The Rams look to finish the non-conference schedule with a win against the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb today at the Siegel Center following and eight-day holiday break. The Bulldogs limp into Richmond on a three-game losing streak and with a 5-9 record overall, played have played one of the nation's 50 toughest OOC schedules to start the season. G-W boasts a top-100 neutral court win against Weber State and have an underrate victory over Western Carolina (one of only two teams this season to beat the McNeese State squad that defeated VCU by double-digits and most recently handed Michigan the same fate). Two of Gardner-Webb's losses came in overtime to quality opponents (both within kenpom's top-125), three more were to top-100 squads and three more were by single digits. Moral of the story? The experienced Big South squad (that starts three seniors and two juniors) is way more dangerous than perhaps their name and record suggests.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Julien Soumaoro - A 5'11 junior point guard from the Bronx, Soumaoro is shooting over 40% from three this season and leads the team at 14.6 point per game. He's a pesky defender as well at 1.4 steals per contest.
Caleb Robinson - An undersized 6'4 200-lb senior forward, Robinson leads the team in volume, taking 30.3% of available shots while on the court (24.9 minutes per night) and leads the team at 6.1 rebounds to go with his second-best 13.4 ppg. He's not an efficient scorer, but does a nice job of getting to the stripe we're he's a solid enough free throw shooter at 70.2%.
Quest Aldridge - While he may not score as much as third-leading scorer, DQ Nichols (10.4 ppg), he's way more efficient and considerably more dangerous with a 45.7% three-point stroke. Aldridge is coming off a career-high 22-point performance in a OT loss to kenpom No.109 Akron, playing a season-high 29 minutes. He has launched 4+ threes in his last three contest, six in two of those, so he's a guy you simply cannot leave open.
KEY STAT MATCHUPS
Gardener-Webb shooting v VCU defense - G-W's offense ranks 329th nationally in effective field goal percentage offense at 44.5% and is taking on a VCU defense that ranks 30th nationally in EFG% D at 44.8%. Huge advantage for the black and gold there.
G-W 2-point D v VCU drivers - The Bulldogs are giving up 52.2% shooting inside the arc, good for 247th nationally. VCU's offense ranks 35th nationally in 2-point percentage offense at 55.7%, the problem though is they don't score a lot inside the arc (see: addendum to that fact on the following line)
VCU free throw rate v G-W foul defense - While VCU doesn't convert a ton of twos, our bigs being a somewhat afterthought when it comes to scoring currently, the Rams rank 61st nationally in free throw rate offense and take on a G-W defense that is one of the worst at picking up fouls (341st nationally). Expect whistles, hopefully...
WILD VCU STATS
Much has been made of the return and impact of previous sit-outs, Joe Bamisile (eligibility) and Sean Bairstow (injury). The experienced duo have had success at their previous schools and should make a difference for what was previously a short Rams rotation, BUT DID YOU KNOW...so far the duo ranks 9th and 10th on the roster in overall box plus/minus? Wild, right? That comes with an extremely limited sample though, so hopefully with some rust removal, the duo gets back to form and hopefully that starts today against Gardner-Webb.
Kenpom: 72-61 VCU win an 85% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 2PM at the Stuart C Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Fox Sports 910 AM & 98.5 FM
Live Tweets: @VCURamNation
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Julien Soumaoro - A 5'11 junior point guard from the Bronx, Soumaoro is shooting over 40% from three this season and leads the team at 14.6 point per game. He's a pesky defender as well at 1.4 steals per contest.
Caleb Robinson - An undersized 6'4 200-lb senior forward, Robinson leads the team in volume, taking 30.3% of available shots while on the court (24.9 minutes per night) and leads the team at 6.1 rebounds to go with his second-best 13.4 ppg. He's not an efficient scorer, but does a nice job of getting to the stripe we're he's a solid enough free throw shooter at 70.2%.
Quest Aldridge - While he may not score as much as third-leading scorer, DQ Nichols (10.4 ppg), he's way more efficient and considerably more dangerous with a 45.7% three-point stroke. Aldridge is coming off a career-high 22-point performance in a OT loss to kenpom No.109 Akron, playing a season-high 29 minutes. He has launched 4+ threes in his last three contest, six in two of those, so he's a guy you simply cannot leave open.
KEY STAT MATCHUPS
Gardener-Webb shooting v VCU defense - G-W's offense ranks 329th nationally in effective field goal percentage offense at 44.5% and is taking on a VCU defense that ranks 30th nationally in EFG% D at 44.8%. Huge advantage for the black and gold there.
G-W 2-point D v VCU drivers - The Bulldogs are giving up 52.2% shooting inside the arc, good for 247th nationally. VCU's offense ranks 35th nationally in 2-point percentage offense at 55.7%, the problem though is they don't score a lot inside the arc (see: addendum to that fact on the following line)
VCU free throw rate v G-W foul defense - While VCU doesn't convert a ton of twos, our bigs being a somewhat afterthought when it comes to scoring currently, the Rams rank 61st nationally in free throw rate offense and take on a G-W defense that is one of the worst at picking up fouls (341st nationally). Expect whistles, hopefully...
WILD VCU STATS
Much has been made of the return and impact of previous sit-outs, Joe Bamisile (eligibility) and Sean Bairstow (injury). The experienced duo have had success at their previous schools and should make a difference for what was previously a short Rams rotation, BUT DID YOU KNOW...so far the duo ranks 9th and 10th on the roster in overall box plus/minus? Wild, right? That comes with an extremely limited sample though, so hopefully with some rust removal, the duo gets back to form and hopefully that starts today against Gardner-Webb.
Kenpom: 72-61 VCU win an 85% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 2PM at the Stuart C Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Fox Sports 910 AM & 98.5 FM
Live Tweets: @VCURamNation
