Exhibition #1: Virginia Union University

districtballer

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Virginia Union University finished the 2008-09 season 21-7 overall, and were Eastern Division Champs at 16-4.VUU lost the CIAA Championship game to JCSU and was preseason picked to finished number one in the Eastern Division of the CIAA by the conference for this season.The Panthers will have 5 returning student-athletes from last season. Head coach Willard Coker and his coaching staff signed nine new panthers to provide more depth to the squad this year so the Panthers are quite young this year.

While the Panthers have a lot of new faces, two of the Byerson brothers are still around. Brandon Byerson and Braxton Byerson were selected to the Pre-Season All-CIAA Team. Brandon Byerson a senior guard averaged 12.7 points per game, while his younger brother junior guard Braxton averaged 13.8 points per game. Together in the backcourt they should provide a very strong test for a backcourt that has a lot of questions and uncertainty at VCU.

The Panthers basketball team has already hosted an exhibition game against Fort Meade Army Base of Maryland on Saturday, October 31st at Barco-Stevens Hall (I could not find the results). The Panthers are in the 'Other Receiving Votes' of the NABC Division II Preseason Men's Top 25 (10/28).

Here is the VUU Roster:

2 Juan Wilson Fr. G 6-6 195
3 Wesley Simmons Fr. G/F 6-4 175
4 Brandon Byerson Sr. G 6-1 190
5 Wayne Ford So. G 6-1 205
10 Alexander Brown So. G/F 6-3 200
12 Josh Dupuy So. G 5-9 170
13 Branden McDonald Jr. G 6-2 205
14 Ryan King Jr. G 6-2 180
20 Joshua Miller So. G 6-3 185
22 Sean Tarver Fr. G/F 6-5 170
24 Braxton Byerson Jr. G 6-3 217
31 Gregg Redford So. F 6-5 195
33 Makka Garba Fr. F 6-7 225
44 Justin Ramsey Jr. F 6-11 250
51 Juan Richard So. C 6-7 255
 
That's a solid rundown, District ...

Now here's a key number: 70. That's about the number of possession in a regular college basketball game.

The more the possessions above 70, the more the favorite (VCU in this case) swings the hammer; the lower than 70, the greater chance for an upset.

Now, if I'm VUU, I'm going to try to limit possessions to 60 ... even 55 - to avoid as much conflict as possible with Sanders; then it could become tense. If the possessions go to 80-90, the Rams win by 25-plus. Union, in the second year of AR - After Robbins - has virtually no inside game, but some dangerous jump shooters, a hard-to-crack defensive scheme, a winning spirit underlined by three national titles, and a strong resentment for it's Division I neighbors.

Union's advantage is with the Byersons - who match up favorably with VCU's perimeter folks. If I'm VUU coach Willard Coker, I milk every possesion to under 10 seconds, then attack with Brandon and Braxton, hoping for mid-range jumpers and/or fouls.

Defensively, VCU will face that camouflaged "2-3 zone" that has been driving foes batty for decades. It's the same defense Dave Robbins ran at Westhampton Middle School and Thomas Jefferson High before getting the Union gig in '78. Coker, a freshman on Union's '80 NCAA D2 title team, runs the same defense, as you might expect, but it's a hard defense to teach and this year's team is very inexperienced.

Again, VCU wins in a rout if the possessions go much over 70; if it's 60 or below, then the visiting Panthers could create drama to the finish.
 
That's actually a pretty well-thought out analysis 'Horn! While I don't mind the off-topic posts as much as many other posters, I much prefer this type of solid basketball posting to the alternative. Keep it up!

When you talked about the resentment for VCU from Union, I couldn't help but think of Ed Davis. While we certainly had no shot at a McDonald's All-American like Davis, he did attend a significant number of VCU home games his senior year. It was kind of hard to be conspicuous when you are a long, lanky 6'9 guy with a hoodie trying to blend in. While that means nothing, obviously some Ram fans hearts skipped a beat when they saw him come, game after game after game to watch Eric Maynor, Jamal Shuler and a fledgling Larry Sanders night after night.

