VCU Rams 2012-2013 Season

[VCURamFan]

Sorry, I'm a coupla games behind. My bad, y'all!!

Rams roll over the Tide, ruin Grant’s return

A game that VCU fans have long since circled on their calendar, VCU vs former coach, Anthony Grant. Grant left for the University of Alabama in 2009 after three years in Richmond. VCU Coach Shaka Smart was looking to get his first win over a team from the SEC conference. The return to Richmond wouldn’t be a pleasant one for Grant as the Rams would win convincingly, 73-54.

The Tide came into the Siegel Center at 6-2 overall coming off of a loss in Dayton against the Flyers, another coaching stop for Grant. The Rams were looking to continue where they left off after a win against rival ODU last week.

Coach Smart had VCU focused as ever on their defense as it took Alabama just over ten minutes before they got their first field goal. The Tide turned the ball over 18 times throughout the game which resulted in 19 points for the Rams.
Senior Troy Daniels led the Rams on a 12-0 run towards the end of the first half connecting on 2 consecutive threes and then a rare slash through the paint for an AND1 opportunity that would send the Siegel Center into a frenzy.

VCU had four players in double digits, Sophomore Treveon Graham(14), freshman Melvin Johnson(12), Junior Rob Brandenberg(10) along with Daniels(16).

The Rams, a solid three point shooting team, took 51 field goals, three pointers making up almost half that total with 25. VCU shot just 9 of 25 from behind the arc.

VCU’s next game will be 7pm, Tuesday December 18th at home as they welcome Western Kentucky.


(Highlight video of the game at the end of the article: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2012/12/...rolls-alabama/)

[VCURamFan]

Rams tear down the Hilltoppers, defeat WKU 76-44

VCU welcomed Western Kentucky University to the Siegel Center Tuesday, marking the 3rd meeting with the team from the Sunbelt Conference for the in the past 13 months. After the 76-44 win, the Rams have owned the meetings 3-0.

Sophomore Briante Weber made his 3rd start, filling in for Senior Darius Theus who has been playing with limited minutes from a nagging injury. Weber would set the momentum for the game from the very first place. WKU won the opening tip and Weber immediately steals it for a break away dunk, making the sold out Siegel Center rise to their feet.

The Hilltoppers were without starters T.J.Price and Jamal Cook but the Rams may have also been too much with them into the line up early. The first half was all VCU. After outscoring the Hilltoppers 42-16.

VCU forced a season high turnovers for WKU at 32, WKU’s previous high was 25 in one game. VCU turned those turnovers into 34 points. The Rams only turned the ball over 11 times.

Junior Rob Brandenberg continued to find his stroke going 4-9 on the night with 12 points. Sophomore Treveon Graham also chipped in 11 points in the win.

The Rams owned the Hilltoppers in the pain. VCU outscored WKU in the paint 36 to 18 completely dismantling the Hilltoppers.

The Rams will host Longwood on Friday, December 21st at 7:30pm.

(Highlight video of the game at the end of the article: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2012/12/...tern-kentucky/)

Briante "The Ramburglar" Weber made ESPN's Top 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5D9yBxv3ho

[VCURamFan]

Rams whip Longwood

VCU won their sixth straight tonight, handling Longwood in front of yet another sold out Siegel Center in the 93-56 win.

The Rams saw their highest point total of the season behind a balanced attack that included four players in double digits.

Troy Daniels led all players with 25 in just 21 minutes on the night. Daniels hit 7-of-13 attempts from long range and added four rebounds in the win.

Juvonte Reddic added 20 of his own and a team-high five rebounds.

The Longwood front court was no match for the 6’9 Reddic who was 9-12 for VCU.

Treveon Graham got off to a hot start, scoring 15 of his 16 points in the first half of play.

Rob Brandenberg rounds out the list of double-digit scorers with 11 on the night. Brandenberg scored eight of his points in the second half and went 3-5 from long range for the game.

Sophomore Briante Weber got the start at point guard for VCU but Darius Theus ended up with one more minute of play for the Rams. Regardless, both dished nine assists, had five steals and two rebounds a piece. Theus added five points while Weber went 0-1 from the floor.

The Rams didn’t quite match their ridiculous 32 forced turnovers from the previous game, but came close with 27 and 19 steals.

The win moves VCU to 9-3 heading into an eight-day holiday break before taking on Fairleigh Dickinson December 29th at the Siegel Center.

(Highlight video of the game at the end of the article: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2012/12/...whip-longwood/)

[VCURamFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C5Y1n8Auxc

[rearnakedchoke]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...?sct=hp_t12_a2

VCU gettin mentions as tourney darkhorses .. woot!

[VCURamFan]

Sorry, guys, I've been lacking a bit with these. Here's the latest game summary:

Rams win thriller, defeat St. Joseph’s in overtime

VCU hosted the A10 preseason favorite, St. Joseph’s Hawks to the Siegel Center on Thursday night for a rare 9p.m. tip off that was nationally televised and the Rams did not disappoint. Needing 5 extra minutes to solidify a comeback, the Rams moved their win streak to 12 in a row after defeating the Hawks, 92 – 86 on a career night from Senior Darius Theus.

