The Rams are back in the Big Dance! VCU (28-6) is heading to Denver as an 11-seed to take on No. 6 BYU (24-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Rams locked up their spot in March Madness by grinding out a 68-63 win over George Mason in the A-10 Championship, bringing the conference trophy back to Richmond.
Jack Clark was named the Atlantic 10 Tournament's Most Valuable Player after his standout performances throughout the championship run. His leadership and clutch play have been key in VCU's success down the stretch.
This is VCU’s 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and the 14th since 2004, but it’s the first under head coach Ryan Odom—who knows a thing or two about making history in March. Odom famously led UMBC to the first-ever 16-over-1 upset when they shocked Virginia in 2018. Now, he's got the Rams playing some of the best basketball in the country, leading the A-10 in both offense and defense.
VCU fans know this squad has been locked in defensively, and a big reason for that is freshman center Luke Bamgboye. Since he joined the starting lineup in December, the Rams have held opponents to just 44.7% shooting inside the arc—one of the best marks in the nation. In fact, VCU ranks first in the country in effective field goal percentage allowed, making this a tough challenge for BYU’s high-powered offense.
According to KenPom, these two teams are evenly matched. BYU ranks 24th nationally, while VCU sits at 30th. The analytics suggest the Cougars are only about 1-2 points better than VCU on a neutral floor, setting up what should be a tightly contested battle.
The Cougars are ranked No. 17 in the country and are led by First Team All-Big 12 forward Richie Saunders (16.0 PPG, 44% from three). BYU also features 6’9” guard Egor Demin (10.8 PPG, 5.6 APG), who has emerged as a key playmaker down the stretch.
The last time VCU and BYU faced off was way back in 1983, when the Cougars won a close one, 81-77. But this is March, and history doesn’t matter—what matters is what happens on the court Thursday night.
Tip-off time and TV details will be released soon, so stay locked in to VCURamNation.com for all the latest updates. Let’s dance, Ram Nation!
Jack Clark was named the Atlantic 10 Tournament's Most Valuable Player after his standout performances throughout the championship run. His leadership and clutch play have been key in VCU's success down the stretch.
This is VCU’s 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and the 14th since 2004, but it’s the first under head coach Ryan Odom—who knows a thing or two about making history in March. Odom famously led UMBC to the first-ever 16-over-1 upset when they shocked Virginia in 2018. Now, he's got the Rams playing some of the best basketball in the country, leading the A-10 in both offense and defense.
VCU fans know this squad has been locked in defensively, and a big reason for that is freshman center Luke Bamgboye. Since he joined the starting lineup in December, the Rams have held opponents to just 44.7% shooting inside the arc—one of the best marks in the nation. In fact, VCU ranks first in the country in effective field goal percentage allowed, making this a tough challenge for BYU’s high-powered offense.
According to KenPom, these two teams are evenly matched. BYU ranks 24th nationally, while VCU sits at 30th. The analytics suggest the Cougars are only about 1-2 points better than VCU on a neutral floor, setting up what should be a tightly contested battle.
The Cougars are ranked No. 17 in the country and are led by First Team All-Big 12 forward Richie Saunders (16.0 PPG, 44% from three). BYU also features 6’9” guard Egor Demin (10.8 PPG, 5.6 APG), who has emerged as a key playmaker down the stretch.
The last time VCU and BYU faced off was way back in 1983, when the Cougars won a close one, 81-77. But this is March, and history doesn’t matter—what matters is what happens on the court Thursday night.
Tip-off time and TV details will be released soon, so stay locked in to VCURamNation.com for all the latest updates. Let’s dance, Ram Nation!
