The Rams tip up their 20th season at the Siegel Center tonight when hosting St. Francis (PA) in this year's opening night tip. VCU enters the contest ranked 25th nationally and the favorite to win the Atlantic 10 conference. St. Francis opens the season as the NEC favorite. One will lose. Let's get into the preview, our first of the year!
<h4>VCU (0-0)
ST. FRANCIS (0-0)</h4>
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT ST. FRANCIS</h4>
The defending NEC regular season champs had to settle for an NIT appearance this past season after an upset loss in their conference tourney, but are hoping an experienced returning group can break the Red Flash through to their first NCAA appearance since 1991.
Keith Braxton returns as the team's leading scorer (16 ppg), an efficient bucket of a wing who hit over 40% from three in conference his past two seasons. He's joined by sharpshooting guard Isaiah Blackmon who boasts a career 42% mark from distance and a cast of characters who played a ton of minutes together last season.
Problem is that is group that checked in at 332nd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency this past season and was one of the worst scoring groups inside the arc. That gives St. Francis little room for error, particularly against a VCU team that was the second best in the country this past season at defending the arc and returns every key piece from last season's team.
Another bad sign for the Red Flash is their recent history of struggles against capable teams.
St. Francis lost all five games they played against kenpom top-200 teams this past season and by an average margin of defeat of 26.4 points.
Uh ohhhh, Red Flash...
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT VCU</h4>
The black and gold return every key piece from last season's NCAA tournament group that dominated the A-10 regular season and added some great backup depth as well. The black and gold return one of the best defensive groups in the country and will hope to increase offensive efficiency as well this season, an accomplishment that could make this a legit Sweet 16 or beyond crew.
All top-six scorers are back for VCU including A-10 POY candidate, Marcus Evans. Evans however had little time to take a breath last season with limited point guard depth, a problem VCU hopes to have solved this offseason with the addition of top-100 freshman point guard, Bones Hyland.
Hyland has looked more than capable in his two preseason samples, leading his Black squad to a victory over Evans' gold team, scoring 10 points and hitting 50% from three in the 24 minute contest. He followed that up by leading all players in VCU's exhibition win over Virginia State with a ridiculous +25 box plus/minus and another 50% night from deep.
If Hyland can continue his hot hand from deep and his teammates can do a bit of the same, VCU will have solved one of last season's true bugaboos, a 30.5% three-point marked that ranked 332nd in the country.
TALE OF THE TAPE (USING LAST SEASON'S NUMBERS)[/HEADING=3]
<h4>VCU (0-0)
ST. FRANCIS (0-0)</h4>
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT ST. FRANCIS</h4>
The defending NEC regular season champs had to settle for an NIT appearance this past season after an upset loss in their conference tourney, but are hoping an experienced returning group can break the Red Flash through to their first NCAA appearance since 1991.
Keith Braxton returns as the team's leading scorer (16 ppg), an efficient bucket of a wing who hit over 40% from three in conference his past two seasons. He's joined by sharpshooting guard Isaiah Blackmon who boasts a career 42% mark from distance and a cast of characters who played a ton of minutes together last season.
Problem is that is group that checked in at 332nd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency this past season and was one of the worst scoring groups inside the arc. That gives St. Francis little room for error, particularly against a VCU team that was the second best in the country this past season at defending the arc and returns every key piece from last season's team.
Another bad sign for the Red Flash is their recent history of struggles against capable teams.
St. Francis lost all five games they played against kenpom top-200 teams this past season and by an average margin of defeat of 26.4 points.
Uh ohhhh, Red Flash...
<h4>A QUICK LOOK AT VCU</h4>
The black and gold return every key piece from last season's NCAA tournament group that dominated the A-10 regular season and added some great backup depth as well. The black and gold return one of the best defensive groups in the country and will hope to increase offensive efficiency as well this season, an accomplishment that could make this a legit Sweet 16 or beyond crew.
All top-six scorers are back for VCU including A-10 POY candidate, Marcus Evans. Evans however had little time to take a breath last season with limited point guard depth, a problem VCU hopes to have solved this offseason with the addition of top-100 freshman point guard, Bones Hyland.
Hyland has looked more than capable in his two preseason samples, leading his Black squad to a victory over Evans' gold team, scoring 10 points and hitting 50% from three in the 24 minute contest. He followed that up by leading all players in VCU's exhibition win over Virginia State with a ridiculous +25 box plus/minus and another 50% night from deep.
If Hyland can continue his hot hand from deep and his teammates can do a bit of the same, VCU will have solved one of last season's true bugaboos, a 30.5% three-point marked that ranked 332nd in the country.
