What to expect: William & Mary vs. VCU
The VCU Rams host the William & Mary Tribe Thursday night (8pm) at the Siegel Center. The Tribes only two conference wins are against opponents with a combined 1-11 record in the CAA. VCU’s looking to extend their win streak!
- What: VCU Rams (13-5, 4-2) host W&M Tribe (4-14, 2-4)
- Where: Stuart C. Siegel Center
- When: Thursday January 19th at 8pm
- Watch: Online
- Tickets
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The Rundown
In an athletic conference dominated by Virginia schools, William and Mary seems to always fall short. The Tribe somehow manages to underperform even during good seasons as GMU, JMU, ODU, and VCU typically find more success. The bad news for the Tribe is that this season they are especially awful. Their only two conference wins are against opponents with a combined 1-11 record in the CAA.
VCU on the other hand looks more and more dominant on defense every game and the Rams are serious conference-title contenders. The Rams defense is so strong, it took Delaware nine full minutes to score a single point when they hosted VCU last week. Surprisingly, VCU has out-rebounded ten of its last twelve opponents, an impressive statistic considering Coach Smarts commitment to small ball. Offensively, the Rams leave more to be desired. This will be the perfect opportunity for VCU to regain some shooting confidence–especially for players like Rob Brandenberg and Troy Daniels.
The Team
Picked to finish 6th in the CAA, William and Mary has had a disappointing season. It’s difficult to target what the Tribe does well. Their offensive rebounding numbers are respectable but that could simply be due to their dismal shooting. With a back loaded schedule, W&M might not win another game this season.
The Star
Senior Quinn McDowell is the Tribe’s go to guy. After three solid seasons with a top 100 offensive rating nationally, McDowell’s performance has slipped. The only statistic that Ken Pomeroy ranks him in the top 500 nationally is minutes played. That being said, McDowell has proven to be explosive, especially from behind the arc. Don’t be surprised if he takes 13 shots and puts some points on the board.
The Prediction
Ken Pomeroy’s website picks VCU to win 77-52 with a 98% chance of victory. William and Mary is by far the worst team the Rams have faced all season, and the Tribe lacks answers to VCU’s defense or VCU’s firepower.
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W&M profile
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Conference: CAA
- All time series: VCU leads 37-12
- Last meeting: VCU won at W&M 70-52 (1/12/11)
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Related
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Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams loves music, basketball (follow @rvaramnews!), family, learning, and barbecue sauce.
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