What to expect: struggling Wofford visits the Stu

Tuesday is more about improving before Saturday’s battle with Virginia Tech than building a resume.

December 16, 2013; 6:58 PM • by Aaron Williams

• What: VCU (8-3, 0-0) vs. Wofford (3-6, 0-0)
• Where: Stuart C. Siegel Center
• When: Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 PM
• Watch: CBS 6.3
• Listen: Rams Radio

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Three days after losing to Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Virginia Commonwealth University hosts Wofford Tuesday night.

The Rundown

If you like watching VCU dismantle inexperienced backcourts in the comfortable confines of the Stuart C. Siegel Center, Tuesday should be your night. If you want to see a battle, get tickets for VCU’s game against Virginia Tech on Saturday.

Wofford is 1-6 against Division-I opponents and because of their inexperienced backcourt, this is an incredibly favorable matchup for the Rams. Tuesday is more about improving and tuning up for Saturday than adding to the resume or making a statement.

The Team

Wofford is extremely inexperienced. Not only do they start a freshman point guard, but they start a freshman shooting guard and a sophomore third guard. Turnovers have been a huge issue for them this season and they have looked lost against full-court presses.

Turnovers aren’t the only factor making the Terriers the worst offense VCU has faced all season. They rank 329th nationally in effective field-goal percentage, they take relatively few free-throws, and they are a poor offensive-rebounding team. The Terriers have the potential to go scoreless for very long stretches on Tuesday.

The Terriers are much better on the defensive end because of their ability to force turnovers (40th nationally) and defend the 3-point line (126th nationally). They play almost exclusively man-to-man defense which has helped them limit perimeter scoring but they get eaten alive inside. Juvonte Reddic should have another monster game similar to the ODU game.

The Star: #32 Spencer Collins

14.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, .455 FG%, .345 3FG%

Collins has started all 41 games of his career and he’s scored quite a few points in that time. On a team that can’t score, Collins is the Terriers’ only double figure scorer. His points come from volume shooting and not necessarily efficiency, but he is capable of scoring from anywhere on the court.

Supporting Cast

#5 Eric Garcia (PG, Freshman) • He’ll start ahead of Cochran, but #2 looks like a much more complete player. Garcia may have a brighter future, but he is still a freshman and it shows when he is running the offense.

#20 Jaylen Allen (G, Freshman) • Allen has a very bright future ahead of him in the Southern Conference: he can defend, he can score inside, and he can shoot the 3-pointer. Since starting the season 2-6 from 3-point range, he has hit 10 of his last 16 attempts from behind the arc. He is quickly developing into one the Terriers’ best players.

#31 CJ Neumann (F, Sophomore) • At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Neumann is the Terriers’ largest regular contributor. He is a good offensive rebounder but he is weak on the defensive glass and he isn’t a big scorer.

#34 Lee Skinner (F, Junior) • Skinner is probably the Terrier’s best interior defender and he is a talented rebounder on both ends of the court. On a team that lacks size, he is their best chance at slowing down Juvonte Reddic, but that could be an uphill battle.

#2 Karl Cochran (G, Junior) • Despite being named a preseason All-Southern Conference player, Cochran doesn’t start. While it is easy to see how all the pieces are there, he has declined in almost every statistical area during his junior campaign. He averaged 15.6 PPG last season and that has decreased to 9.3 PPG this season. Still, Cochran has the ability to be the best player on the court at times.

The Prediction

Wofford is young and it shows. Making things worse, this is a terrible matchup for the Terriers. The Rams should cruise. KenPom picks VCU to win 72-56 with a 95% chance of victory.

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Wofford Profile

• Location: Spartanburg, SC
• Enrollment: 1,600
• Conference: Southern
• All time series: VCU leads 2-0
• Last meeting: 12/29/10. VCU won 75-66.

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December 16, 2013 6:58 PM 0