Scouting Report: VCU vs. Richmond

VCU’s men’s basketball will face the University of Richmond Spiders in the Capital City Classic on Feb. 3 here at the Siegel Center.

The CT Sports staff chose their notable players for this matchup.

VCU Rams

Alexis Washington, Contributing Writer 

Joe Bamisile – The six-foot-four-inch fourth-year guard Joe Bamisile is an explosive three-level scorer, according to VCU Athletics. Bamisile’s ability to shoot behind the arc has been a key part of VCU’s winning streak. He made seven three-point shots against St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 19, according to VCU Athletics. On that same night, he scored a career-high of 29 points. Bamisile returned the next game and put up another 20 points against Loyola Chicago, according to VCU Athletics. He averages 13.5 points and three rebounds this season, according to ESPN. This athleticism is nothing new to Bamisile, he is a veteran transfer who has played in more than 60 college games, according to VCU Athletics. He was out during the first half of the season due to his eligibility being denied but has made his mark on the court.  

Hayden Braun, Contributing Writer

Max Shulga – The six-foot-four-inch fourth-year guard is currently leading VCU with an average of 14.7 points per game and is top three in rebounds and assists on the team. Shulga has a very elite free throw percentage at 86.3%. He has the most three-pointers scored and attempted with a 38.7 three-point percentage on the season, according to ESPN. Max Shulga is certainly a key player to VCU’s success and is going to need all that and more against the Richmond Spiders who are on a nine-game winning streak, according to Richmond Athletics.

Richmond Spiders

Kyler Gilliam, Contributing Writer

Jordan King – The Spiders are led by their fourth-year guard Jordan King. King leads the Spiders in points per game with 19.0, according to ESPN. King is an efficient scorer, having a field goal percentage of 47.7%, according to ESPN. King also shoots a high percentage from the three-point line, shooting 42.0% from behind the arc, according to ESPN. King is coming off a 32-point performance in a win against George Washington University. That was King’s third 30-point game of the season, King has the most 30-point games in a season for a Richmond Spider since the 2016-17 season, according to Richmond Athletics. Richmond’s recent success can be attributed to King’s offensive performances. The Spiders will need King to produce on the offensive side to pick up a victory against the Rams.

Violet Velasquez, Contributing Writer 

Isaiah Bigelow – The Richmond Spiders acquired graduate student Isaiah Bigelow in the 2022-23 season as he transferred from Wofford College in South Carolina. This six-foot-seven-inch forward fit right into the Spiders’ program as he ranked second in the A-10 for defensive rebound percentage, and ninth in the A-10 with 5.9 defensive rebounds per game. He also led Richmond in points scored off the bench scoring 234 points, according to ESPN. This season Bigelow is maintaining offensive dominance shooting .451 from the field and .845 from the foul line, according to ESPN.