West No. 10 – VCU Rams (Overall: 24-9, Conf: 14-4)
Team Strengths:
Shaka Smart may be gone, but “Havoc” remains. VCU has retained its identity of being one of the very best in the nation in ramping up the pressure and forcing turnovers. The Rams rank sixth in steals this season. Their unorthodox and chaotic style can often leave opponents – especially from other conferences – off-guard, and can lead to easy points on the other end.
Meanwhile, senior guard Melvin Johnson is plenty capable of getting hot and carrying a large chunk of the offense.
The Rams are a bit undersized – no one on their roster is taller than 6-9 – which could leave them susceptible in the paint. They could also become one-dimensional and struggle to manufacture much offense outside of Johnson in the halfcourt if they fail to create turnovers.
Team Stats:
Category
Stat
NCAA Rank
Points Per Game
77.3
76th
Rebounds Per Game
37.5
100th
Blocks Per Game
3.8
122nd
3-Point Percentage
36.1%
118th
Free Throw Percentage
69%
206th
Starting Lineup:
Position
Name
PPG
F
Mo Alie-Cox
10.2
G
Melvin Johnson
17.8
G
Korey Billbury
11.4
G
JeQuan Lewis
10.5
G
Jonathan Williams
4.0
Writer’s Prediction
The Rams bow out of the tourney in the round of 32.
