilding in the 2017-18 season.

Following last season’s eighth-place finish in the Atlantic 10, the Rams (18-15, 9-9 Atlantic 10) missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Current Director of Player Development — and former Rams point guard — Darius Theus said the missed postseason opportunity was disappointing, especially given the program’s success in recent years.

“The first time missing the tournament, I was really hurt by it,” Theus said. “So, I think the team has been working hard to improve their legacy, and improve coach Rhoades’ legacy to make sure that never happens again.”

The A-10 committee picked the Rams to finish seventh in a conference preseason poll, but Rhoades’ bunch has exceeded all expectations.

Rhoades brought nine new faces to the squad. Among them are transfers redshirt-junior guard Marcus Evans, sophomore forward Corey Douglas and redshirt-senior forward Michael Gilmore, as well as the freshman class of forward Vince Williams and guards P.J. Byrd and KeShawn Curry.

A deeper bench has boosted the team’s defensive efficiency. By cycling in more bodies, Rhoades can apply more pressure on the ball.   

A crucial road victory Saturday over St. Bonaventure improved the Rams to 17-6 for the season, and the team is now tied atop the conference with Davidson, 8-2 in the A-10.

Chris Kowalczyk, assistant athletic director for Athletics Communications, said the drastic turnaround is a testament to the team’s much-improved defense.

“It’s pretty remarkable, where we are this year compared to last year,” Kowalczyk said. “We were rated somewhere around 150th defensively last year, and now we’re rated eighth. The team has really, really grinded defensively.”

The resurgence of the Rams’ notorious HAVOC defense has re-established them as a current favorite to secure one of the 36 at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament in March.

Assistant coach J.D. Byers said although the tournament is in the back of their minds, the players can’t get focus on March just yet.

“I think it’s something in our peripheral vision,” Byers said. “But, at this point, we’re really trying to focus on one game at a time and control what we can control.”

But with the NCAA Tournament only weeks away, ESPN’s projections have already started. The latest update from ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi has the Rams as a No. 11 seed and one of his last four teams in the field of 68.

Given the team’s Final Four run in 2011 under the same circumstances, the scenario holds promise. Theus said making the tournament would mean a lot to this year’s team.

“I think that’ll be the biggest topic, being the No. 11 seed,” Theus said. “But hopefully people don’t get too excited about that legacy and think we’re going back to the Final Four.”

With nine games still left in the conference season, players and coaches are tackling one challenger at a time, but hope to still be playing in March.

“I think just making the tournament is a blessing,” Theus said. “As long as we’re playing in March, that’s the goal.”

The Rams will return home for their next game Feb. 13 against crosstown rival Richmond at 7 p.m.