After leading almost throughout the game, St. Joseph’s was able to take the lead after hitting, what seemed to be, almost every three pointer including an off balanced, deep three as the shot clock sounded in the remaining minutes of regulation. Their largest lead would find VCU trailing by 4 points with just 28 seconds left in the 2nd half.

Theus showed flashes reminiscent of the Final Four run, slashing through the paint and dropping 22 points on St. Joseph’s including a lay up, after getting past the defense, to tie it up with just under 10 seconds in regulation. The Hampton Roads native knew when to pass and when to shoot, dishing out 10 assists. The point guard looked as sharp as ever. Theus didn’t do it alone though.

Sophomore Treveon Graham picked up right where he left off from the last few games, scoring 25 points on the night, almost matching his career high of 26 (against Duke) including a huge 4 point play in overtime after being fouled in the act while nailing it from behind the arc.

Junior Juvonte Reddic dominated the boards with 17 redounds and also was a big contributor in the paint, scoring 15 points which the team relied on as Senior Troy Daniels struggled from the field shooting 1-10 on the night. That one field goal couldn’t have been any bigger.

Daniels’ shot cut the Hawks lead to just a one point game with under 30 seconds to play that kept the Rams alive in the waining seconds of regulation.

VCU’s defense helped St. Joseph’s turn the ball over 20 times which allowed the Rams to score 31 points from those created opportunities.

The Stu was absolutely electric as the Rams knocked off St. Joseph’s in the overtime thriller.

VCU will travel to Pittsburg to play Duquesne Univeristy on Saturday night in hopes to push their win streak to 13.

(Highlight video of the game at the end of the article: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2013/01/...n-ot-thriller/)

[VCURamFan]

Brandenberg leads Rams in rout of Duquesne

Rob Brandenberg scored a game-high 22 points as VCU routed Duquesne 90-63 to extend the Rams’ winning streak to 13 games.

Brandenberg hit five of his eight 3-pointers and was 7-11 from the field, scoring 20+ points for the first time since last February.

The Rams jumped out to a 44-18 first half lead and never looked back, getting a huge first half from Treveon Graham who finished the night with 20 points in just 21 minutes of play.

VCU hit 50% of their 72 shots, getting 20 more attempts from the field than Duquesne via 19 forced turnovers and a 15 rebound advantage.

Juvonte Reddic tied Brandenberg for the rebound lead with a game-high six on the night, five coming on the offensive end.

The 6’9 forward added 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting in just 22 minutes on the court.

The win moves VCU to 16-3 on the season with an A-10 leading 4-0 conference record along with the Xavier Musketeers.

It also marks the 100th win of head coach Shaka Smart’s young career.
The Rams head home to Richmond but get set for another road game as VCU travels to the West End to take on the Spiders of UofR (12-7, 2-2) Thursday night at 7PM.

VCU returns to the Siegel Center next Saturday for an 8PM home tip against the Explorers of La Salle University (12-5, 2-2).

[VCURamFan]

Rams crack top-20 in latest AP poll

VCU jumped from No.22 to No.19 in today’s newly released AP poll.

The Rams entered the poll for the first time since the ’84-’85 season last week, and were able to move up after surviving an overtime thriller against St. Joseph’s, then followed that with a 90-63 road dismantling of Duquesne.

The Rams are currently tied for the nation’s second longest winning streak with the Butler Bulldogs at 13 games. Kansas has won their last 15.

VCU has not lost since falling 68-65 to the No.22 Missouri Tigers on November 24th in the Bahamas. All of VCU’s three losses are to teams currently ranked in the top 25.

The Rams climbed three spots in the USA Today Coaches Poll as well, jumping from 19th to 16th.

VCU is currently 16-3 and a perfect 4-0 in the Atlantic 10 heading into a sold-out Thursday rivalry battle at the University of Richmond.

[VCURamFan]

Wow, I've been really slack in keeping this thread up to date. Sorry y'all.

VCU get revenge on Butler, Silence the Bulldogs 84-52

It’s been 7 days since the Rams last played, completing a thrilling 17 point comeback on the road against Xavier. VCU would hope to carry that momentum into the most anticipated game of the regular season, as they would face the team that kept them from their first National title appearance in the #20 Butler Bulldogs.

This time the Rams would get revenge against the Brad Stevens coached Butler team in a big way. After Butler scored the first bucket of the game, they would never see a lead again, not even close as the Rams would win 84-52.

Senior Troy Daniels got the crowd going early with a deep couple of threes that would set the tone for the rest of the game. Daniels would lead all scorers, from both teams, with 20 points on the afternoon and made 4 of his 8 shots from behind the arc, including one that was at least 6 feet behind the three point line.

But Daniels was not alone. In fact, 3 other Rams scored in double digits, all with 11, Junior Juvonte Reddic, Sophomore Briante Weber and Sophomore Treveon Graham. Junior Rob Brandenberg and
Senior Darius Theus both scored 8 in the total team victory.

