VCU survived a tough test Tuesday night at Davidson and thanks to some help from Fordham, yes FORDHAM (who upset Saint Louis), the black and gold once again find themselves atop the Atlantic 10 standings, but must defend that position tonight when taking on a Saint Louis Billikens squad that is looking to regain the top spot. Yet another t-shirt giveaway game and a hostile environment for the Rams, but yet another opportunity to prove VCU remains the top program in the Atlantic 10 conference.
VCU RAMS (17-6, 8-2)
VCU RAMS (17-6, 8-2)
SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS (15-7, 7-2)[/HEADING=3]
A QUICK LOOK AT SAINT LOUIS[/HEADING=3]
Travis Ford's club had high expectations heading into the season, collecting seven of the A-10's first place votes in the preseason, then after a solid start that included wins over the likes of Memphis and Providence, lost three out of four in a December stretch that really took the shine off of SLU and essentially took them (like every other A-10 team) out of the at-large discussion. The Bills however, are very much in the running with VCU for an A-10 regular season title and tonight, could take a huge step toward that OR...put themselves at a serious disadvantage in the race with the Rams who come into this game with a half a game lead in the conference race.
SLU has one of the most talented starting groups in the conference and currently ranks second in A-10 play in offensive efficiency. The Billikens are led by all-conference point guard, Yuri Collins, who not only leads the Atlantic 10 in assist rate, but the entire nation as well at 49.7%. Collins is surrounded by several capable scorers including Richmond native, Gibson Jimerson, the team's leading scorer at 12.2 points per contest as well as a now-healthy Javonte Perkins who averaged 17.1 points per game two seasons ago prior to missing this past season due to injury. That squad has recently be joined by Missouri transfer, Javon Pickett, a 6'5 forward who is averaging 10.4 ppg and starting center, Francis Okoro, an Oregon transfer that is a capable scorer, but an even better rebounder.
SLU brings a ton of experience into tonight's matchup at the 18th most experienced team in all of college hoops and with that experience, don't tend to beat themselves. VCU often relies on a higher turnover rate from their opponents, but they may find that challenging tonight against a Billikens squad that turns the ball over just 16.8% of their possessions (66th nationally).
Defensively SLU hasn't been bad, ranking 139th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and sixth in A-10 play there, but this is on paper the worst Saint Louis defense VCU will have faced since 2017 when Travis Ford was first brought in to rebuild what Jim Crews had previously broken.
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
The Rams narrowly escaped a Foster Loyer-less Davidson squad on the road earlier this week, doing so despite shooting just 40.3% in a road contest including an 0-9 night from deep. Almost everything in the box score makes you wonder exactly how the Rams got out of Belk with the win, but an additional 14 attempts than the Wildcats took via a rebounding and turnover advantage seemed to do the trick.
That three-point display has been a part of a brutal two-game stretch where the black and gold have made just two threes on 25 attempts (8%). The most head-scratching part of it all is it followed one of VCU's best starts from beyond the arc in conference play in recent memory. Even with these last two games, the Rams still rank second in in-conference three-point shooting at 39.2%, just ahead of SLU at 38.3%.
VCU however, as usual, has had the benefit of an elite defense, with the Rams currently ranking first in conference on that side of the ball thanks to "good enough" half court D (VCU ranks 6th in both 2p% and 3p%) combined with an elite turnover defense that sees their opponents cough it up once every four trips down the court. Saint Louis ranks last among A-10 teams in that stat.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 76.2, VCU 70.4</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 63.2, SLU 70.8</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.3%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 46.9%, VCU 47.3%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34.3%, SLU 33.8%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 32.8%, VCU 33.1%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.6%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 45.%, VCU 46.2%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 39.7, VCU 32.7</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 16.8%, VCU 21.3%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 24.9%, SLU 14.5%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
The Rams gotta get that three-ball back on track if they want to pull this off in front of a packed house at Chaifetz. I'm talking 35%+, preferably. I mean, technically VCU has proven they can win without hitting a single three, but I'm just not confident that happens here with how much better SLU's offense is than the two VCU just faced and one of those games (St. Bonaventure), VCU couldn't over the hump.
In VCU's six losses this season, the Rams have shot below 30% in four of them and had some very rare defensive issues in the other two (at Duquesne and at Temple). When VCU is shooting CONFIDENTLY from deep however (they looked scared as heck against Davidson and I'd say nine three-point attempts to 52 inside the arc shows you just how happy the Rams were to pass on the longball), it really just unleashes a monster of a VCU team that looks as good as any Rams team as honestly I can remember. With SLU being a tough defensive team inside as well (30th nationally in 2p% D), it puts perhaps even more pressure on the Rams to knock down some threes in tonight's contest.
The Rams shot just 17.6% from three last season at Chaifetz. The result? A 69-65 loss that cost VCU an A-10 regular season title.
