2018–19 VCU Rams men's basketball team

The 2018–19 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams were led by Mike Rhoades in his second season as head coach at VCU. The Rams played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

2018–19 VCU Rams men's basketball
Atlantic 10 regular season champions
NCAA Tournament, First Round
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
2018–19 record25–8 (16–2 A-10)
Head coachMike Rhoades (2nd season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaStuart C. Siegel Center
2018–19 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
VCU16–2 .889  25–8  .758
Davidson14–4 .778  24–10  .706
Dayton13–5 .722  21–12  .636
St. Bonaventure12–6 .667  18–16  .529
George Mason11–7 .611  18–15  .545
Saint Louis †10–8 .556  23–13  .639
Duquesne10–8 .556  19–13  .594
Rhode Island9–9 .500  18–15  .545
La Salle8–10 .444  10–21  .323
Saint Joseph's6–12 .333  14–19  .424
Richmond6–12 .333  13–20  .394
George Washington4–14 .222  9–24  .273
Massachusetts4–14 .222  11–21  .344
Fordham3–15 .167  12–20  .375
† 2019 A10 Tournament winner

The Rams surpassing preseason conference polling, won the Atlantic 10 regular season, posting a 25–8 record and earning an at-large bid into the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. There they lost to UCF in the opening round of the tournament.

Background
Main article: 2017–18 VCU Rams men's basketball team

The previous season was Mike Rhoades' first season as head coach. The Rams finished the 2017–18 season 18–15, 9–9 in A-10 play to finish tied for fifth place. VCU defeated Dayton in the A-10 Tournament to advance to the quarterfinals, where they lost to Rhode Island. The Rams, for the first time since 2010 failed to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament or NIT. The Rams had been invited to play in the CBI and CIT tournaments, but declined. It was the first time since 2006 the Rams failed to have a 20-win season, and the first time since that same year the Rams did not play in a postseason tournament.

Offseason

Departures
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Justin Tillman4F6'7"220SeniorDetroit, MichiganGraduated
Jonathan Williams10G6'1"200SeniorRichmond, VirginiaGraduated
Khris Lane21G6'7"245RS SeniorRichmond, VirginiaGraduated
Tyler Maye 25 G 6'1" 175 Freshman Farmville, North Carolina Transferred to Southeastern CC
Lewis Djonkam 22 F 6'9" 245 Freshman Springfield, Virginia Transferred to Radford

Transfers
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Marcus Evans2G6'2"195JuniorChesapeake, VirginiaTransferred from Rice.[1]
Corey Douglas 4 F 6'8" Junior Louisville, Kentucky Transferred from Tallahassee Community College.[2]
Michael Gillmore 22 F 6'10" 210 Senior Jacksonville, Florida Transferred from Florida Gulf Coast.[3]

2018 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
P. J. Byrd
PG		 Houston, TX George Bush High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 169 lb (77 kg) Sep 6, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: NR
KeShawn Curry
SG		 Jacksonville, FL Fork Union Military Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oct 2, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: NR
Vince Williams
SF		 Toledo, OH St Johns High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 204 lb (93 kg) Oct 4, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "VCU 2018 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 13, 2018.

    Honors and awards

    Preseason Awards

    Street & Smith's[4]

    • All-Newcomer - Marcus Evans
    • All-Sharpshooter - De'Riante Jenkins

    Athlon Sports[5]

    • All-Atlantic 10 First Team - Marcus Evans

    Roster
    2018–19 VCU Rams men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 De'Riante Jenkins 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrHargrave Military Academy Eutawville, South Carolina
    G/F 1 Mike'l Simms 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS JrCowley Community College Richmond, Virginia
    G 2 Marcus Evans 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)190 lb (86 kg) RS JrRice Chesapeake, Virginia
    F 4 Corey Douglas 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoBallard (Louisville)
    Tallahassee Community College    		 Louisville, Kentucky
    F 5 Sean Mobley 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)225 lb (102 kg) SoMontverde Academy Melbourne, Florida
    G/F 10 Vince Williams 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrSt Johns High School Toledo, Ohio
    G 11 KeShawn Curry 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrFork Union Military Academy Jacksonville, Florida
    G 12 Dylan Sheehy-Guiseppi (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)195 lb (88 kg) SoSt. Francis Prep Lake Havasu City, Arizona
    G 13 Malik Crowfield 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrRiverside Academy LaPlace, Louisiana
    F 14 Marcus Santos-Silva 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)250 lb (113 kg) SoVermont Academy Taunton, Massachusetts
    G 15 Xavier Jackson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrSheridan College Hinesville, Georgia
    F 22 Michael Gillmore 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrFlorida Gulf Coast Jacksonville, Florida
    F 23 Issac Vann 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS JrMaine Bridgeport, Connecticut
    G 24 P. J. Byrd 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrGeorge Bush High School Houston, Texas
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    Preseason

