MTE tournaments have not been the kindest of events to VCU for some time now. The Rams went 1-2 in last season's Charleston Classic, avoiding last place by defeating Miami in their final game. The season prior they did essentially the same, this time in Orlando, following up an 0-2 start with a tourney-saving 12-point win over former Head Coach, Mike Rhoades, and his Penn State Nittany Lions squad. The year before that the Rams were actually led by Rhoades, going 1-1 in the Brooklyn-based Legends Classic, losing to Arizona State before once again defeating a former VCU Head Coach, this time Jeff Capel and his Pitt Panthers.
Those types of .500 or worse finishes in early season tournaments have been mostly the norm for VCU, so this weekend's third place finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis that included a winners bracket beating of Virginia Tech, 86-68, not only just felt good to Rams fans who have had to suffer through these November events previously, but also put a little meat on the bone of a NCAA tournament resume the Rams are hoping to build.
VCU's two wins gave the Rams two "quad 2" victories in the NET system the NCAA Selection Committee will eventually use come March, while their one loss, a double-digit defeat at the hands of Atlantis Champ, Vanderbilt, was of the quad 1 variety that won't likely end up hurting the black and gold. The victories helped move VCU up to No.45 in the Kenpom rankings and open things up in the NET at No.57. Last season's eventual A-10 Champ Rams were around the same spot at this point in the season, floating between 40th and 46th on kenpom the first week of December.
Last year's A-10 saw just four teams finish in the kenpom top-100, VCU leading the way at 34th, with no others within the top-75. So far the conference has been much improved and with that, could give VCU more opportunities within conference play to improve their resume. Six Atlantic 10 teams are ranked within the kenpom top-100 with five of those inside the top-75.
As for the non-conference, VCU has already faced the biggest challenges they'll see, playing three teams within the top-35 and five total teams within the top-100. VCU went 2-3 against that group, losing all top-35 matchups (close losses to No.34 Utah State and No.29 NC State and a 15-point L to No.10 Vanderbilt after trailing the Commodores by just two points as the half). The Rams play just one more team inside the kenpom top-200 to finish out their con-conference schedule, taking on a rebuilt New Mexico squad (No.108) in hopes of avenging a seven-point loss at New Mexico this past season.
Kenpom currently has VCU as a double-digit favorite in all of their remaining out of conference games. The Rams will take on No.230 Samford this Friday at the Siegel Center where Pomeroy has the black and gold as a 19-point home favorite.
Those types of .500 or worse finishes in early season tournaments have been mostly the norm for VCU, so this weekend's third place finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis that included a winners bracket beating of Virginia Tech, 86-68, not only just felt good to Rams fans who have had to suffer through these November events previously, but also put a little meat on the bone of a NCAA tournament resume the Rams are hoping to build.
VCU's two wins gave the Rams two "quad 2" victories in the NET system the NCAA Selection Committee will eventually use come March, while their one loss, a double-digit defeat at the hands of Atlantis Champ, Vanderbilt, was of the quad 1 variety that won't likely end up hurting the black and gold. The victories helped move VCU up to No.45 in the Kenpom rankings and open things up in the NET at No.57. Last season's eventual A-10 Champ Rams were around the same spot at this point in the season, floating between 40th and 46th on kenpom the first week of December.
Last year's A-10 saw just four teams finish in the kenpom top-100, VCU leading the way at 34th, with no others within the top-75. So far the conference has been much improved and with that, could give VCU more opportunities within conference play to improve their resume. Six Atlantic 10 teams are ranked within the kenpom top-100 with five of those inside the top-75.
As for the non-conference, VCU has already faced the biggest challenges they'll see, playing three teams within the top-35 and five total teams within the top-100. VCU went 2-3 against that group, losing all top-35 matchups (close losses to No.34 Utah State and No.29 NC State and a 15-point L to No.10 Vanderbilt after trailing the Commodores by just two points as the half). The Rams play just one more team inside the kenpom top-200 to finish out their con-conference schedule, taking on a rebuilt New Mexico squad (No.108) in hopes of avenging a seven-point loss at New Mexico this past season.
Kenpom currently has VCU as a double-digit favorite in all of their remaining out of conference games. The Rams will take on No.230 Samford this Friday at the Siegel Center where Pomeroy has the black and gold as a 19-point home favorite.
