A short break from reporting about the Rams

Hey guys I have been trying my best to keep the site up to date to the best of my abilities, but with all the college apps and school work for the next couple of weeks(Up to December 19th) I am going to have to take a break from reporting/analyzing the rams. When I do come back, I will give an overview of the games that I missed. I hope everyone understands and that I hate having to do this.

Go Rams

Game Preview: VCU vs Northeastern

          vs    


    

At The Siegel Center:

Head Coach: Bill Coen

Projected Starters for Northeastern:

SG- Demetrius Pollard #2
Junior- 6'2

PG- T.J. Williams #10
Freshman- 6'3

C-Scott Eatherton #43
Junior- 6'8

SF- Quincy Ford #12
Junior- 6’8
✵If healthy will start

PF- Reggie Spencer #44
Junior- 6'7

Key Reserves

G/SF-David Walker #4
Sophmore- 6'6

G/SF- Zach Stahl #33
Sophmore-

 PG- Marco Banegas-Flores #11
Junior- 6’1 

SF- Derrico Peck #24
Sophmore- 6'5

Characteristics of Northeastern:

• Northeastern is a very disciplined in half court sets on defense, where they try to hold you to taking a forced shot at the end of the shot clock. They will not take many risks, if it costs them to lose their defensive position.
• They are not a deep team, but they try to wear you down by feeding it down low to their quality big men and long offensive possessions.
• They have capable outside shooters with Quincy Ford and Demetrius Pollard.

Advantages/Disadvantages for the Rams:

Advantages:

• VCU should tear up the young guards of Northeastern’s in the full court press
• VCU has much more depth than Northeastern. The lack of quality subs should cause the huskies to make mental mistakes from being exhausted.

Disadvantages:

• VCU cannot let the slow pace offensive possessions on offense for NU make the rams forget what they do best which is get up and down the court for easy transition points.
• VCU cannot bail out NU by fouling late in the shot clock. In the loss versus Georgetown (Northeastern beat Georgetown last week), VCU fouled the Hoyas 29 times that game.

Key Player for the Rams and Huskies:

  

Rob Brandenberg

So far this season, Rob Brandenberg has been carrying the rams offensively early this season. Brandenberg has shot the ball well from outside and attacking the rim with authority. The only thing he must do now that the rams have faced adversity this year with two early season losses is become the emotional leader for VCU. With him and Juvonte being around the longest one of them most take the leadership role over. Juvonte is having his own individual struggles right now so Brandenberg must step up in that category. Brandenberg must come out with a lot of energy so the younger guys follow suit and VCU’s havoc defenses is at full strength.

Demetrius Pollard

The 757 native, Demetrius Pollard, returns back to his home state of Virginia and he and his teammates will try to pull off the upset playing at the Siegal Center this Friday. In order for the NU to get the win they will need Pollard to shoot the ball extremely well from behind the arc and handle the pressure of the rams in the press. With star small forward, Quincy Ford, being questionable for this game, Pollard will be the go to guy for the perimeter players for NU. Pollard can get hot from deep which then allows him to shot-fake and go to the rim and finish. Pollard will also be relied on by NU in taking the ball up the court because of NU’s inexperience at the guard position. Pollard does not have the best handle so he will have to be smart in breaking the press by making good passes to break it.

Predicted Score:

VCU:77

NU: 68

Game Preview: VCU vs Florida State in the Puerto Rico Tip Off

                    vs        


At the Coliseo Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

Head Coach: Leonard Hamilton

Projected Starters for FSU:

PG- Devin Bookert #1
Sophomore- 6'3

SG- Montay Brandon #32
Sophomore- 6'7 

F- Robert Gilchrist #14
Senior- 6'9

PF- Okaro White #10
Senior- 6'9

C-  Boris Bojanovsky #15
Sophomore- 7'3

Key Reserves

SG- Ian Miller #30
Senior- 6'3

SG- Aaron Thomas  #25
Sophomore- 6'5

PF- Jarquez Smith #5
Freshman- 6'9

C- Michael Ojo #50
Sophomore- 7'1

Characteristics of FSU:

• Florida State plays a tough nosed style defense that will try to out physical you down low on the block to get offensive and defensive rebounds.
• FSU is a very athletic big team that likes to get out on transition with their bigs trailing behind to get an easy dunk or layup.
• FSU won't beat you by making multiple shots behind the arc.
• FSU likes to get to lane and bully their way through the paint and by also feeding their big men in the post.