    Schedule and results
    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    October 30, 2018*
    7:00 pm    		 Virginia–Wise W 87–41 
    		 15 – Curry  10 – Tied  4 – Jenkins  Siegel Center (5,040)
    Richmond, VA
    Non-conference regular season
    November 6, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 Gardner–Webb W 69–57  1–0
    		  16 – Vann  8 – Vann  4 – Byrd  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    November 9, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 Hampton
    Legends Classic campus-site game    		 W 69–57  2–0
    		  16 – Santos-Silva  7 – Gilmore  3 – Tied  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    November 12, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 Bowling Green
    Legends Classic campus-site game    		 W 72–61  3–0
    		  12 – Williams  9 – Douglas  3 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    November 19, 2018*
    9:30 pm, ESPN3    		 vs. Temple
    Legends Classic semifinals    		 W 57–51  4–0
    		  21 – Evans  7 – Mobley  3 – Simms  Barclays Center (5,967)
    Brooklyn, NY
    November 20, 2018*
    7:30 pm, ESPN2    		 vs. St. John's
    Legends Classic championship    		 L 86–87 OT 4–1
    		  30 – Vann  12 – Santos-Silva  5 – Vann  Barclays Center (5,453)
    Brooklyn, NY
    November 24, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 Hofstra
    A10–CAA Challenge    		 W 69–67 OT 5–1
    		  19 – Jenkins  8 – Tied  5 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    November 28, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 at Old Dominion
    Rivalry    		 L 52–62  5–2
    		  14 – Evans  7 – Santos-Silva  3 – Jenkins  Ted Constant Center (8,172)
    Norfolk, VA
    December 1, 2018*
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 Iona W 88–59  6–2
    		  19 – Evans  9 – Santos-Silva  3 – Tied  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    December 5, 2018*
    8:00 pm, ESPNU    		 at Texas W 54–53  7–2
    		  16 – Evans  16 – Santos-Silva  3 – Evans  Frank Erwin Center (8,190)
    Austin, TX
    December 9, 2018*
    1:30 pm, ACCRSN    		 at No. 4 Virginia L 49–57  7–3
    		  10 – Vann  10 – Santos-Silva  3 – Vann  John Paul Jones Arena (13,648)
    Charlottesville, VA
    December 15, 2018*
    4:00 pm, NBCSN    		 Charleston L 79–83  7–4
    		  23 – Jenkins  12 – Santos-Silva  4 – Vann  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    December 22, 2018*
    4:00 pm, ESPN2    		 Wichita State W 70–54  8–4
    		  18 – Vann  6 – Jenkins  5 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    December 30, 2018*
    2:00 pm, MASN    		 Rider W 90–79  9–4
    		  15 – Simms  6 – Douglas  6 – Jenkins  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    Atlantic 10 regular season
    January 5, 2019
    2:00 pm, WTVR    		 at Fordham W 76–51  10–4
    (1–0)    		  17 – Evans  4 –  Tied  3 –  Tied  Rose Hill Gymnasium (1,723)
    Bronx, NY
    January 9, 2019
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 La Salle W 69–63  11–4
    (2–0)    		  15 – Jenkins  8 – Evans  3 – Crowfield  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    January 12, 2019
    2:00 pm, CBSSN    		 at Davidson L 57–64  11–5
    (2–1)    		  16 – Evans  7 – Evans  2 – Evans  John M. Belk Arena (4,556)
    Davidson, NC
    January 16, 2019
    8:00 pm, CBSSN    		 Dayton W 76–71  12–5
    (3–1)    		  17 – Evans  7 – Jenkins  4 – Vann  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    January 19, 2019
    6:30 pm, NBCSN    		 UMass W 68–50  13–5
    (4–1)    		  17 – Jenkins  7 – Jenkins  6 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    January 23, 2019
