Finally, the season has found us and after last March's unexpected end (the only canceled NCAA tournament game of last year's March Madness)...not a minute too soon. The Rams are one of just two A-10 teams tonight to open their season against an opponent with the kenpom top-200, taking on the Peacocks of St. Peter's, the MAAC's No.2 preseason team.
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A QUICK LOOK AT ST. PETER'S[/HEADING=3]
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A QUICK LOOK AT ST. PETER'S[/HEADING=3]
The Peacock's are led by fourth-year head coach, Shaheen Holloway, a name that's gaining some popularity among athletic directors as a potential replacement for higher level positions, including a serious look this past offseason from the Rams of Fordham University. He remains at St. Peter's for at least one more season however and has a promising team led by two-time reigning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, KC Ndefo, who was named 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Ndefo led the nation in blocks percentage this past season, swatting 15.3% of opponents attempts while on the floor to rack up 3.6 blocks per contest for the Peacocks. He is also St. Peter's leading returning scorer at 13.7 points per game.
Ndefo's presence this past season defensively was essentially St. Peter's identity. The big man led St. Peter's defense, helping the MAAC club to the No.1 two-point percentage defense in the nation last. That said, the Peacocks played just three teams within the kenpom top-200, only two of which were within the top-100 with one of those contests seeing Maryland finish 63% of their twos in a blowout win. What's more is St. Peter's did an outstanding job blocking shots and defending twos this past year, but racked up fouls in the process. St. Peter's defense finished 319th nationally in defensive free throw rate.
Still, their ability to block shots and turn teams over (20th nationally last year), will have the attention of Mike Rhoades and Co. entering VCU's first regular season game without the explosive Bones Hyland in two years.
That defense was very much needed for St. Peter's as well, having statistically one of the absolute worst offensive teams in the country last year. The Peacocks ranked 339th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, ranked 313th in turnover percentage offense and 317th in effective field goal percentage defense, a troubling fact coming into a contest with last season's 14th-ranked defense in VCU.
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
In many ways this VCU team is extremely similar to St. Peter's, which is a tough defensive group who might struggle on offense. That was the case in the Ram's recent exhibition win over Virginia State at least, limiting the Trojans to 55 points on 33.9% shooting, but only connecting on 41.3% of their shots in the process, making a potential annihilation of VSU but a mere 19-point win against a DII school. Head coach Mike Rhoades commented after the game that VCU's offense had looked smoother in the Rams' recent secret scrimmage against UVA, but still, it's a trait that even last season's Hyland-led squad showed at times.
Still, the Rams ranked 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency last season and looks more than capable of doing the same last season. VCU played with some big lineups last year, utilizing more two "true big" sets than we're used to seeing on Broad St. in some time, but somehow got even bigger this offseason. The Rams added a 6'8 shot-blocking stretch 4 from the Big East (Jimmy Nichols Jr) and brought in a 6'9 freshman that so far as flashed similarities to VCU junior big, Hason Ward. VCU lost starting point guard Ace Baldwin to injury (expected back for conference play), so in his place will likely swap two point guards that both stand at least 6'4. It's a long black and gold team with versatile pieces that could make scoring headaches for opponents this season, something that may need to be the case while the Rams figure out some offensive consistency.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING...[/HEADING=3]
Typically this is where I put in the "tale of the tape", lining up teams' stats against one another. This being the first game, that data doesn't exist yet. What I can say however is that Saint Peter's is essentially what one might call a "poor man's VCU". The Peacocks ranked 61st in defensive efficiency last season, VCU 14th. 20th in turnover percentage, VCU 9th. The Peacocks barely outrank VCU in blocks percentage and effective field goal D, but did so against a schedule that ranked 316th nationally compared with VCU's 97th overall ranked schedule. As far as offense, VCU was a good bit better than Saint Peters, while also competing against a higher level of competition. The huge difference however is the Rams are without their starting backcourt from last season while Saint Peter's returns all of their key players.
