Fixing our defense

theyaintwantit said:
We haven’t won an NCAA game since 2016. Our three NCAA wins since the 2011 Final Four run are against Wichita State (mid major), Akron (one bid mid major), and Oregon State (one of the worst power conference programs in recent history). Let’s face it….. since 2011 we haven’t matched up well against any power conference team.
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1/29/26

Wins or "down to the wire" (highly competitive) losses to P5 (or P5-caliber) programs since 2007, most of them post-2011. Vast majority of them at a Road/Neutral site.

Wichita St (3)
Duke (2)
Pitt (2)
UCLA (2)
Maryland
Houston
Boston College (2)
Miami (2)
New Mex (2)
Wake Forest (2)
Oklahoma (2)
Alabama
Memphis (3)
Utah St (2)
Oregon St
Oregon
Cincinnati (2)
St Johns
Vanderbilt (4)
Syracuse
Villanova
Colorado St
California
Va Tech (2)
Georgetown (2)
Florida St (2)
Kansas
USC
Tennessee (2)
Northern Iowa
Purdue (2)
Baylor
UConn
Ohio St
NC State
Xavier
Michigan
LSU
Penn St (2)
Arizona St
Iowa St
Boise St
 
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GuardTheArc said:
1/29/26

Wins or "down to the wire" (highly competitive) losses to P5 (or P5-caliber) programs since 2007, most of them post-2011. Vast majority of them at a Road/Neutral site.

Wichita St (3)
Duke (2)
Pitt (2)
UCLA (2)
Maryland
Houston
Boston College (2)
Miami (2)
New Mex (2)
Wake Forest (2)
Oklahoma (2)
Alabama
Memphis (3)
Utah St (2)
Oregon
Cincinnati (2)
St Johns
Vanderbilt (4)
Syracuse
Villanova
Colorado St
California
Va Tech (2)
Georgetown (2)
Florida St (2)
Kansas
USC
Tennessee (2)
Northern Iowa
Purdue (2)
Baylor
UConn
Ohio St
NC State
Xavier
Michigan
LSU
Penn St (2)
Arizona St
Iowa St
Boise St
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While I don't agree that we haven't matched up well against anyone a list of wins and losses is largely irrelevant.
 
2/1/26

VCU in A-10 - Bart Torvik Overall (Offense/Defense) - Outcome

2026 - 68 (44/149) - TBD

2025 - 32 (50/27) - NCAA
2024 - 82 (131/41) - NIT

2023 - 62 (150/17) - NCAA
2022 - 52 (202/7) - NIT
2021 - 44 (123/6) - NCAA
2020 - 67 (125/39) - COVID (no postseason)
2019 - 27 (153/3) - NCAA
2018 - 130 (140/141) - no postseason

2017 - 61 (92/46) - NCAA
2016 - 30 (49/23) - NCAA

2015 - 43 (65/41) - NCAA
2014 - 24 (109/6) - NCAA
2013 - 14 (13/34) - NCAA


Summary: VCU (A-10) NCAA Selection common denominator = Top 50 D
 
duncanlamb said:
Are @RowdyPkunk and @GuardTheArc are one and the same person?

I don't think anyone has seen them post analytics at the same time on the forum.
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Not even remotely the same person. I just post basic stats for the most part. And stats people ask for over the years.

He posts them with an agenda trying to prove something…. Whatever it be at the current time of the post.
 
RowdyPkunk said:
Not even remotely the same person. I just post basic stats for the most part. And stats people ask for over the years.

He posts them with an agenda trying to prove something…. Whatever it be at the current time of the post.
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😆. I'm just funnin' you.

Seriously, again, thank you for all the stats work you do on opponent tracking and stats.

Between you and @Mistachill 's video library of game replays....this place wouldn't be nearly as informative you guys make it.

It beats the h@all out of walking down the street to pick an RTD in 1984 for late game stats between VCU and Auburn only to find the only have a small blurb from the AP and no box score...and nothing else to read with my crispy creme doughnuts.

You don't get enough credit.

Anyway, I hope you are doing better.
 
duncanlamb said:
😆. I'm just funnin' you.

Seriously, again, thank you for all the stats work you do on opponent tracking and stats.

Between you and @Mistachill 's video library of game replays....this place wouldn't be nearly as informative you guys make it.

It beats the h@all out of walking down the street to pick an RTD in 1984 for late game stats between VCU and Auburn only to find the only have a small blurb from the AP and no box score...and nothing else to read with my crispy creme doughnuts.

You don't get enough credit.

Anyway, I hope you are doing better.
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DL, either you must be on some strong meds or you were so sick you started to do some soul searching on your life and felt compelled to dish out compliments. :D

All kidding aside, thanks for the kind words.
 
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Update!

Last night was a nice step in the right direction for VCU. Crazy that we won because of our defense, not in spite of it.

THE NUMBERS

0.92 Fordham point per possession - Fordham offense averages 1.013 in-conference, so even though they are a bad offense, this is a great number to see. That's also tied with what SLU allowed to them in St. Louis and SLU leads the conference at 0.992 per game.