    7:00 pm, CBSSN    		 at Rhode Island L 65–71  13–6
    (4–2)    		  17 – Santos-Silva  7 – Santos-Silva  6 – Evans  Ryan Center (5,874)
    Kingston, RI
    January 26, 2019
    2:00 pm, MASN    		 at Duquesne W 80–74  14–6
    (5–2)    		  22 – Evans  12 – Santos-Silva  4 – Vann  Palumbo Center (3,706)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    February 2, 2019
    6:30 pm, NBCSN    		 George Mason
    Rivalry    		 W 79–63  15–6
    (6–2)    		  21 – Vann  7 – Jenkins  5 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    February 6, 2019
    7:00 pm, MASN    		 at George Washington W 60–50  16–6
    (7–2)    		  14 – Jenkins  11 – Santos-Silva  4 – Evans  Charles E. Smith Center (2,959)
    Washington, D.C.
    February 9, 2019
    2:00 pm, CBSSN    		 at St. Bonaventure W 85–55  17–6
    (8–2)    		  12 – Mobley  9 – Gilmore  4 – Evans  Reilly Center (5,382)
    Olean, NY
    February 13, 2019
    7:00 pm, ESPNU    		 Richmond
    Capital City Classic    		 W 80–61  18–6
    (9–2)    		  16 – Tied  9 – Douglas  5 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    February 16, 2019
    4:00 pm, NBCSN    		 at Dayton W 69–68  19–6
    (10–2)    		  19 – Jenkins  6 – Evans  4 – Vann  UD Arena (13,147)
    Dayton, OH
    February 19, 2019
    8:00 pm, CBSSN    		 Rhode Island W 76–42  20–6
    (11–2)    		  19 – Santos-Silva  12 – Santos-Silva  9 – Evans  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    February 23, 2019
    2:00 pm, WTVR    		 George Washington W 85–57  21–6
    (12–2)    		  25 – Evans  7 – Santos-Silva  4 – Jenkins  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    February 26, 2019
    7:30 pm, CBSSN    		 Saint Louis W 71–65  22–6
    (13–2)    		  20 – Evans  5 – Williams  4 – Tied  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    March 2, 2019
    4:00 pm, CBBSN    		 at Richmond
    Capital City Classic    		 W 69–66  23–6
    (14–2)    		  15 – Evans  6 – Evans  5 – Evans  Robins Center (7,201)
    Richmond, VA
    March 5, 2019
    7:30 pm, Stadium    		 at George Mason
    Rivalry    		 W 71–36  24–6
    (15–2)    		  13 – Evans  9 – Santos-Silva  2 – Evans  EagleBank Arena (6,177)
    Fairfax, VA
    March 8, 2019
    9:00 pm, ESPN2    		 Saint Joseph's W 75–63  25–6
    (16–2)    		  23 – Evans  9 – Santos-Silva  4 – Tied  Siegel Center (7,637)
    Richmond, VA
    Atlantic 10 Tournament
    March 15, 2019
    12:00 pm, NBCSN    		 (1) vs. (8) Rhode Island
    Quarterfinals    		 L 70–75  25–7
    		  26 – Santos-Silva  22 – Santos-Silva  5 – Jenkins  Barclays Center (7,194)
    Brooklyn, NY
    NCAA Tournament
    March 22, 2019
    9:40 pm, CBS    		 (8 E) vs. (9 E) UCF
    First Round    		 L 58–73  25–8
    		  11 – Crowfield  6 – Evans  2 – Vann  Colonial Life Arena (16,219)
    Columbia, SC
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    References
    1. Times-Dispatch, TIM PEARRELL Richmond. "High-scoring guard Marcus Evans follows Mike Rhoades to VCU". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
    2. Shelton-Eide, Mat (2017-06-18). "Corey Douglas commits to VCU – VCU Ram Nation". VCU Ram Nation. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
    3. Epps Jr., Wayne (2017-05-09). "Michael Gillmore set to rejoin VCU as a graduate transfer – Richmond Times Dispatch". Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
    4. Street & Smith's Basketball. 2018-19: 29. Missing or empty |title= (help)
    5. Athlon Sports College Basketball. 2018-19: 82. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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