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2017-2018 VCU Rams

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#1 · (Edited)
VCU to A-10 Billboard

 
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#668 · (Edited)
VCU had their Black & Gold intra-squad game today at the Siegel Center. Students started lining up at 10 a.m. Official attendance was 3,187 and the place was loud and raucous for a preseason scrimmage. It was a 30 minute game with 2 15-minute halves.







The Gold Team won 72-56 and sophomore Melvin Johnson led all scorers with 25 points including 5 triples. Florida State transfer Terrance Shannon added 16 points and 7 boards and Treveon Graham had 15 points and 10 boards. It was a fast-paced game meant mostly to entertain the crowd so you can't take too much from it, but it was nice for the fans to get excited about the upcoming season.

Final Box Score:





Video highlights later tonight.
 
#670 ·
Question from you Rams fans on perimeter shooting. Obviously the last couple years Daniels was the guy who spearheaded that department, before him the elder Burgess, and Rozzell, and Maynor....Rodriguez...Shuler damn looking back at the %s they've had some dangerous deep shooters

Point being, it's always been a tremendous asset for the Rams to wreak that havoc and then transform the resulting turnovers not just into easy buckets streaking to the basket, but on momentum-changing 3's. I want to know what you're expecting from deep - are they going to miss a beat without Daniels and his reputation/productivity?

Brandenburg and Graham both showed they can knock 'em down but Johnson and Weber didn't put up the best percentages - are they improved? And how much are you expecting from Jordan Burgess...cause I have to think that a top 100 recruit who has been getting hungry practicing against an elite roster for a whole year is the type of dude who might storm in and post serious numbers.
 
#678 ·
To answer your question. Yes and No. haha.

Troy was obviously a dead eye 3 point shooter, but he was also a volume shooter who was otherwise limited offensively. He also had fantastical streaks like hitting 27 in 3 games but would then go 10 for his next 50. He had a nack for making them when it counted though, see St. Joe's.

Melvin Johnson should be a player that will help fill the void. Last year he was a late arrival to VCU and also came injured and it showed early on as his conditioning was nowhere near what VCU requires. He however caught up later in the year and shot above 40% the last 15 or so games. He is also a much more versatile offensive player than Daniels. He can score a 100 different ways.

We don't count on Weber being a big factor in our 3 point game, if he can make it from 15 feet consistently we'll be fine.

Burgess, along with Lewis, Brooks and Lyles are all solid 3 point shooters but are all in their first year on the court with us. It'll take some adjustment to the speed of the college game but they should help solidify the shooting of Graham, Brandenberg and Johnson.

I know VCU fans are really excited about the possibility of not having to rely solely on the 3 as we have done in certain years. We have a lot of weapons who can put it on the floor or knock down the perimeter jumper.

Hope that helps.
 
#671 · (Edited)
VCURamNation Highlight Video and post-scrimmage interview with Shaka: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2013/10/video-vcu-black-gold-game/

http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports...cle_3c69d762-e2db-5620-805f-24f5c9e234f0.html
VCU may not hold Midnight Madness extravaganzas, but maybe it can corner a more low-key 6 p.m. version.

Almost 3,200 packed into the Siegel Center on Sunday night to get their first glimpse of a team that is creating a lot of preseason buzz nationally.
“We’ve always had high expectations for ourselves within the program,” VCU coach Shaka Smart said. “We want to be at a place where there are high expectations for us. That’s the way VCU is.

“I thought the crowd tonight was terrific, especially for an event that we’ve never done in the past, that we just kind of threw together. It says a lot about our fans and it shows how excited people are about VCU basketball in this city.”
Sophomore guard Melvin Johnson had the big night and the hot hand, nailing 5 of 7 3-point attempts and scoring 25 points for the gold team, which won 72-56. Junior Treveon Graham (15 for the gold) and senior Rob Brandenberg (12 for the black) also were solid among the returnees.

For several of the newcomers, this was more of a “moments” game with flashes of ability after 2½ weeks of practice. The Rams are integrating six: freshmen guards JeQuan Lewis, Jairus Lyles and Doug Brooks, freshman forward Antravious Simmons, transfer forward Terrance Shannon, and redshirt freshmen Jordan Burgess and Mo Alie-Cox.
“We’ve got so many new guys, it was great to see them out there on the Siegel Center floor for the first time,” Smart said. “As I told them in the locker room after we got done, we have a lot to work on, but we have a lot to work with. So I’m excited about that.”
 
