VCU Rams
Record: 26-8
Head Coach: Shaka Smart (5th season)
Season summary: VCU finished as runners-up in both the Atlantic-10 regular season and tournament, but the Rams are a team no one wants to play in March. The swarming Havoc defense is in full force once again, with Smart’s squad leading the nation with 11.3 steals per game and 18.3 forced turnovers per game. This defensive intensity has led the Rams to wins over top teams such as St. Louis and Virginia. Offensively, Treveon Graham (15.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.0 APG) does it all for the Rams, and Melvin Johnson (10.4 PPG, 39.5 3FG%) provides an outside option as well. One point of concern for VCU—all eight of its losses have come either on the road or at neutral site environments, which doesn’t bode well for the NCAA tournament format.
How they make a run: Shaka regains his tournament magic, and playing every other day limits how much teams can prepare for Havoc, giving VCU a built-in advantage.
How they falter: The Rams come across a team that, much like Michigan last year, has guards who can handle their pressure, and VCU fails to create enough offense.
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