Men’s basketball conference matchups to watch

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer  

It will be months before fans file into the Stuart C. Siegel Center for a men’s basketball game. But with the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule pairings rolling out, the off-season shouldn’t stop Ram fans from circling games that could make or break the season. In a couple months, the Phil Martelli Jr. era of VCU basketball will begin, and those games will indicate what fans can expect in the coming years. 

VCU at George Mason University

VCU will face off against GMU twice in the regular season, with each team playing a game at its home arena. VCU won its sole regular season game against GMU, but failed to gain the edge in standings as both teams finished with a share of the A-10 regular season title. When the two teams matched up in the conference championship game, VCU once again came away victorious. GMU will be looking to impress its home crowd in VCU’s first game there since January 2024.

VCU vs. Saint Louis University

These teams played a home-and-home series against each other in the 2024-2025 season, and both teams came away with a victory in front of their home crowd. The Billikens’ last season ended with a third round exit in the A-10 tournament as SLU finished 19-15, but the team’s foundation remains. The Billikens retained key players in fourth-year forward Kalu Anya and fourth-year center Robbie Avila, who took home second-team All-Conference honors. With SLU head coach Josh Schertz in year two, the Billikens will look to steal a game from the Rams at the Siegel Center.

VCU vs. University of Richmond

The Capital City Classic is a series that both Rams and Spiders fans have been circling since 1976. VCU won both its matchups against Richmond last season, including a decisive 90-49 rout at the Siegel Center in February. With Martelli Jr. in his first season at VCU and Chris Mooney in his 21st year at Richmond, there is a twenty-year gap between the coaches at their respective programs. The Rams currently hold a two-game win streak over the Spiders.

VCU vs. George Washington University

GWU went 21-13 overall last season with an 80-65 loss in the third round of the A-10 tournament to GMU. GWU was able to retain impact players like third-year guard Trey Autry and redshirt fourth-year forward Rafael Castro. Castro had a standout year, making the A-10 All-Defensive team and the A-10 All-Conference second-team. The Revolutionaries also added graduate student guard Tre Dinkins III, who played the 2024-2025 season with Duquesne University. Dinkins III led the Dukes in points per game and made three pointers, with 12.9 ppg and 77 made threes.

VCU at University of Dayton

Last season, the annual home-and-home series went 1-1 with each team winning on the road. Dayton ended VCU’s chance at a perfect home record last season, beating the Rams 79-76 in the last regular season game. Since 2013, the Rams lead the all-time matchup against the Flyers 16-10, with each team trading wins every year after the 2021-2022 season. These two programs aren’t just familiar with each other on the court — Dayton’s head coach, Anthony Grant, spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach at VCU. The Rams and Flyers put on a show when they go to war twice a year, but appointment television is made when the Rams walk into a hostile UD Arena.

The road to back-to-back A-10 championships starts in the regular season. Securing victories in these five matchups will help bolster the Rams postseason resume.