#672 ·
http://www.nbc12.com/story/23681422/depth-on-display-at-vcu-basketballs-black-and-gold-game
The VCU men's basketball team held the program's first ever 'Black and Gold' intersquad game Sunday night at the Siegel Center.

The Gold team, comprised of Treveon Graham, Terrance Shannon and Melvin Johnson, among others, beat the Black team 72-56.

The Black team was led by JeQuan Lewis' 13 points on 3-5 shooting from three-point range. Melvin Johnson led all scorers with 25 points.

Graham added 15 points in the winning effort for the Gold team. In all six players total from both teams scored in double figures.
NBC12 Video Highlights:




More video from Rams Review: http://ramsreview.com/2013/10/14/vcu-basketball-black-and-gold-game/
 
#679 ·
Around The Horns ‏@VCUHorns 21m
VCU drew more fans to an intra-squad scrimmage last night than three A-10 schools averaged for real games last year. That's pretty cool.
 
#682 ·
Around 3,200....They had 1/2 of the Siegel Center closed off with a large white curtain. It was full behind the baskets and on the southside of the arena. I was thinking there would be around 1,000 or so on a rainy evening. I heard if they decide to do it again next season they might open the entire place. It was a good turnout for a 30 minute scrimmage.
 
#685 ·
No....it is called the Black & Gold game. We used to do it at the Franklin Street Gym for years as a way to get a glimpse of the new players. Coach Smart decided since there is extra practice time this season he would bring it back. Franklin Street is the team's practice facility. This season he took the scrimmage to the Stu.
 
#688 ·
The Black & Gold game has always been a great way to catch a glimpse of the newcomers. I got my first look at some great VCU players back in the day due to the Black & Gold game. I am so happy that Coach Smart brought it back and on a bigger scale.
 
#689 ·
That's kind of what I thought. I've always been surprised you guys didn't have something. Good call by Shaka. 3,000 is really good for the first time. We usually get something close to 4,000 (my estimate, there's no official number) for Mason Madness, but we've been doing it for years and years.

Our Mason Madness is mostly band, cheer, and dance performances, player introductions, speeches by the coaches, etc. Under Larranaga we used to do a dunk contest, but Hewitt got rid of that because he didn't want players getting hurt. Last year, the women and the men both played 10 minute scrimmages instead, but it wasn't at game intensity.

With the extra practice time, maybe they'll do something bigger this year. It changes the whole equation.
 
#690 ·
Yep.

I don't think we'll ever see the pomp and circumstance you get with Mason Madness. That's really cool for the fans, but not something Shaka has ever been keen on for whatever reason. Grant was the same way.

We just tried to replicate a real game atmosphere for the new guys in front of a crowd with a 30 minute scrimmage, 2 15-minute halves with assistants coaching each squad. It was pretty cool all things considered, especially considering it wasn't really organized beyond the game.

I do hope it continues though. Great way for fans to get a sneak peek at the new guys and get excited for the upcoming season.
 
#694 ·
http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports...cle_dab062cf-c9ca-5f97-9f2b-af5b49437f54.html
Melvin Johnson came to VCU with a reputation as a shooter.

But Johnson, a 6-foot-3 guard, struggled as a freshman behind the 3-point line, making just 2 of his first 16 attempts before finishing at 28.4 percent (23 of 81).

His stroke wasn’t a problem in the Rams’ intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday. Johnson, a sophomore, made 5 of 7 3-point attempts and had a game-high 25 points. He was 10 of 19 overall.

“He was one of the top 10 shooters in the country as a high school freshman,” VCU coach Shaka Smart said. “Pretty much all the recruiting analysts felt that way about him. Last year he really had a slump early on. He had a real hard time the first half of the season with shot readiness. He’d get those open looks, but at the college level the game comes at you faster, and you’ve got to get them off.”
Jordan Burgess and Terrance Shannon are considered newcomers to the Rams, but both have experience that should be valuable.

Burgess, a 6-5 wing who has been designated a redshirt freshman by the NCAA, sat out last year as a partial qualifier but practiced with the team.

“He would have been one of our top six players last year,” Smart said. “He’s going to play a lot. He’s going to be a guy who really figures into everything we’re doing.”

Shannon, a redshirt senior who transferred from Florida State, will give the Rams much-needed size and ability to complement 6-9 senior Juvonte Reddic in the low post.

Shannon, 6-8 and 240, averaged 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 21 minutes last year for FSU.

Shannon was impressive in the second half of the scrimmage. He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

“Terrance is going to help us just with his presence around the basket,” Smart said.
Freshman point guard JeQuan Lewis played with his right thumb wrapped. Smart said Lewis has been dealing with mallet finger since the summer. That’s a condition in which you can’t straighten your finger because a tendon is damaged.