Advantages/Disadvantages for the Rams:

Advantages:

• The VCU guards should capitalize on the chances they get to press the ball handlers of FSU. The bigger guards of FSU will have a tough time keeping a handle of the ball from guys like Briante Weber and Rob Brandenberg.
• VCU shoots the ball much better than FSU does. So if VCU pulls ahead early than FSU could have a tough time in trying to comeback and win the game.

Disadvantages:

• FSU has some much height and brute strength down low that the VCU bigs could get overwhelmed on the boards.
• The length of FSU will disrupt many of VCU's drives to the basket, so the FSU players could have a field day blocking the shots that the rams put up.

Key Player for the Rams and Seminoles:

Terrance Shannon

Terrance Shannon has a chance to get some revenge against his former team that he just left last year. Shannon left FSU to get a fresh start and have a chance to not only win a A10 Championship, but even a chance to win chance to win a NCAA Title. Shannon will have to come up big for the Rams in this game versus his former teammates by playing more physical and aggressive under the boards than the FSU bigs. Shannon must play within himself though and not get out of control and take ill-advised shots. Shannon has been in a little bit of a slump the past two games offensively because he is still learning and adjusting to the Ram's style of play Shannon. Shannon will have a tall task in stopping, NBA prospect, Okaro White.

Ian Miller

For FSU to be successful this game, Ian Miller must be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. The senior is the most experienced guard on the team and fills the role as the teams 6th man to provide a spark off the bench for FSU. Miller has proven over the past four years at FSU to be able to put up points in bunches by hitting shots from behind the arc and by penetrating to the basket. Miller is relied on by FSU to make outside shots for the team since they are a very sub-par three point shooting team. If Miller gets hot from outside then he will be able to penetrate to the rim and either take it himself or drop it down to the FSU big men. The veteran guard will be tough for VCU to handle, but if VCU can contain Miller then VCU should be able to beat this tough, defensively oriented FSU team.

Predicted Score:

VCU: 72

FSU: 59

The Siegel Center was loaded Tonight with Future Rams

VCU faced the Winthrop Eagles tonight and won 92-71. The Rams pulled away at the end and held off the hot shooting Winthrop guards. Last week's game versus UVA had a lot on the line between the two in state schools. It was not only to show who was the better team in the country, but the game proved to   the media and others watching that VCU has become more than just a mid major Cinderella team. The win was also big for the recruiting aspect for VCU because now they have a case for saying that they are the top team in the state of Virginia to top in state prospects and out of state prospects that the Rams are trying to land. Here are all the recruits that were in the Siegel Center.

Recruits:

Dennis Smith Jr.  2016

Kenny Williams 2015

Matt Coleman 2017

                                                  

Mike'l Simms 2015

Curt Jones 2016

Dondre Griffin 2016      

                                                                  

Justice Kitcart 2016

Nick Sherod 2016

Lonzia Tyson 2016

Avery Metcalf 2016

Sacha Killeya Jones 2016

    Tweets from tonight's game about the recruits:

1. Corey Pegram ‏@CoreyPegram2h

   2016s Justice Kithcart (@JayKit_), Dondre Griffin (@DondreGriffin), Lonzia Tyson & 2017 Matt Coleman (@MattCole_2) all also at the VCU game

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2. 
   

   Corey Pegram ‏@CoreyPegram2h

   2016's Curt Jones, Sacha Killeya-Jones (@Sachakj11), Nick Sherod (@_NickyFlash25), and Dennis Smith (@Jhooper_3) all at VCU game tonight

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3. 
   

   Corey Pegram ‏@CoreyPegram2h

   2015 Kenny Williams (@KWill_24) another one of the many prospects in attendance for the VCU game tonight. Talented haul!

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