Unfortunately my short stint as one-time VCU grad assistant and current role as Ram Nation blogger weren’t enough to punch me a ticket to Italy with the squad (I offered to sit in coach!). Regardless, here’s a quick conclusion of how VCU’s Italian trip treated the maturing Rams squad before their inaugural A-10 season.
Game 1: VCU 118 – 71 Amici Del Campero
Key Player: Teddy Okereafor – 17 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds
Key Stat: 29 forced turnovers
Game 2: VCU 103 – 32 Kosarkaski Klub Zeta (Montenegro)
Key Player: Treveon Graham – 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Key Stat: 39 forced turnovers
Game 3: VCU 85 – 47 Basket Club Atletas (Lithuanian First Division)
Key Player: Troy Daniels – 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Key Stat: BC Atletas reportedly beat both Georgia and Purdue and lost to Tennessee by 12 (to VCU by 38)
Game 4: VCU 106 – 44 All-Star Italy
Key Player: Jared Guest – 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 blocks
Key Stat: Rams finish trip with average margin of victory of 54.5 points.
I have no idea of the talent level of the teams our boys played (although that 38-point win over BC Atletas is a certainly a great sign), but you have to love seeing guys like Jared Guest and Teddy Okereafor having key games as sophomores for the Rams. If VCU can get that type of play from two players who were relatively quiet their freshmen seasons, VCU looks to be the deepest team we’ve ever seen to wear the black and gold. With just about three months until the Rams officially tip if up for the 2012-2013 season, we won’t have to wait very long to find out just how deep this team really is.
