5 answers to questions you never asked about VCU basketball

You’re gonna learn some stuff about the Rams via charts and graphs in gorgeous black and gold!

November 4, 2015; 11:27 AM • by Aaron Williams

With data stretching back to 1974, we can answer all sorts of VCU basketball questions. Let’s dig in!

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VCU performance seems flat on Sundays. Why are some days of the week better than others?

VCU has won a ton of games pretty much always, so while the Rams have historically been worse on Sundays, 39-29 (.574) is still impressive.

What about during Coach Smart’s tenure?

OK, turns out there is some real weight to this one. Some of this is probably explained by exempt tournaments and conference tournaments having tough games on Sundays, but if you’re buying tickets to see VCU, you’re better off going on Fridays. 

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VCU beat Northern Iowa in 2OT, lost in 2OT to La Salle, lost in 2OT to Richmond, and lost in OT to Ohio State last season. How often do the Rams play in overtime and is it usually that heart-breaking?

VCU has played 1280 games since the start of the 1974 season. I have box scores for 1240. Since then, the Rams have played 55 games that have gone beyond regulation. That averages out to one overtime game every 23.3 games and one overtime period every 19.1 games. So yeah, four overtime games and seven overtime periods in one season means fans got a ton of free basketball in 2015. Unfortunately, the latter three included a rare home loss to a not-so-great team, a loss to arch-rival Richmond, and an early exit from the NCAA Tournament. So no, it’s usually not that heart-breaking. 

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I only watch VCU basketball in March. What I am missing out on?

March is the greatest sports month of the year, but if winning is your thing, then you might want to check out December and January. Under Smart, the Rams followed a predictable pattern of stumbling early before dominating in December and January in the first act, tripping in February to end the second act, and then doing something dramatic in March. Only watching March is like skipping Star Wars IV I and V II and then watching VI III¹. It’s enjoyable, but you have no idea who Obi Wan Kenobi is and you think Ewoks are integral to the Star Wars universe. 

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Did VCU basketball exist before March of 2011? Were the Rams any good?

Every coach in VCU history has finished with a winning record. In 45 seasons, the Rams have finished below .500 just seven times. (Fordham boasts eight consecutive losing seasons!). VCU was adrift in the mid-1990s, but overall the program has maintained a unbelievably consistent high level of success. Fortunately, the Rams are now on television more than ever which means people who didn’t watch VCU before the Rams trounced Georgetown in the 2011 NCAA Tournament can now share in the magic of HAVOC!. 

Years	Coach	Record
2016-	Will Wade	0-0 (.000)
2010-2015	Shaka Smart	163-56 (.744)
2006-2009	Anthony Grant	76-25 (.752)
2002-2006	Jeff Capel	79-41 (.658)
1998-2002	Mack McCarthy	66-55 (.545)
1989-1998	Sonny Smith	136-127 (.517)
1985-1989	Mike Pollio	65-57 (.533)
1979-1985	J.D. Barnett	132-48 (.733)
1976-1979	Dana Kirk	57-23 (.712)
1970-1976	Chuck Noe	95-42 (.693)
1968-1970	Benny Dees	25-21 (.543)

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So VCU just wins all the time? Is that what you’re saying? Where is their room for improvement?

All they do is win, win, win no matter what, what…except for on the road and against the big conferences (consistently).  The Siegel Center boasts the 13th highest winning percentage in the country, but the Rams have struggled comparatively on the road. 

The Rams have also tallied some impressive wins over big name schools in the past few years, but still have a ways to go before “giant-killer” becomes a full-time job instead of a weekend hobby. This season they’ll get opportunities to improve this record in games against Duke, Wisconsin or Georgetown, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Cincinnati.

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We’re putting more emphasis on data and graphics this season. If you have any data sets you’d like to see or any questions you’d like answered, leave a comment, tweet at @RVARamNews, or just holler it loudly! Maybe we’ll hear you.

November 4, 2015 11:27 AM 0