The VCU Rams 2022-23 Season Thread

[N Mollen]

Shaka just ended a 7 game losing streak in the NCAAs.

Winning is hard. Winning against the best is exceptionally hard. Winning against the best without your best player?

 

[Mistachill]

Shaka just ended a 7 game losing streak in the NCAAs.

Winning is hard. Winning against the best is exceptionally hard. Winning against the best without your best player?

Winning when only one player is playing up to their capabilities is near impossible.

 

[longlivekingshaka]

Now it's Furman and Farleigh Dickinson, and last year it was St. Peter's. Before that we had schools like Wofford and UMBC.

Think about how many schools have made a name for themselves since 2016, the last time that VCU won an NCAA Tournament game. Nobody in America cared about these schools whatsoever aside from maybe a couple hundred or a couple thousand of their alumni and students, until they won in the NCAA Tournament. Now they're household names and us Richmonders may talk about them.

THAT is why our fanbase is divided. A lot of our fans want to act like our continual postseason failures don't matter, while some others disagree.

Sure, we can have good regular seasons and have 50 to 150 people on here talk about that and feel good about themselves 365 days a year. And everyone is welcome to their opinion. But the vast majority of America sees VCU as a loser, and nothing but a loser, right now, and increasingly I bet you most college basketball fans across America would tell you that 2011 was a fluke and VCU is a middle-rung program, closer to George Mason and Richmond in status than Gonzaga.

But hey, as long as 30 people on here act like everything is perfect, who cares?

 

[VCU Finance 2008]

Now it's Furman and Farleigh Dickinson, and last year it was St. Peter's. Before that we had schools like Wofford and UMBC.

Think about how many schools have made a name for themselves since 2016, the last time that VCU won an NCAA Tournament game. Nobody in America cared about these schools whatsoever aside from maybe a couple hundred or a couple thousand of their alumni and students, until they won in the NCAA Tournament. Now they're household names and us Richmonders may talk about them.

THAT is why our fanbase is divided. A lot of our fans want to act like our continual postseason failures don't matter, while some others disagree.

Sure, we can have good regular seasons and have 50 to 150 people on here talk about that and feel good about themselves 365 days a year. And everyone is welcome to their opinion. But the vast majority of America sees VCU as a loser, and nothing but a loser, right now, and increasingly I bet you most college basketball fans across America would tell you that 2011 was a fluke and VCU is a middle-rung program, closer to George Mason and Richmond in status than Gonzaga.

But hey, as long as 30 people on here act like everything is perfect, who cares?

There is no one here that doesn't think winning in the postseason is important. We are just not whining about it.

 

[share the ball]

Sure, we can have good regular seasons and have 50 to 150 people on here talk about that and feel good about themselves 365 days a year. And everyone is welcome to their opinion. But the vast majority of America sees VCU as a loser, and nothing but a loser, right now, and increasingly I bet you most college basketball fans across America would tell you that 2011 was a fluke and VCU is a middle-rung program, closer to George Mason and Richmond in status than Gonzaga.

But hey, as long as 30 people on here act like everything is perfect, who cares?

Color me Sunshine! Rams are my team, think and thin.
Doesn't matter what 2011 was and whether it will ever reoccur, it happened! and any mid major and their fanbase in the country would be ecstatic with such.

this team accomplished a lot as regular season champs (by a few games) and tourney champ in dominating fashion. WE understand we are a mid major in a conference that has been trending downhill in the past few years (not VCU's fault)

none of the P5 are going to invite us to their conferences and we have only a remote chance to be in the Big East -

do I want to be in the Big Dance every year and see us win games - All of us do, but even if we don't the Rams will remain MY TEAM

Nationally we are a recognized mid major program on a small tier below Gonzaga, with a loyal and passionate fanbase

If you are not happy with being part of that, may I suggest you need to support another team

go rams

 

[RamLover]

Now it's Furman and Farleigh Dickinson, and last year it was St. Peter's. Before that we had schools like Wofford and UMBC.

Think about how many schools have made a name for themselves since 2016, the last time that VCU won an NCAA Tournament game. Nobody in America cared about these schools whatsoever aside from maybe a couple hundred or a couple thousand of their alumni and students, until they won in the NCAA Tournament. Now they're household names and us Richmonders may talk about them.

