Jerry Stackhouse and Co. make a trip to the Siegel Center tonight to wrap up a home-and-home series that VCU started off with a road win this past year. The Commodores no longer have the luxury of Scotty Pippen Jr on their roster, but will hope an overall more experienced group can lead them back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.
VCU RAMS (4-2)
VCU RAMS (4-2)
VANDERBILT COMMODORES (3-3)[/HEADING=3]
A QUICK LOOK AT VANDERBILT[/HEADING=3]
The Commodores bring a balanced and experienced group into the Siegel Center this evening. When last year at times it seemed the SEC squad could get lost waiting for Pippen to make plays, this year's group so far has relied on each other to win games, with four players averaging 11 points per contest to start the season. Vandy has had a bit of a bumpy start overall however, dropping two of their three top-100 matchups, their win coming against kenpom No.98 Temple in overtime, and losing a disappointing home contest to Southern Miss by 12, a game they managed just 48 points in the loss.
The Commodores may have a balanced attack, but it's not a particularly deep one, going about six or seven deep into the roster, depending on the matchup. DC native, Myles Statute, leads the group at 11.7 point per game. The 6'7 junior forward does much of his work behind the three-point line where he is shooting a lights out 50% so far this season. He's joined by 7' senior center, Liam Robbins, the team's most efficient scorer at 11.5 points per game in just 20 minutes of action. Robbins leads the team with a 66.1% true shooting percentage and presents a rather large challenge for the Rams this evening. That duo is joined by Jordan Wright and Tyrin Lawrence as the teams other 11-point scorers, with point guard Ezra Manjon rounding out the starting lineup for Vandy.
Last year's Commodores would best be described as "just ok" offensively, even with the help of Pippen. They were a mediocre shooting team, but did a great job of getting to the free throw stripe where they could convert easy points, finishing overall as a top-100 adjust offense at No.90 nationally. This year's group looks like more of the same early. So far they have no had the same success getting to the free throw stripe, but to make up for it has managed to turn the ball over less.
Defensively Vanderbilt has completely taken away the three-point line from their opponents this season, ranking 13th in the land by holding team's to 25.6% from deep. VCU has been one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the nation at just 23.9% from deep, so combine those two stats and things don't appear great for VCU shooters tonight (so watch VCU somehow shoot 40% from deep).
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
The black and gold avoided what would have been a brutal loss by surviving Kennesaw State this past weekend. Despite trailing almost the entire game, VCU game up on the right side of the win column when the final whistle blew, 64-61. Coming off a 15-point road loss at Memphis before that, a narrow escape of a bad Pittsburgh team before that and then a close loss to Arizona State prior to that, it's safe to say VCU has just looked ugly in general since losing starting star guard Ace Baldwin to injury.
Defensively VCU has been strong during that stretch, but overall the Rams have been held back by an extremely limited offense that has had a major turnover issue all season and shoot about as good as I'd likely do from three despite me being a 42-year old non-DI hooper.
The Rams rank 305th nationally in effective field goal percentage offense (304th from three, 262nd inside), are one of the 17 worst turnover offenses and aren't a great rebounding team on either side of the ball. All of this means VCU must be absolutely elite defensively to pull out wins against good teams or even mediocre teams like we've seen, and Vanderbilt most certainly fits within that range.
On the positive side, VCU has find its most consistency from Brandon Johns Jr. and surprise standout, Josh Banks, to start the season. Johns has done a tremendous job getting to the foul line, drawing 6.4 fouls per 40 minutes for the Rams. He's been a solid defender and a decenter rebounder for VCU. Banks saw just one minute his first two games with Baldwin in the lineup, but since the point guard's departure has averaged 18.5 minutes for the black and gold, averaging 6.5 points and posting a current team-leading 115.8 offensive rating. He has a total of two turnovers through 75 minutes of action for the Rams.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 68.7, VCU 63.8</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.5, VAN 66.7</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 49.6%, VCU 45.5%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 45.2%, VAN 45.9%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 33.8%, VCU 29%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 25.6%, VCU 28.7%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 48.9%, VCU 46.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 46.2%, VAN 50.4%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 37.8, VCU 34</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 17.3%, VCU 23.9%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.5%, VAN 15.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
Last year's battle was a 48-37 defense fest and everything on paper screams we're due for something similar this evening as well (note: no Ace Baldwin in that one either). VCU held Vandy to just 8% ...8%!!! from three and out-rebounded the SEC team on the road. Everything about tonight leads me to believe that's the type of thing the winning team does tonight as well. A large turnover margin in VCU's favor, which combined with a rebounding advantage, could be enough to bail out this struggling offense once again. I'd love a weird 40%+ three-point shooting night though too!
