2015 NCAA Tournament Preview: VCU Rams

The VCU Rams are in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season after beating Dayton to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Resume:

Record – 26-9 (12-6 in A-10)

RPI – 16

Strength of Schedule – 11

Starting Lineup:

G JeQuan Lewis (So.) – 8.2 ppg, 2.6 apg

G Doug Brooks (So.) – 5.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg

G Terry Larrier (Fr.) – 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg

G Treveon Graham (Sr.) – 16.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg

F Mo Alie-Cox (So.) – 7.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Key Player:
Treveon Graham

Graham has always been a key player for VCU, but his role took on added importance when fellow senior Brionte Weber tore his ACL late in the year. He's the only starter who averages double-digit points and is their best shooter, while also being physical enough to battle for rebounds down low.

Biggest Strength:

Creating Turnovers

Head coach Shaka Smart's "HAVOC" defense is based on putting really aggressive pressure on the opposing ball handler, forcing them to make bad passes and turn the ball over. It became a VCU trademark during their surprise run to the Final Four in 2011, and it's been just as effective this year as they rank second in the country in steals (9.8 per game).

Biggest Weakness:

Outside Shooting

VCU needs a roster full of athletes to play their aggressive defensive style, and as a result, they don't have any shooters on their roster. They shoot a pedestrian 34.1 percent from deep as a team, and rank 260th in the country in field goal percentage.

Outlook:

VCU's defense has caused problems for a lot of teams in the past, but they don't have the offensive firepower to make a deep run in the tournament.