Rams picked third in preseason poll; Johnson, Reddic, Weber receive preseason honors

<a href="http://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/shaka-smart-vcu.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8615" title="NCAA Basketball: Colonial Athletic Association Tournament-Drexel vs Virginia Commonwealth" src="http://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/shaka-smart-vcu-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>Atlantic 10 media members voted their preseason honors and the results are in.

VCU, coming off a 29-7 season with a trip into the NCAA's round of 32 was picked to finish third behind top pick St. Joseph's and runner up St. Louis. St. Joe's returns a complete squad from a team that finished 20-14 last season after a first round NIT loss against Northern Iowa. Like VCU, St. Louis returns most of it's squad from a round of 32 NCAA team. The Billikens went 26-8 before falling by four to top-seeded Michigan State in last year's tournament.

Three Rams were honored on preseason teams as well. Junior Juvonte Reddic averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, and is expected to carry even more of a load in the paint with the graduation of senior Bradford Burgess. Reddic garnered third team honors after ending last season a third team All-CAA selection.

Briante Weber cracked the all defensive team. Weber was one of the nation's best last season, averaging more steals per 40 minutes than any player in the nation (4.6). He lead the Rams in steals last season with 77.

Freshman Melvin Johnson may have been a late add for the Rams after he decomitted from the Miami Hurricanes, but he hasn't wasted time in collecting trophies. The ESPN top-100 shooting guard was VCU's lone representative on the five-man A-10 All-Rookie team.

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Poll</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">1.        Saint Joseph’s (11)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">2.        Saint Louis (10)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">3.        VCU (3)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">4.        Temple (2)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">5.        Massachusetts (2)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">6.        Butler (2)</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">7.        La Salle</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">8.        Dayton</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">9.        Xavier</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">10.        Richmond</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">11.        St. Bonaventure</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">12.        Charlotte</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">13.        George Washington</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">14.        Fordham</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">15.        Rhode Island</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">16.        Duquesne</span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">First Team</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kevin Dillard, Dayton</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chris Gaston, Fordham</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chaz Williams, Massachusetts</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Khalif Wyatt, Temple</span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Second Team</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rotnei Clarke, Butler</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chris Braswell, Charlotte</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ramon Galloway, La Salle</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s</span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Third Team</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Darien Brothers, Richmond</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Halil Kanacevic, Saint Joseph’s</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Scootie Randall, Temple</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Juvonte Reddic, VCU</span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">All-Defensive</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Roosevelt Jones, Butler</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pierria Henry, Charlotte</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jordair Jett, Saint Louis</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Briante Weber, VCU</span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">All-Rookie</span></span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kellen Dunham, Butler</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jordan Hare, Rhode Island</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Daniel Dingle, Temple</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Melvin Johnson, VCU</span>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;">Semaj Christon, Xavier</span>

&nbsp;