Tale of the Tape: Virginia vs. VCU

Posted on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, 10:11 pm

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Virginia hits the floor one last time before exam break Sunday against VCU, and the Cavaliers (8-0) will try to make it 7 of the last 8 against the in-state foe Rams. Against VCU, UVA has won two straight (in 2014 and 2017, both at the Siegel Center in Richmond), and the Wahoos have won 12 of the 14 all-time meetings. The Rams came into John Paul Jones Arena in 2013 and came away with a 59-56 win. The only other loss came in 1987.

Junior guard Kyle Guy put up a career-high 29 points in the last meeting with the Rams last season, and could have another big day Sunday. Guy is averaging three 3-pointers a game over his last five outings.

As of Saturday afternoon, UVA is No. 3 overall in the KenPom ratings (3rd nationally in AdjD, 8th in AdjO) behind Duke and Kansas, and remains in the top spot of the NCAA NET rankings. VCU comes in with a record of 7-2 on the season and is No. 101 overall according to KenPom (12th AdjD, 252nd AdjO), and 71st in the NET rankings.

Head coach Mike Rhoades is in his second year at the helm after replacing Will Wade, who left for LSU after leading the Rams to their seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament during the 2016-17 season. Rhoades and the Rams finished 18-15 last year and did not qualify for the postseason, ending the impressive streak.

VCU is fresh off a 54-53 win against former coach Shaka Smart and Texas in Austin Wednesday night. Sophomore forward Marcus Santos-Silva recorded his first-ever double-double against the Longhorns with 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

The Rams registered another quality win over Temple in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn last month, losing by 1 in overtime the next day to St. John’s in the tournament title game. VCU has also posted home wins over Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Bowling Green, Hofstra and Iona, with the only other loss coming on the road at Old Dominion.

Junior guard Marcus Evans leads the team in scoring with just over 14 points a contest, while sharpshooter De’Riante Jenkins and redshirt junior Issac Vann also provide a boost offensively. The Rams are also tough to score against, as evidenced by holding opponents to 36-percent shooting from the field and 24 percent from long range, which both rank them in the top 10 nationally.

Sunday’s game tips off at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised on Regional Sports Networks. Virginia will not play again until Dec. 19, when the ‘Hoos travel to face South Carolina.