40.9% inside the arc - VCU is giving up 53.7% shooting inside in A-10 play, good for 10th in the conference, so this number is a MASSIVE improvement. Fordham has averaged 49.1% inside the arc in A-10 play, so again, we defended better than the competition.

59 points - First time we've held an opponent to under 60 points since Niagara, once of the worst offenses in the country, back on Dec 15 (58 points) and only the third time all year.

Obviously the HUGE difference last night is we weren't switching on all screens like we usually do, but I'm curious if we continue that against Dayton. Like Fordham, Dayton has been pretty bad at shooting the three this year, but Fordham is legit one of the worst teams in the nation at 3-point shooting, so I imagine our scheme will be a lil different.

Also, I was positive I saw a little bit of a soft hedge action there from Lazar and Barry, but was told otherwise. When I get a chance I'll rewatch some video and try and pull examples. Either way, we clearly made a switch and yes, it's Fordham, but still, we posted defensive numbers like we are used to seeing from a VCU team. Naturally our offense was off last night via turnovers and free throw shooting, BUT...I'm less concerned with our offense because it has consistently been good. I think last night was a big step forward in this team's overall improvement and love the small adjustments the staff made. Defense won us that game and I'm not sure we get a win last night if they didn't make the change.
 
Natty said:
Update!

Last night was a nice step in the right direction for VCU. Crazy that we won because of our defense, not in spite of it.

THE NUMBERS

0.92 Fordham point per possession - Fordham offense averages 1.013 in-conference, so even though they are a bad offense, this is a great number to see. That's also tied with what SLU allowed to them in St. Louis and SLU leads the conference at 0.992 per game.

40.9% inside the arc - VCU is giving up 53.7% shooting inside in A-10 play, good for 10th in the conference, so this number is a MASSIVE improvement. Fordham has averaged 49.1% inside the arc in A-10 play, so again, we defended better than the competition.

59 points - First time we've held an opponent to under 60 points since Niagara, once of the worst offenses in the country, back on Dec 15 (58 points) and only the third time all year.

Obviously the HUGE difference last night is we weren't switching on all screens like we usually do, but I'm curious if we continue that against Dayton. Like Fordham, Dayton has been pretty bad at shooting the three this year, but Fordham is legit one of the worst teams in the nation at 3-point shooting, so I imagine our scheme will be a lil different.

Also, I was positive I saw a little bit of a soft hedge action there from Lazar and Barry, but was told otherwise. When I get a chance I'll rewatch some video and try and pull examples. Either way, we clearly made a switch and yes, it's Fordham, but still, we posted defensive numbers like we are used to seeing from a VCU team. Naturally our offense was off last night via turnovers and free throw shooting, BUT...I'm less concerned with our offense because it has consistently been good. I think last night was a big step forward in this team's overall improvement and love the small adjustments the staff made. Defense won us that game and I'm not sure we get a win last night if they didn't make the change.
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There was one true hedge at the 3:20ish mark of the 2nd by Lazar. The rest were combinations of weak jams and poor gap coverage with a small set of show and go
 
Natty said:
Update!

Last night was a nice step in the right direction for VCU. Crazy that we won because of our defense, not in spite of it.

THE NUMBERS

0.92 Fordham point per possession - Fordham offense averages 1.013 in-conference, so even though they are a bad offense, this is a great number to see. That's also tied with what SLU allowed to them in St. Louis and SLU leads the conference at 0.992 per game.

40.9% inside the arc - VCU is giving up 53.7% shooting inside in A-10 play, good for 10th in the conference, so this number is a MASSIVE improvement. Fordham has averaged 49.1% inside the arc in A-10 play, so again, we defended better than the competition.

59 points - First time we've held an opponent to under 60 points since Niagara, once of the worst offenses in the country, back on Dec 15 (58 points) and only the third time all year.

Obviously the HUGE difference last night is we weren't switching on all screens like we usually do, but I'm curious if we continue that against Dayton. Like Fordham, Dayton has been pretty bad at shooting the three this year, but Fordham is legit one of the worst teams in the nation at 3-point shooting, so I imagine our scheme will be a lil different.

Also, I was positive I saw a little bit of a soft hedge action there from Lazar and Barry, but was told otherwise. When I get a chance I'll rewatch some video and try and pull examples. Either way, we clearly made a switch and yes, it's Fordham, but still, we posted defensive numbers like we are used to seeing from a VCU team. Naturally our offense was off last night via turnovers and free throw shooting, BUT...I'm less concerned with our offense because it has consistently been good. I think last night was a big step forward in this team's overall improvement and love the small adjustments the staff made. Defense won us that game and I'm not sure we get a win last night if they didn't make the change.
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I believe VCU entered last night's game either 12th or 13th in the conference in eFG% Defense and 2P% Defense and we moved up to 10th in both. Baby steps I know, but that's an improvement.
 
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