THAT is why our fanbase is divided. A lot of our fans want to act like our continual postseason failures don't matter, while some others disagree.

Sure, we can have good regular seasons and have 50 to 150 people on here talk about that and feel good about themselves 365 days a year. And everyone is welcome to their opinion. But the vast majority of America sees VCU as a loser, and nothing but a loser, right now, and increasingly I bet you most college basketball fans across America would tell you that 2011 was a fluke and VCU is a middle-rung program, closer to George Mason and Richmond in status than Gonzaga.

But hey, as long as 30 people on here act like everything is perfect, who cares?

Disagree 100%

We are successful for exactly what we are: a midmajor program. The only fans and outsiders who are disappointed in VCU are the ones who can’t understand that we are literally no where close to a Gonzaga or Houston and won’t be for a really long time, if ever.

Others don’t understand that we won’t ever be like a P5 no matter how hard we try and how successful we are.

Idk why it’s so hard for the fanbase to understand that we are going to be a midmajor program until we aren’t.

Rational people outside of this fanbase see us as a continuously successful midmajor program. There are literally only 32 teams in the country that people don’t see as a loser right at this very moment. It has nothing to do with our failure as a program, because we haven’t failed as a program. There’s only one winner at the end of this.

 

[RamJamFan]

So there’s a couple games in Orlando for the ESPN invitational (iowa state, VT, PennSt, Boise, Texas a&m, butler) and a game with Houston…allegedly we start the UVA series but not sure if confirmed…any other confirmed OOC games for next year that I’m missing?

Sounds like nice improvement, exciting! Now let’s pray we win some and come out of OOC with relevant NET. The top half of A10 has to do likewise. It’s nearly impossible to play in conf game after game against low net teams and expect serious net advancement. I suspect a lot of the frustration on RN threads was realization of our plot early in season after Memphis/Temple games. I can’t speak for others but I was really discouraged thinking our only path was winning A10 tournament, which ended up our reality. But so happy we got to dance as we have a talented team who deserved prime time big opportunity.

 

[wstwrdxpnsnRAM]

Overall great season, imo! Next season we need to move from the middle ground heck between giant killers and round of 32/sweet 16 regulars. Gotta have that dog mentality. Kids get stronger in the off-season then lob city to Kern and Lawal!

 

[Mistachill]

Disagree 100%

We are successful for exactly what we are: a midmajor program. The only fans and outsiders who are disappointed in VCU are the ones who can’t understand that we are literally no where close to a Gonzaga or Houston and won’t be for a really long time, if ever.

Others don’t understand that we won’t ever be like a P5 no matter how hard we try and how successful we are.

Idk why it’s so hard for the fanbase to understand that we are going to be a midmajor program until we aren’t.

Rational people outside of this fanbase see us as a continuously successful midmajor program. There are literally only 32 teams in the country that people don’t see as a loser right at this very moment. It has nothing to do with our failure as a program, because we haven’t failed as a program. There’s only one winner at the end of this.

I guess that is the line that rubs me a little bit.

I think that's why to me Capel was so important to our program in spite of his relatively modest record here. After years to having Sonny and Mack operate like we're a lesser program that needed to cut corners, I think Capel (with his Duke background) started us incorporating more of a big-boy mentality that Grant and Shaka built on. I just think if we approach things like what you just indicated, we'll never be more than that in my opinion.

 

[RamLover]

I guess that is the line that rubs me a little bit.

I think that's why to me Capel was so important to our program in spite of his relatively modest record here. After years to having Sonny and Mack operate like we're a lesser program that needed to cut corners, I think Capel (with his Duke background) started us incorporating more of a big-boy mentality that Grant and Shaka built on. I just think if we approach things like what you just indicated, we'll never be more than that in my opinion.