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
I think we all want to see what the Rams are capable of offensively tonight against a good defense, but one that on paper isn't full of the athlete's the Rams should see when taking on the likes of Syracuse, St. Bonaventure, Dayton, etc. Saint Peter's struggling offense against VCU's nationally-ranked defense should help in the Rams' home opener tonight, but can this black and gold squad show more offensive consistency than Ram fans witnessed against Virginia State? A decent offensive performance SHOULD be enough to start VCU 1-0 tonight against a Siegel Center fans watching in-person hoops for the first time since March of 2020.
Kenpom: 72-62 VCU win with an 81% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 6PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: MASN2/ESPN+
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>
In many ways this VCU team is extremely similar to St. Peter's, which is a tough defensive group who might struggle on offense. That was the case in the Ram's recent exhibition win over Virginia State at least, limiting the Trojans to 55 points on 33.9% shooting, but only connecting on 41.3% of their shots in the process, making a potential annihilation of VSU but a mere 19-point win against a DII school. Head coach Mike Rhoades commented after the game that VCU's offense had looked smoother in the Rams' recent secret scrimmage against UVA, but still, it's a trait that even last season's Hyland-led squad showed at times.
Still, the Rams ranked 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency last season and looks more than capable of doing the same last season. VCU played with some big lineups last year, utilizing more two "true big" sets than we're used to seeing on Broad St. in some time, but somehow got even bigger this offseason. The Rams added a 6'8 shot-blocking stretch 4 from the Big East (Jimmy Nichols Jr) and brought in a 6'9 freshman that so far as flashed similarities to VCU junior big, Hason Ward. VCU lost starting point guard Ace Baldwin to injury (expected back for conference play), so in his place will likely swap two point guards that both stand at least 6'4. It's a long black and gold team with versatile pieces that could make scoring headaches for opponents this season, something that may need to be the case while the Rams figure out some offensive consistency.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING...[/HEADING=3]
Typically this is where I put in the "tale of the tape", lining up teams' stats against one another. This being the first game, that data doesn't exist yet. What I can say however is that Saint Peter's is essentially what one might call a "poor man's VCU". The Peacocks ranked 61st in defensive efficiency last season, VCU 14th. 20th in turnover percentage, VCU 9th. The Peacocks barely outrank VCU in blocks percentage and effective field goal D, but did so against a schedule that ranked 316th nationally compared with VCU's 97th overall ranked schedule. As far as offense, VCU was a good bit better than Saint Peters, while also competing against a higher level of competition. The huge difference however is the Rams are without their starting backcourt from last season while Saint Peter's returns all of their key players.
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
I think we all want to see what the Rams are capable of offensively tonight against a good defense, but one that on paper isn't full of the athlete's the Rams should see when taking on the likes of Syracuse, St. Bonaventure, Dayton, etc. Saint Peter's struggling offense against VCU's nationally-ranked defense should help in the Rams' home opener tonight, but can this black and gold squad show more offensive consistency than Ram fans witnessed against Virginia State? A decent offensive performance SHOULD be enough to start VCU 1-0 tonight against a Siegel Center fans watching in-person hoops for the first time since March of 2020.
Kenpom: 72-62 VCU win with an 81% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 6PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: MASN2/ESPN+
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>
I think we all want to see what the Rams are capable of offensively tonight against a good defense, but one that on paper isn't full of the athlete's the Rams should see when taking on the likes of Syracuse, St. Bonaventure, Dayton, etc. Saint Peter's struggling offense against VCU's nationally-ranked defense should help in the Rams' home opener tonight, but can this black and gold squad show more offensive consistency than Ram fans witnessed against Virginia State? A decent offensive performance SHOULD be enough to start VCU 1-0 tonight against a Siegel Center fans watching in-person hoops for the first time since March of 2020.
Kenpom: 72-62 VCU win with an 81% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 6PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: MASN2/ESPN+
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>
