After rallying from down one at the half to survive a home upset scare against a struggling Duquesne Dukes team, VCU welcomes David Cox's Rhode Island Rams team to the Stu tonight, a program struggling on the season themselves, but one that has given the black and gold fits as of late. Mike Rhoades is just 2-7 against the Keaney blue Rams since taking over on Broad St., a record that includes two conference tournament exits. Cox and Co. have had this current VCU staff's number, but riding a five-game losing streak into the Siegel Center tonight, is it time VCU seizes control of the rivalry and extends Rhody's suffering to six games?
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VCU (14-7, 7-3)
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VCU (14-7, 7-3)
RHODE ISLAND (12-9, 3-6)[/HEADING=3]
A QUICK LOOK AT RHODE ISLAND[/HEADING=3]
URI handed VCU a 15-point Siegel Center loss the last time they played VCU in the regular season (Jan 9 of last year) and look MOSTLY like that same team. The huge difference is the departure of A-10 staple, Fatts Russell. Russell, a former VCU target, took his talents to the Big 10 this offseason with a transfer to Maryland. Coincidentally one of Rhode Island's biggest additions to this year's team is a transfer FROM Maryland, 6'9 Makhi Mitchell, twin brother of Makhel Mitchell. Makhi started last season with the Rams, but missed all of what was to be his first year of Atlantic 10 play due to injury. He is the less-efficient version of his brother, but is another huge body and currently leads the Rams at seven rebounds per game.
Statistically Rhody has been a bit more stout defensively this season, up into the top-50 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, but offensively have gone from 127th nationally in adjusted efficiency to 239th despite actually making a solid jump in effective field goal percentage offense.
Currently Rhody ranks second in conference games in defensive efficiency, just ahead of VCU, but rank 12th on the other side of the ball, just behind VCU. Basically these teams are almost mirror images of each other outside of the black and gold so far avoiding bad losses while Rhody hasn't been so lucky.
Almost all of Rhody's conference losses have been tight games. URI lost by four at Davidson to start conference play, dropped one by two at home to lowly GW, followed that up with a seven-point home loss to Richmond, were a three-pointer away from beating Dayton on the road, then added insult to injury with a six-point road loss at Fordham (who's actually not much of a pushover this year), then most recently suffered their worst loss of the season, an 11-point home L to UMass.
There is talent there, no doubt, but somehow, someway, Rhody has just continued to disappoint. Is tonight the night they turn that around?
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
VCU has had to adjust to personnel losses all season long, starting the season without Ace Baldwin, then most recently having to deal with the absence of Vince Williams due to a calf strain. Williams' status for tonight is in question, but it's been a mixed bag without him. The Rams were absolutely torched by Dayton two games ago, mostly due to the worst defensive performance of the season, then got off to a rough start against a bad Duquesne team, only to rally to a decent margin of victory. Williams though has shot 51.2% from three in A-10 play and arguably has been the best player in conference games, doing anything and everything that the Rams have needed to climb toward the top of the conference.
The Rams have taken a solid step back defensively since conference play has begun, but are still among one of the best defensively in-conference and while they have shot really well from three in A-10 play (the Rams' saving grace), turnovers and interior scoring has VCU ranked 11th among A-10 teams in-conference in offensive efficiency. That should be a challenge to both the VCU staff and players.
Is this the 11th least talented offensive group of players in the A-10? Worst that the likes of La Salle, Saint Joseph's and GW? Is this the 11th worst group of offensive coaching minds in the Atlantic 10? For the level VCU supposedly recruits at, ranking in the top-2 (at minimum) most of Mike Rhoades' seasons as VCU head coach according to 247Sports' recruit ranking, that ranking is just flat out unacceptable. A massive issue that seems to be a continued trend with VCU's offensive struggles has been turnover percentage offense under Mike Rhoades-coached teams.
Offensive turnover % of Mike Rhoades-coached teams (national ranking)
This year - 22.2% (341)
2020-21 - 20.6% (263)
2019-22 - 17.6% (96)
2018-19 - 20% (277)
2017-18 - 18.7 (199)
2016-17 - 19.4% (243)
2015-16 - 17.9% (161)
2014-15 - 22.1% (329)
Average ranking = 239th
Are turnovers just something Ram fans will have to live with as a part of Rhoades' desire for his teams to play "aggressive, confident and loose"? Or does the staff need to take a hard look at this continuing trend and make some philosophical changes to sure up a weakness? Or is this just seven seasons of bad luck? VCU is the second worst team in the conference in A-10 turnover percentage offense, up from dead last this past season with current NBA backup point guard, Bones Hyland, on roster. They have turned the ball over 17 or more times in each of their last three games, making "havoc lives here" a two-way phrase. Something has to change there.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 68.1, VCU 63.3</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.1, URI 63</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.1%, VCU 49.6%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.2%, URI 44.7%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 34.4%, VCU 34%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.7%, URI 32%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.3%, VCU 48.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 43.1%, VCU 44.8%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 35.5, VCU 32</span>
Turnover% Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> URI 20.7%, VCU 22.2%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26%, URI 20.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
These are INCREDIBLY similar teams, but with one exception: Rhode Island gets to the free throw stripe and VCU does not. The Rhody Rams have been horrible offensively in conference games, BUT...rank third in the conference in offensive free throw rate. VCU ranks 12th in that same stat and ranks dead last in free throw rate defense. So my gut says in a game that has rock fight written all over it, the team that gets the most freebies at the foul line could come out of this one victorious. Statistically that doesn't bode particularly well for VCU, but then again the Rams have been able to pull out some of these tight wins that Rhody has not, so VCU has a bit of a "figure it out" advantage that hopefully pushes VCU into the win column once again.