Smart said Lewis’ thumb should get better as the season progresses.

Smart said he is hoping junior forward Jarred Guest, who has been out since late August with a dislocated ankle, will be able to return next week.

“We’ve got him out there running around and doing a lot of things,” Smart said. “He looks good. He’s just got to regain trust in his ankle. It’s going to take some time.”
 
#695 ·
I don't like this guy at all, and hope he makes a better supervisor than actual official. The items he noted surely are important in the BE which has traditionally been noted as a very physical league.

But I wonder how specifically each of the 4 points he notes would impact the teaching of the havoc pressure defense that Smart employs, and if called closely would they have a significant impact on the Rams total game planning. They are apparently NCAA guidelines for next year.

http://www.omaha.com/article/201310...-on-what-to-expect-from-officials-in-big-east
 
#696 ·
If you watch the Black & Gold Game video he addresses the new rules in the post-game interview around the 10:10 mark and then again at 11:20.

76840401

Should be interesting to see how the rules are enforced and how physical teams (like VCU) will adapt to them.

I think most teams will adjust. I think VCU had to be more of a one-trick pony last year out of necessity but we'll be much deeper and more talented from top-to-bottom this year so we may not need to be as dependent on forcing turnovers to score in transition because we'll be more balanced in the front court and have stronger scoring in the half court than last year.
 
#700 · (Edited)
As if on cue, one of VCU's beat writers put out a blog post on the very subject: http://aroundthehorns.wordpress.com/2013/10/15/rule-changes-mean-tweaks-for-havoc/
Could new NCAA rules leave VCU’s Havoc in a foul mood?

With changes in the way games are officiated on deck for the 2013-14 season, Shaka Smart and VCU might have tweak their signature brand of Havoc defense, a full-court assault of athleticism and in-your-face pressure, or risk more whistles.

VCU has ridden Smart’s fully realized Havoc vision to great success. The Rams have led the nation in steals and turnover percentage each of the last two seasons. But it’s also a style that comes with an inherent physicality. VCU ranked 305th nationally in personal fouls (19.7 per game) last season.
For VCU, that could mean growing pains as the Rams attempt to walk the fine line between defending aggressively and playing outside the rules.

“Again, it’s the Havoc, they’re aggressive, they’re hands-on a lot. They’re physical,” Ferry said. “If they’re going to call that every single time, I think that’s going to affect that a little bit. I think Shaka might have to tweak some of that.”

“It could [affect them],” says Mooney. “Because pressing teams…a big part of their plays are a kid taking a charge under the basket or a block. So I do think those plays show up more against a pressing team. I think they’ll adjust.”

If VCU changes nothing, it risks seeing personal fouls – and bench time for key players – skyrocket. So Smart has made adjustments to his own approach.

The fifth-year VCU coach says he and his staff traditionally didn’t call many fouls in practice. Smart wanted to foster an aggressive mindset. He said he felt players could adjust to the referees in-game, once it was established how tight each contest would be officiated. But Smart won’t wait this year.

“We’ve called a lot more fouls in practice because we just cannot afford for our best players to get little ticky-tack fouls with 10 minutes left in the first half, and now they’ve got to six next to me for 10 minutes because they’ve got two fouls.”
Sunday, at the team’s Black and Gold Game, an intra-squad exhibition that featured two 15-minute halves and real NCAA officials, Smart appeared pleased at his team’s discipline. The two teams combined for 20 fouls, and 10 of those came from freshmen Jordan Burgess and JeQuan Lewis. No other player was whistled for more than two personals.

“Tonight there were not a lot of fouls called, which is hopefully a good sign,” the VCU coach said. “Hopefully our guys are learning to play without fouling.”
The Black and Gold teams forced a total of 30 turnovers during Sunday’s exhibition, but Smart doesn’t believe VCU has found the right balance between the new rules and old Havoc. Not yet, anyway.

“Our traps were not tight enough tonight,” he admitted. “We need to close the traps down. So when you get aggressive in traps and you’re closing traps down, now you’re at risk to foul. It’s really a fine line that we walk here with our style of play, but we really believe it works and it’s the best for us.”

While Smart sees room for improvement, it’s important to note that the Rams are still three weeks away from the regular season. There’s still time to get whistles out of the way while the Rams are at Franklin Street Gym, and many league coaches and observers believe the Rams will find a way to take the rule changes in stride.

