PRESS BOX: VCU Men’s Basketball’s new additions will help them go far

Thailon Wilson, Staff Writer

From transfers to freshmen, VCU men’s basketball added some key pieces that will help the team in the upcoming 2022-2023 basketball season.

The coaching staff worked together in order to find, evaluate and sign recruits — as a result, they were the No.1 ranked recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 Conference, according to 247 Sports. 

The recruiting class consisted of four star recruits: Alphonzo “Fats” Billups, Christian Fermin, Obinnaya Okafor and Toibu “Tobi” Lawal.

Billups is a 6-foot-7-inch combo guard with playmaking, shot-making prowess and no slouch on the defensive side. He was also ranked in the top 100 in the ESPN 2022 Recruiting Class.

Billups said in an interview with college recruiting and sports website ON3 that he believes the game style of VCU fits his own.

“I picked VCU because I feel it’s the best for my type of playstyle,” Billups said. “The coaches are great, the players are great, and the school is great.”

His playstyle surely matches with VCU’s style of fast pace offense and suffocating defense. He will without a doubt make an impact as a shot making defender.

Fermin, who also was a top 150 national prospect, is a 6-foot-10-inch center from Pennsylvania who is known for his athleticism and sneaky shooting ability, according to the Pocono Record. Fermin will be the tallest member on the team and will be a great addition for defense and rebounding, according to VCU Athletics.

The diamond in the rough prospect however, is Lawal. Lawal is a 6-foot-8-inch forward from London who has a vertical inside the 40-inch range. He dunks every ball he touches and he is able to block shots that come his way with his leaping ability. 

Lawal should be a possible dynamic duo with VCU point guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr. who is a good lob setter. Lawal will catch those lobs and be an instant spark plug for the team and will spark hype for the fans.

VCU head coach Mike Rhoades said in an interview with The Commonwealth Times last month that Lawal’s athleticism and work ethic will be important for this team. 

“He’s got a lot of great potential and upside — he plays really hard. He’s just super athletic,” Rhoades said. 

This recruiting class has a lot of potential for the future of the program, but VCU also looked to the NCAA Transfer Portal to add some key veteran experience to boost the team’s success as well. 

In the transfer portal, the Rams picked up University of Michigan junior guard Zeb Jackson, University of Michigan graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr. and University of Hartford senior forward David Shriver.

Jackson is a combo guard who has very high leaping ability that is similar to Lawal at a smaller 6-foot-5-inch frame. Jackson also has shotmaking ability that will be important points for the black and gold. 

Shriver is a designated shooter pickup by the Rams this offseason. VCU has great shotmakers who can also shoot very well in Baldwin and guard Jayden Nunn, but the team doesn’t necessarily have a defined sharpshooter — Shriver fits right into that role. 

Shriver shot 5-from-7 from the three point line in a scrimmage on Oct. 22 against Villanova University in Washington D.C., according to Bracket Forecast. Shriver accumulated 15 points just from downtown. 

Johns is also coming from the University of Michigan, with a lot of veteran experience and ability to help the team. Johns showed his versatility in the black and gold game in which he scored 13 points and four rebounds.

Rhoades said Johns is a great presence and his ability to play shows on the court.

“He’s been so much fun to coach since the day he got here. Positive energy, so into it, loves VCU,” Rhoades said. “You would have thought he’s here for four years. Pretty cool, but when he gets on the court, he can play.”

VCU has added the necessary pieces to be competitive in the A-10 again this year. The team has added a bunch of pieces that help to round out the team as a lot of other teams in the A-10 had lost key pieces to graduation.