Fresh off a dominating performance over rival Old Dominion, the Rams welcome the Catamounts of Western Carolina to the Siegel Center, looking to add them to their victims list during what is a current three-game VCU winning streak. WCU however is hoping to pull off a large upset in extending their streak as well, riding a five-gamer into tonight's matchup.
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VCU (5-2)
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VCU (5-2)
Western Carolina (6-1)[/HEADING=3]
A QUICK LOOK AT WCU[/HEADING=3]
Western Carolina came up just shy of their first 20-win season since 2010 this past year, going 19-12 under second-year head coach, Mark Prosser. This year they've racked up six early wins when a large chunk of college hoops has yet to even play six games as they attempt to navigate the difficulties of the COVID era scheduling train wreck. Those six wins however, are a good bit misleading in terms of perhaps how dangerous this group. Two of those Ws came against Division II opponents including a narrow 91-84 victory over Newberry, three more came in overtime with two of those being against sub-300 teams, most recently against a North Carolina A&T team that VCU recently defeated by 36 points. Their lone loss came by a bucket to kenpom No.292 Troy.
The Catamounts have done most of their damage on the offensive side of the ball this season, checking in at No.150 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency early. They do a solid job of getting to the stripe and when they aren't getting fouled down low have done a nice job of finishing around the hoop, ranking 64th nationally in 2-point percentage, albeit against an incredibly soft schedule.
WCU is led by seniors Mason Faulkner (18.4 ppg, 7.2 rebs) and Matt Halvorson (16.6 ppg), two 6'1 guards both currently hitting over 42% of their threes on the season, Halvorson essentially living behind the arc where 49 of his 56 attempts of come this season. They're joined by 6'9 235 center, Xavier Cork (16 ppg) and 6'1` guard, Travion McCray (13.1 ppg) as the team's double-digit scorers.
The Catamounts were 0-10 against kenpom top-100 teams this past season, nearly upsetting No.15 Florida State after leading them at the half. They also pushed No.81 Furman and No.56 East Tennessee State to the brink and suffered just one real bad loss of the season, falling to No.257 VMI at home, 74-71.
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
We've learned more and more about this group as the season has gone on and the early, perhaps surprising lesson so far, is this team is more than ahead of schedule defensively. VCU is off to their best start defensively under Mike Rhoades, checking in at an impressive No.18 national ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency. It's the best VCU defensive group (so far) statistically since kenpom has been tracking the stat (2002), an incredibly exciting accomplishment considering just how young this VCU squad is.
A major part of that defensive success as well has come from VCU employing a heavy dose of double-trouble in the front court. The Rams have shown the two-big look of sophomore Hason Ward and senior Corey Douglas a considerable amount this season, a frightening pair for opposing defenses as they combine to block roughly one fourth of their opponents attempts while on the floor. That is downright unfair when you add it to a VCU defense that ranks 8th nationally in defensive steals percentage.
Offensively the Rams have been solid as well considering the defenses they have faced early on. VCU ranks 72nd nationally in effective field goal percentage finding most of their success inside the arc. When VCU is hitting threes however, they are downright scary as North Carolina A&T recently discovered on the receiving end of a 45.8% three-point night for VCU in which they took down the Aggies, 95-59.
Bones Hyland has been the perhaps most feared three-point threat for the Rams, the majority of his makes this season coming beyond the arc at a 37.9% connection rate, but it's been Vince Williams' three-point breakout at a team-leading 47.8% that has made VCU's offense that much more dangerous.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> WCU 87.4, VCU 74.6</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 61.9, WCU 76.9</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 53.1%, WCU 53%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 42.5%, WCU 49.2%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34%, WCU 33.6%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 27.5%, WCU 34.2%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: WCU 54.6%, VCU 54.4%
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.1%, WCU 48%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 38.6, VCU 34.6</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 18.8%, VCU 21.6%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 25%, WCU 18.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
I think the key really for the Rams tonight is eliminating open threes and keeping WCU to a low percentage from beyond the arc. Last season's Catamounts squad with essentially all the same pieces was torched all year defensively inside, so if VCU can shut down the equalizing three-ball -- especially because VCU tends to be very hot or cold from distance themselves -- it eliminates the great equalizer and likely any true threat WCU poses to the Rams tonight.
Kenpom: 81-65 VCU win with a 91% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: 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>
Western Carolina came up just shy of their first 20-win season since 2010 this past year, going 19-12 under second-year head coach, Mark Prosser. This year they've racked up six early wins when a large chunk of college hoops has yet to even play six games as they attempt to navigate the difficulties of the COVID era scheduling train wreck. Those six wins however, are a good bit misleading in terms of perhaps how dangerous this group. Two of those Ws came against Division II opponents including a narrow 91-84 victory over Newberry, three more came in overtime with two of those being against sub-300 teams, most recently against a North Carolina A&T team that VCU recently defeated by 36 points. Their lone loss came by a bucket to kenpom No.292 Troy.