Kenpom: 66-65 VCU win with a 55% 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>
The Commodores bring a balanced and experienced group into the Siegel Center this evening. When last year at times it seemed the SEC squad could get lost waiting for Pippen to make plays, this year's group so far has relied on each other to win games, with four players averaging 11 points per contest to start the season. Vandy has had a bit of a bumpy start overall however, dropping two of their three top-100 matchups, their win coming against kenpom No.98 Temple in overtime, and losing a disappointing home contest to Southern Miss by 12, a game they managed just 48 points in the loss.
The Commodores may have a balanced attack, but it's not a particularly deep one, going about six or seven deep into the roster, depending on the matchup. DC native, Myles Statute, leads the group at 11.7 point per game. The 6'7 junior forward does much of his work behind the three-point line where he is shooting a lights out 50% so far this season. He's joined by 7' senior center, Liam Robbins, the team's most efficient scorer at 11.5 points per game in just 20 minutes of action. Robbins leads the team with a 66.1% true shooting percentage and presents a rather large challenge for the Rams this evening. That duo is joined by Jordan Wright and Tyrin Lawrence as the teams other 11-point scorers, with point guard Ezra Manjon rounding out the starting lineup for Vandy.
Last year's Commodores would best be described as "just ok" offensively, even with the help of Pippen. They were a mediocre shooting team, but did a great job of getting to the free throw stripe where they could convert easy points, finishing overall as a top-100 adjust offense at No.90 nationally. This year's group looks like more of the same early. So far they have no had the same success getting to the free throw stripe, but to make up for it has managed to turn the ball over less.
Defensively Vanderbilt has completely taken away the three-point line from their opponents this season, ranking 13th in the land by holding team's to 25.6% from deep. VCU has been one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the nation at just 23.9% from deep, so combine those two stats and things don't appear great for VCU shooters tonight (so watch VCU somehow shoot 40% from deep).
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
The black and gold avoided what would have been a brutal loss by surviving Kennesaw State this past weekend. Despite trailing almost the entire game, VCU game up on the right side of the win column when the final whistle blew, 64-61. Coming off a 15-point road loss at Memphis before that, a narrow escape of a bad Pittsburgh team before that and then a close loss to Arizona State prior to that, it's safe to say VCU has just looked ugly in general since losing starting star guard Ace Baldwin to injury.
Defensively VCU has been strong during that stretch, but overall the Rams have been held back by an extremely limited offense that has had a major turnover issue all season and shoot about as good as I'd likely do from three despite me being a 42-year old non-DI hooper.
The Rams rank 305th nationally in effective field goal percentage offense (304th from three, 262nd inside), are one of the 17 worst turnover offenses and aren't a great rebounding team on either side of the ball. All of this means VCU must be absolutely elite defensively to pull out wins against good teams or even mediocre teams like we've seen, and Vanderbilt most certainly fits within that range.
On the positive side, VCU has find its most consistency from Brandon Johns Jr. and surprise standout, Josh Banks, to start the season. Johns has done a tremendous job getting to the foul line, drawing 6.4 fouls per 40 minutes for the Rams. He's been a solid defender and a decenter rebounder for VCU. Banks saw just one minute his first two games with Baldwin in the lineup, but since the point guard's departure has averaged 18.5 minutes for the black and gold, averaging 6.5 points and posting a current team-leading 115.8 offensive rating. He has a total of two turnovers through 75 minutes of action for the Rams.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 68.7, VCU 63.8</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.5, VAN 66.7</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 49.6%, VCU 45.5%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 45.2%, VAN 45.9%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 33.8%, VCU 29%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 25.6%, VCU 28.7%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 48.9%, VCU 46.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 46.2%, VAN 50.4%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 37.8, VCU 34</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 17.3%, VCU 23.9%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.5%, VAN 15.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
Last year's battle was a 48-37 defense fest and everything on paper screams we're due for something similar this evening as well (note: no Ace Baldwin in that one either). VCU held Vandy to just 8% ...8%!!! from three and out-rebounded the SEC team on the road. Everything about tonight leads me to believe that's the type of thing the winning team does tonight as well. A large turnover margin in VCU's favor, which combined with a rebounding advantage, could be enough to bail out this struggling offense once again. I'd love a weird 40%+ three-point shooting night though too!
Kenpom: 66-65 VCU win with a 55% 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;">VAN 68.7, VCU 63.8</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 60.5, VAN 66.7</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 49.6%, VCU 45.5%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 45.2%, VAN 45.9%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 33.8%, VCU 29%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 25.6%, VCU 28.7%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 48.9%, VCU 46.9%</span>
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 46.2%, VAN 50.4%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 37.8, VCU 34</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">VAN 17.3%, VCU 23.9%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 26.5%, VAN 15.6%</span>