“Shaka’s a Smart guy though, I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to adjust it,” said Ferry.
 
#701 ·
I look at it this way....because VCU plays an aggressive press they will be under the microscope. Refs get crazed by Havoc. Ha! All players reach or use their forearms. It will be an adjustment for everyone. It will not stop VCU from using angles and traps in the press. The players just need to use their feet and body to get in position.
New Rules=Adjustments
 
#702 ·
Also interestingly enough, VCU did get called for more fouls than over 300 teams in D1 last year and it didn't seem like we had too much foul trouble during the season, nor did it negatively impact our overall season. We were pretty decent.

I'm sure there'll be an adjustment, but I don't see VCU going away from the press at all. Maybe a little more judicious with regards to our physicality in the press, but our identity is our identity. We're not going to go away from it.
 
#704 ·
Obviously not, but like most D1 teams you take what the refs give you.

Fouls are relative to subjective referee interpretations. Some refs called every hand check last year even before any rule changes. VCU had to adjust then and usually did with success. When they didn't have success it was usually because the team they were facing was just really good with guards that made them pay.

If rules are much stricter this year, then you just adjust further. It's still relative to subjective ref interpretation and every game will be officiated differently. VCU will be more conservative, but won't sell out to physicality like they did last year.

Hopefully our scrimmage was indicative of our guys being sharper in that regard. Seems like they didn't have much of a problem with the NCAA officials and new rules while full-court pressing most of the game.

It really should be interesting to watch across the board though. Hand-checking was very common as were folks jumping in to take charges after guys left the floor. Those are good rule changes which should allow cleaner offense much like the NBA instituted several years ago.
 
#705 ·
Having a deep team will be huge for the Rams this season. I have always said that fouling can actually be a good thing. Activity, hustle, pressure and aggression leads to fouls but it also throws the opponent off. Too many fouls is a whole different ball of wax. Havoc can be looked at many different ways. Havoc is a noun but Havocking is a verb.
 
#706 ·
Having a deep team will be huge for the Rams this season. I have always said that fouling can actually be a good thing. Activity, hustle, pressure and aggression leads to fouls but it also throws the opponent off. Too many fouls is a whole different ball of wax. Havoc can be looked at many different ways. Havoc is a noun but Havocing is a verb.
Yes. The team is much deeper this year which should be very advantageous.

Definitely looks like Shaka's best team which is exciting. Either way we needed to get away from dependence on forcing turnovers to score. Half court offense should improve a great deal with more offensive weapons than last year and the ability to play both big and small this year, which wasn't something we could do last year.

Terrance Shannon looked absolutely terrific (16 pts, 7 boards) and with Treveon Graham and Juvonte Reddic we could really give a lot of teams headaches in the front court for the first time in a while.

UVA vs. VCU should also be interesting with the new rules as well. Pack-line vs. Havoc. That could be a grinder and great prep for what we'll probably see from SLU.
 
#707 ·
We will adjust but I doubt you see some massive effect on the game. I believe that teams like SLU, UVA and Wisconsin are more likely to be affected by this than VCU. VCU while we admittedly, bump, grab etc are nowhere near as physical defensively as the three teams mentioned.

Now Duke will get crushed by the changes to the charging rule and fortunately for SLU Cody Ellis is no longer there to foul out in the first 10 minutes on 5 flops under the rim!
 
#708 ·
Agreed....Coach Smart is about pace. Havoc is not ALL about defense.... but the full court press will be in full effect. Coach Smart has addressed the team's deficiencies each year. Cutting off players in the trap and dropping back are things they are working on. The half court offense is also something they will approve on.
I am not worried about rule changes because every team has to adjust.
 
#712 · (Edited)
Originally Posted by DistrictBaller>
Yep. This is what Louisville has become under Rick Pitino. He's the father of the modern press. Billy Donovan's philosophy is largely based off of Pitino's. Bruce Pearl did the same thing at Tennessee at first before he was able to get rolling and attract higher level recruits.

Press for results that lead to getting elite, national level players and then you can pick and choose your spots more judiciously while mostly just being more talented than your competition.

We're starting to see that in the last few recruiting classes. Should be fun to watch for VCU fans
I think most old school VCU fans are lost on this fact. The last 4 seasons have brought drastic change to the beloved VCU basketball program. Seeing this happen before our eyes is hard to comprehend. I appreciate guys like you pointing out things that might be missed at first glance.
I have been a fan since I was a little kid and the team was in the ECAC South. The program has always been a winner---with some down years---but this is awesome for me to witness.
 
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