The Catamounts have done most of their damage on the offensive side of the ball this season, checking in at No.150 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency early. They do a solid job of getting to the stripe and when they aren't getting fouled down low have done a nice job of finishing around the hoop, ranking 64th nationally in 2-point percentage, albeit against an incredibly soft schedule.
WCU is led by seniors Mason Faulkner (18.4 ppg, 7.2 rebs) and Matt Halvorson (16.6 ppg), two 6'1 guards both currently hitting over 42% of their threes on the season, Halvorson essentially living behind the arc where 49 of his 56 attempts of come this season. They're joined by 6'9 235 center, Xavier Cork (16 ppg) and 6'1` guard, Travion McCray (13.1 ppg) as the team's double-digit scorers.
The Catamounts were 0-10 against kenpom top-100 teams this past season, nearly upsetting No.15 Florida State after leading them at the half. They also pushed No.81 Furman and No.56 East Tennessee State to the brink and suffered just one real bad loss of the season, falling to No.257 VMI at home, 74-71.
A QUICK LOOK AT VCU[/HEADING=3]
We've learned more and more about this group as the season has gone on and the early, perhaps surprising lesson so far, is this team is more than ahead of schedule defensively. VCU is off to their best start defensively under Mike Rhoades, checking in at an impressive No.18 national ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency. It's the best VCU defensive group (so far) statistically since kenpom has been tracking the stat (2002), an incredibly exciting accomplishment considering just how young this VCU squad is.
A major part of that defensive success as well has come from VCU employing a heavy dose of double-trouble in the front court. The Rams have shown the two-big look of sophomore Hason Ward and senior Corey Douglas a considerable amount this season, a frightening pair for opposing defenses as they combine to block roughly one fourth of their opponents attempts while on the floor. That is downright unfair when you add it to a VCU defense that ranks 8th nationally in defensive steals percentage.
Offensively the Rams have been solid as well considering the defenses they have faced early on. VCU ranks 72nd nationally in effective field goal percentage finding most of their success inside the arc. When VCU is hitting threes however, they are downright scary as North Carolina A&T recently discovered on the receiving end of a 45.8% three-point night for VCU in which they took down the Aggies, 95-59.
Bones Hyland has been the perhaps most feared three-point threat for the Rams, the majority of his makes this season coming beyond the arc at a 37.9% connection rate, but it's been Vince Williams' three-point breakout at a team-leading 47.8% that has made VCU's offense that much more dangerous.
TALE OF THE TAPE[/HEADING=3]
Scoring Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> WCU 87.4, VCU 74.6</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 61.9, WCU 76.9</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 53.1%, WCU 53%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 42.5%, WCU 49.2%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34%, WCU 33.6%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 27.5%, WCU 34.2%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: WCU 54.6%, VCU 54.4%
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.1%, WCU 48%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 38.6, VCU 34.6</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 18.8%, VCU 21.6%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 25%, WCU 18.6%</span>
VCU WINS IF[/HEADING=3]
I think the key really for the Rams tonight is eliminating open threes and keeping WCU to a low percentage from beyond the arc. Last season's Catamounts squad with essentially all the same pieces was torched all year defensively inside, so if VCU can shut down the equalizing three-ball -- especially because VCU tends to be very hot or cold from distance themselves -- it eliminates the great equalizer and likely any true threat WCU poses to the Rams tonight.
Kenpom: 81-65 VCU win with a 91% chance of a Rams victory.
Game tips at 7PM at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA
Watch: 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>
Scoring Offense:<span style="color: #ff0000;"> WCU 87.4, VCU 74.6</span>
Scoring Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 61.9, WCU 76.9</span>
Effective Field Goal% Offense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 53.1%, WCU 53%</span>
Effective Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 42.5%, WCU 49.2%</span>
3-Point Field Goal%: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 34%, WCU 33.6%</span>
3-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 27.5%, WCU 34.2%</span>
2-Point Field Goal%: WCU 54.6%, VCU 54.4%
2-Point Field Goal% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 43.1%, WCU 48%</span>
Rebounds per game: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 38.6, VCU 34.6</span>
Turnover% Offense: <span style="color: #ff0000;">WCU 18.8%, VCU 21.6%</span>
Turnover% Defense: <span style="color: #339966;">VCU 25%, WCU 18.6%</span>