The word is that Terry Davis (former Union standout and NBA player) wanted VCU to have nothing to do with his son's recruitment. I guess the resentment is pretty deeply-rooted for a lot of the Union guys who see VCU as getting more attention, publicity etc. as the 'white' or mainstream school despite Union's great success and better record of sending players to the NBA, winning national championships at their level etc.
 
districtballer said:
While the Panthers have a lot of new faces, two of the Byerson brothers are still around. Brandon Byerson and Braxton Byerson were selected to the Pre-Season All-CIAA Team. Brandon Byerson a senior guard averaged 12.7 points per game, while his younger brother junior guard Braxton averaged 13.8 points per game. Together in the backcourt they should provide a very strong test for a backcourt that has a lot of questions and uncertainty at VCU.
I actually went to high school with all 3 of the Byersons. There older brother Brad orginial went to WVU , but after a year of minimal pt he transfered back home to VUU. He was there solid big man at 6'8" and obviously the ability to play at a different level. He was all everything in the central district and region, but the 2 other younger brothers should do well in the backcourt this year as you stated.
 
vcuramnation.com said:
Can you believe it’s basketball season already? It’s the time of year when VCU fans get to trade in their unsuccessful football teams, generally the Redskins and those college teams out west that have usually ended their seasons by now, and finally get behind a real winner.
wow glad I'm not a redskins fan or I might have been offended lol

vcuramnation.com said:
A first look at a Shaka Smart coached VCU squad. The first chance to see how our guys do without now NBA point guard Eric Maynor. And the first action in the black and gold by a lot of new Rams: freshmen Darius Theus, Issiah Grayson, Troy Daniels, and redshirt David Hinton, and transfers Jaimie Skeen from Wake Forest and Jay Gavin via Marist (technically his second if you include last years Black and Gold scrimmage).
Is he saying Skeen can/will play in the scrimmage? I was just curious because I wasn't sure if he was allowed to and what not. I would guess he is allowed to play just probably won't?
 
vcu_dan said:
Is he saying Skeen can/will play in the scrimmage? I was just curious because I wasn't sure if he was allowed to and what not. I would guess he is allowed to play just probably won't?

Skeen is allowed to play in the exhibition, however he did not play in the scrimmage against La Salle. Unless he didn't play because of illness, I wouldn't expect to see him against VUU.
 
ramramthankyoumaam said:
I see the video link on the VCU website schedule. Can anyone confirm internet broadcast of the game?

Good question.

If they don't have it running up there I'm sure we'll have a live blog here. We've also talked about trying to upload quick video highlights here thanks to Matt M's new HD camera that also shoots short video clips. We'll see how that works out, I can think of no better chance to try it out than in a exhibition game.
 
Is it just me, or does it seem like the Byerson's have been playing at Union for the last decade?
 
Banana - got an idea to distract the other team's freethrow shooters.

You run around behind the backboard and we get a guy in a gorilla suit to chase you! :lol:
 
ramathon74 said:
Banana - got an idea to distract the other team's freethrow shooters.

You run around behind the backboard and we get a guy in a gorilla suit to chase you! :lol:
Great idea. I need to hand down the Banana costume to a spirited student. I'm an Alumni now. Time to grow up, no more costumes for me.
 
sad to see that thing get retired...

Know any students that you trust? We need some passion out there! Maybe for an ODU halftime we can get Pav's Blaine to Chase your banana costume around ..
 
There should never be another Banana at VCU unless Jim brings it out of retirement..won't support anybody else doing it
 
Mercury said:
There should never be another Banana at VCU unless Jim brings it out of retirement..won't support anybody else doing it


Motion to Second that
 
I nominate Larry Sanders to rock the banana outfit.
 
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