Maybe more important than Daniels three point barrage was VCU’s intensity on the defensive end. Weber and Theus combined for 7 steals, the team with 17, and the Bulldogs turned it over 23 times where they Rams converted them into 34 points. VCU only gave the ball up just 7 times.

The one bright side for the Bulldogs, if there even is one, was on the glass, where they out rebounded the Rams 42-28 but other than that the Rams dominated every stat category including points in the paint, 36-28, steals 17-3.

VCU held Butler point guard Rotnei Clarke to just 5 points on the night. Reserve VCU guard Teddy Okearafor would out score their starter with 6 points.

This marked the third match up between the two programs, the other coming in the 2011 Final Four in Houston and then back in 1970 the Rams traveled to the Hinkle Fieldhouse where they bested the Bulldogs, 99-97. This is also just the seconds time a ranked team has entered The Siegel Center, the other was a 2009 meeting against the Oklahoma Sooners, which was another VCU win.

With the win the Rams move to 24-6 (11-3 in conference play) on the season and solidify a first round bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament in Brooklyn.

(Highlight video of the game at the end of the article: http://www.vcuramnation.com/2013/03/...-no-20-butler/)

[VCURamFan]

Rams go on a rampage, overpower Butler 84-52

BY TIM PEARRELL

Barely 2½ minutes into the game, Briante Weber did what he and Virginia Commonwealth do: create turnovers and mayhem, sometimes in that order.

Weber, a pesky sophomore guard whose hands always seem to be flicking at the ball like a snake’s tongue, struck against Butler’s Roosevelt Jones in the backcourt.

With Jones helplessly in a heap on the court, Weber took a few dribbles and hammered down a vicious dunk, igniting an already explosive crowd into a deafening roar that Rams coach Shaka Smart said probably was the loudest he’s heard at the Siegel Center.

VCU’s Havoc was off and running early Saturday. It never stopped in an 84-52 annihilation of No.20 Butler in an Atlantic 10 game that demonstrated the kind of devastation that can make the Rams an extremely dangerous team in the NCAA tournament.

Butler has beaten No.1 Indiana and No.2 Gonzaga this season.

“I don’t put a whole lot of stock into the number we won by,” Smart said. “Butler is a good team, make no mistake about it. They obviously have won some huge games this year, and they’re going to continue to win big games. Today was just our day.

“It just shows what we’re capable of. Hopefully, we can do it again.”

The Rams (23-6, 11-3), alone in second place in the A-10, were unrelenting on both ends of the court while securing one of the top four seeds and a first-round bye in the A-10 tournament. The Bulldogs (22-7, 9-5) fell into a tie for fourth and suffered their worst loss in 19 seasons and worst under coach Brad Stevens, who’s in his sixth season.

VCU draped black Havoc T-shirts over the seats at the Siegel Center for a blackout, then spelled out #HAVOC with gold shirts for the highly anticipated game featuring teams that met in the 2011 Final Four.

The Rams lived up to their trademark by ripping apart the Bulldogs. Butler had 23 turnovers, leading to quick strikes and 34 VCU points. The Rams had 17 steals, running their season total to 355 and setting an A-10 record.

Asked if the defensive effort was as good a display of Havoc as he’s seen, Smart said, “It’s close.”

Smart said he was worried the buildup to the game might psych out his players. But he noticed an added energy and commitment in practice Friday to “just the discipline of doing the tiniest little thing that makes the difference in the game.”

Senior point guard Darius Theus noticed enough energy early, both with the Rams and the crowd, for Dominion Power to light the city for a day.

“The gym got packed before the 12-minute mark of warm-ups,” said Theus, who had eight points, nine assists and five steals in 24 minutes. “That might have been the first time it was that packed that early. You could feel the energy level.”

Sharpshooter Troy Daniels stoked the electricity by nailing a trio of 3-pointers and finishing with 20 points. At one point in the first half, Daniels had 14 points. Butler had 12.

Forward Juvonte Reddic did a lot of damage around the basket and had 11 points. Weber, who had struggled recently offensively, and Treveon Graham each had 11 points.

“We were pretty aggressive,” Theus said. “We’ve seen spurts of that throughout the season. (Today) it was pretty intense out there. The guys came to press.

“Shoot, I wish we could play like we did tonight every night.”
Smart put one thing on the board before the Rams took the court: Be VCU.

Except for a second-half comeback in a 75-71 win over Xavier, the Rams hadn’t played their style in the past two games. This time, they contested almost every pass and hounded Butler all over the court while building a 45-21 lead at the half.

Butler’s guards often let Jones, a 6-foot-4, 227-pound forward, try to bring the ball upcourt against the pressure. Guard Rotnei Clarke, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer (17 per game), wasn’t a factor with five points and played only four minutes in the second half.

“I was telling my wife what I was going to say when I walked in here was have Weber and Theus stand in front of you as you’re typing your article and just swipe at your computer constantly and see if the article gets done,” said Stevens, who was in the media room after the game faster than the Rams generated a turnover.

“I haven’t seen a team that fast yet.”