Kenpom: 60-55 VCU win with a 70% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: CBS Sports Network
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>
URI handed VCU a 15-point Siegel Center loss the last time they played VCU in the regular season (Jan 9 of last year) and look MOSTLY like that same team. The huge difference is the departure of A-10 staple, Fatts Russell. Russell, a former VCU target, took his talents to the Big 10 this offseason with a transfer to Maryland. Coincidentally one of Rhode Island's biggest additions to this year's team is a transfer FROM Maryland, 6'9 Makhi Mitchell, twin brother of Makhel Mitchell. Makhi started last season with the Rams, but missed all of what was to be his first year of Atlantic 10 play due to injury. He is the less-efficient version of his brother, but is another huge body and currently leads the Rams at seven rebounds per game.
Statistically Rhody has been a bit more stout defensively this season, up into the top-50 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, but offensively have gone from 127th nationally in adjusted efficiency to 239th despite actually making a solid jump in effective field goal percentage offense.
Currently Rhody ranks second in conference games in defensive efficiency, just ahead of VCU, but rank 12th on the other side of the ball, just behind VCU. Basically these teams are almost mirror images of each other outside of the black and gold so far avoiding bad losses while Rhody hasn't been so lucky.
Almost all of Rhody's conference losses have been tight games. URI lost by four at Davidson to start conference play, dropped one by two at home to lowly GW, followed that up with a seven-point home loss to Richmond, were a three-pointer away from beating Dayton on the road, then added insult to injury with a six-point road loss at Fordham (who's actually not much of a pushover this year), then most recently suffered their worst loss of the season, an 11-point home L to UMass.
There is talent there, no doubt, but somehow, someway, Rhody has just continued to disappoint. Is tonight the night they turn that around?
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
VCU has had to adjust to personnel losses all season long, starting the season without Ace Baldwin, then most recently having to deal with the absence of Vince Williams due to a calf strain. Williams' status for tonight is in question, but it's been a mixed bag without him. The Rams were absolutely torched by Dayton two games ago, mostly due to the worst defensive performance of the season, then got off to a rough start against a bad Duquesne team, only to rally to a decent margin of victory. Williams though has shot 51.2% from three in A-10 play and arguably has been the best player in conference games, doing anything and everything that the Rams have needed to climb toward the top of the conference.
The Rams have taken a solid step back defensively since conference play has begun, but are still among one of the best defensively in-conference and while they have shot really well from three in A-10 play (the Rams' saving grace), turnovers and interior scoring has VCU ranked 11th among A-10 teams in-conference in offensive efficiency. That should be a challenge to both the VCU staff and players.
Is this the 11th least talented offensive group of players in the A-10? Worst that the likes of La Salle, Saint Joseph's and GW? Is this the 11th worst group of offensive coaching minds in the Atlantic 10? For the level VCU supposedly recruits at, ranking in the top-2 (at minimum) most of Mike Rhoades' seasons as VCU head coach according to 247Sports' recruit ranking, that ranking is just flat out unacceptable. A massive issue that seems to be a continued trend with VCU's offensive struggles has been turnover percentage offense under Mike Rhoades-coached teams.
Offensive turnover % of Mike Rhoades-coached teams (national ranking)
This year - 22.2% (341)
2020-21 - 20.6% (263)
2019-22 - 17.6% (96)
2018-19 - 20% (277)
2017-18 - 18.7 (199)
2016-17 - 19.4% (243)
2015-16 - 17.9% (161)
2014-15 - 22.1% (329)
Average ranking = 239th
Are turnovers just something Ram fans will have to live with as a part of Rhoades' desire for his teams to play "aggressive, confident and loose"? Or does the staff need to take a hard look at this continuing trend and make some philosophical changes to sure up a weakness? Or is this just seven seasons of bad luck? VCU is the second worst team in the conference in A-10 turnover percentage offense, up from dead last this past season with current NBA backup point guard, Bones Hyland, on roster. They have turned the ball over 17 or more times in each of their last three games, making "havoc lives here" a two-way phrase. Something has to change there.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 68.1, VCU 63.3</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.1, URI 63</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.1%, VCU 49.6%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.2%, URI 44.7%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 34.4%, VCU 34%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.7%, URI 32%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.3%, VCU 48.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 43.1%, VCU 44.8%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 35.5, VCU 32</span>
Turnover% Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> URI 20.7%, VCU 22.2%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26%, URI 20.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
These are INCREDIBLY similar teams, but with one exception: Rhode Island gets to the free throw stripe and VCU does not. The Rhody Rams have been horrible offensively in conference games, BUT...rank third in the conference in offensive free throw rate. VCU ranks 12th in that same stat and ranks dead last in free throw rate defense. So my gut says in a game that has rock fight written all over it, the team that gets the most freebies at the foul line could come out of this one victorious. Statistically that doesn't bode particularly well for VCU, but then again the Rams have been able to pull out some of these tight wins that Rhody has not, so VCU has a bit of a "figure it out" advantage that hopefully pushes VCU into the win column once again.
Kenpom: 60-55 VCU win with a 70% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: CBS Sports Network
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;">URI 68.1, VCU 63.3</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.1, URI 63</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.1%, VCU 49.6%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.2%, URI 44.7%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 34.4%, VCU 34%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.7%, URI 32%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 52.3%, VCU 48.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 43.1%, VCU 44.8%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">URI 35.5, VCU 32</span>
Turnover% Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> URI 20.7%, VCU 22.2%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26%, URI 20.6%</span>