Kenpom: 73-70 VCU loss with a 41% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: <a href="https://www.iheart.com/live/fox-sports-910-richmond-2461/?autoplay=true&pname=1248&campid=header&cid=index.html">Fox Sports 910 AM & 98.5 FM</a>
Live Tweets: <a href="https://twitter.com/vcuramnation">@VCURamNation</a>
Travis Ford's club had high expectations heading into the season, collecting seven of the A-10's first place votes in the preseason, then after a solid start that included wins over the likes of Memphis and Providence, lost three out of four in a December stretch that really took the shine off of SLU and essentially took them (like every other A-10 team) out of the at-large discussion. The Bills however, are very much in the running with VCU for an A-10 regular season title and tonight, could take a huge step toward that OR...put themselves at a serious disadvantage in the race with the Rams who come into this game with a half a game lead in the conference race.
SLU has one of the most talented starting groups in the conference and currently ranks second in A-10 play in offensive efficiency. The Billikens are led by all-conference point guard, Yuri Collins, who not only leads the Atlantic 10 in assist rate, but the entire nation as well at 49.7%. Collins is surrounded by several capable scorers including Richmond native, Gibson Jimerson, the team's leading scorer at 12.2 points per contest as well as a now-healthy Javonte Perkins who averaged 17.1 points per game two seasons ago prior to missing this past season due to injury. That squad has recently be joined by Missouri transfer, Javon Pickett, a 6'5 forward who is averaging 10.4 ppg and starting center, Francis Okoro, an Oregon transfer that is a capable scorer, but an even better rebounder.
SLU brings a ton of experience into tonight's matchup at the 18th most experienced team in all of college hoops and with that experience, don't tend to beat themselves. VCU often relies on a higher turnover rate from their opponents, but they may find that challenging tonight against a Billikens squad that turns the ball over just 16.8% of their possessions (66th nationally).
Defensively SLU hasn't been bad, ranking 139th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and sixth in A-10 play there, but this is on paper the worst Saint Louis defense VCU will have faced since 2017 when Travis Ford was first brought in to rebuild what Jim Crews had previously broken.
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
The Rams narrowly escaped a Foster Loyer-less Davidson squad on the road earlier this week, doing so despite shooting just 40.3% in a road contest including an 0-9 night from deep. Almost everything in the box score makes you wonder exactly how the Rams got out of Belk with the win, but an additional 14 attempts than the Wildcats took via a rebounding and turnover advantage seemed to do the trick.
That three-point display has been a part of a brutal two-game stretch where the black and gold have made just two threes on 25 attempts (8%). The most head-scratching part of it all is it followed one of VCU's best starts from beyond the arc in conference play in recent memory. Even with these last two games, the Rams still rank second in in-conference three-point shooting at 39.2%, just ahead of SLU at 38.3%.
VCU however, as usual, has had the benefit of an elite defense, with the Rams currently ranking first in conference on that side of the ball thanks to "good enough" half court D (VCU ranks 6th in both 2p% and 3p%) combined with an elite turnover defense that sees their opponents cough it up once every four trips down the court. Saint Louis ranks last among A-10 teams in that stat.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 76.2, VCU 70.4</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 63.2, SLU 70.8</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.3%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 46.9%, VCU 47.3%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34.3%, SLU 33.8%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 32.8%, VCU 33.1%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.6%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 45.%, VCU 46.2%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 39.7, VCU 32.7</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 16.8%, VCU 21.3%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 24.9%, SLU 14.5%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
The Rams gotta get that three-ball back on track if they want to pull this off in front of a packed house at Chaifetz. I'm talking 35%+, preferably. I mean, technically VCU has proven they can win without hitting a single three, but I'm just not confident that happens here with how much better SLU's offense is than the two VCU just faced and one of those games (St. Bonaventure), VCU couldn't over the hump.
In VCU's six losses this season, the Rams have shot below 30% in four of them and had some very rare defensive issues in the other two (at Duquesne and at Temple). When VCU is shooting CONFIDENTLY from deep however (they looked scared as heck against Davidson and I'd say nine three-point attempts to 52 inside the arc shows you just how happy the Rams were to pass on the longball), it really just unleashes a monster of a VCU team that looks as good as any Rams team as honestly I can remember. With SLU being a tough defensive team inside as well (30th nationally in 2p% D), it puts perhaps even more pressure on the Rams to knock down some threes in tonight's contest.
The Rams shot just 17.6% from three last season at Chaifetz. The result? A 69-65 loss that cost VCU an A-10 regular season title.
Kenpom: 73-70 VCU loss with a 41% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: <a href="https://www.iheart.com/live/fox-sports-910-richmond-2461/?autoplay=true&pname=1248&campid=header&cid=index.html">Fox Sports 910 AM & 98.5 FM</a>
Live Tweets: <a href="https://twitter.com/vcuramnation">@VCURamNation</a>
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 76.2, VCU 70.4</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 63.2, SLU 70.8</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.3%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 46.9%, VCU 47.3%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34.3%, SLU 33.8%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 32.8%, VCU 33.1%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 51.6%, SLU 51.6%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 45.%, VCU 46.2%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 39.7, VCU 32.7</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">SLU 16.8%, VCU 21.3%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 24.9%, SLU 14.5%</span>