I think the players should have that mentality. Like Ace said, they shouldn’t be scared to play anyone. It’s not about talent or ability. It’s just that the system has made it nearly impossible for midmajor programs to become what this fanbase wants and expects. Gonzaga and Houston are like the only ones I can think of that have elevated beyond their conference status and kept it there. Memphis and SMC are closer than us…. lots of other programs, like us, have good years, but because of the system, they won’t be like that all the time: I’m thinking of schools like us, Dayton, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Boise State, SLU. There’s an upper tier of midmajors that will always have great seasons and get seeded highly, but it’s just really close to impossible to maintain it every year. I don’t think the fanbase gets that. They don’t understand the systematic hurdles.

 

[wstwrdxpnsnRAM]

I guess that is the line that rubs me a little bit.

I think that's why to me Capel was so important to our program in spite of his relatively modest record here. After years to having Sonny and Mack operate like we're a lesser program that needed to cut corners, I think Capel (with his Duke background) started us incorporating more of a big-boy mentality that Grant and Shaka built on. I just think if we approach things like what you just indicated, we'll never be more than that in my opinion.

Yeah we need to accept nothing less than perfection in our approach to practice, the game, and to the team. That doesn’t mean we’ll ever get to a Big East or P5 level but we need to operate like that if we want to be successful.

That also doesn’t mean we’ll win every game, but we should expect that we play a certain way regardless. We did that in the final stretch of the regular season and conference tourney but went away from it in the SMC game.

In the end it’s a learning and growth process and we can only control what we can control. Take ownership of that, and then keep building the program & if we ever get sniffed by a Big East or some new almagamation of high mid programs as a new conference we should absolutely jump on the opportunity.

 

[Mistachill]

I think the players should have that mentality. Like Ace said, they shouldn’t be scared to play anyone. It’s not about talent or ability. It’s just that the system has made it nearly impossible for midmajor programs to become what this fanbase wants and expects. Gonzaga and Houston are like the only ones I can think of that have elevated beyond their conference status and kept it there. Memphis and SMC are closer than us…. lots of other programs, like us, have good years, but because of the system, they won’t be like that all the time: I’m thinking of schools like us, Dayton, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Boise State, SLU. There’s an upper tier of midmajors that will always have great seasons and get seeded highly, but it’s just really close to impossible to maintain it every year. I don’t think the fanbase gets that. They don’t understand the systematic hurdles.

People and entities have to overcome "systems" all the time to do remarkable things. The one guaranteed way to never overcoming the system is to bow down to it and say that you can't.

 

[RamLover]

People and entities have to overcome "systems" all the time to do remarkable things. The one guaranteed way to never overcoming the system is to bow down to it and say that you can't.

I never said we can’t. I said it’s nearly impossible to do it year after year like this fanbase expects.

I also never said bow down to it. I just think our fans need to blend expectation with realism and understanding.

 

[GuardTheArc]

NCAA Tournament Appearances Over The Past Two Decades (since 2004; 19 NCAA Tourneys):
Kansas - 19
Michigan St - 19
Gonzaga - 19* (*non-P6)
Duke - 18
Wisconsin - 17
North Carolina - 17
Kentucky - 16
Texas - 16
Villanova - 16
Arizona - 15
UCLA - 14
Purdue - 14
Xavier - 14
VCU - 13*
Louisville - 13
Ohio St - 13
Florida - 13
West Virginia - 13
--------------------
Everyone else - 12 or less (notably - Kansas St, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Marquette, Illinois, Maryland, Cincinnati, Wichita St, St Mary's, Houston, San Diego St, Arkansas, Tennessee, Temple, UConn, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Memphis, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Iowa St, Oklahoma St, Oregon, Providence, Dayton, Creighton, Va Tech, Richmond, George Mason, Old Dominion, St Louis, LSU, Iowa, Oklahoma, NC State, BYU, Utah, USC, Ariz St, Boise St, New Mexico, Utah St, Stanford, St Johns)

VCU Coaches (2004-2023):
Capel - 1 NCAA
Grant - 2 NCAAs
Smart - 5 NCAAs
Wade - 2 NCAAs
Rhoades - 3 NCAAs

 

[Mistachill]

I never said we can’t. I said it’s nearly impossible to do it year after year like this fanbase expects.

I also never said bow down to it. I just think our fans need to blend expectation with realism and understanding.

Well, we have a thread with 200+ posts that gets into all of that so no need to rehash all of the talking points. I think it's possible and realistic but we can agree to disagree.