Amanda Knapp
The VCU Rams men's basketball team represents Virginia Commonwealth University and competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012-13 season, having previously competed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The team has enjoyed success in recent years, with notable performances in the NCAA tournament and a strong record in conference play.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the basketball team | VCU Rams |
| University | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Division | Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Previous Conference | Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) |
| Year of joining the current conference | 2012-13 season |
| Current Coach | Phil Martelli Jr. |
| Home Basketball Court | E.J. Wade Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center |
| School Colors | Black and Gold |
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What You'll Learn
The VCU Rams basketball team
The VCU Rams men's basketball team represents Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference, having joined in the 2012-13 season. Before this, they were members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The VCU Rams basketball program was founded in 1968, the same year VCU was established through the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia. The first varsity basketball team was coached by Benny Dees, and the current head coach is Ryan Odom.
The Rams have experienced notable success on the court, reaching the NCAA Final Four in 2011, their first appearance beyond the second round of the tournament. They have also won ten conference tournaments, including three in the Sun Belt Conference and five in the CAA. In the 2011 NCAA tournament, the Rams became the first team to advance from the "First Four" to the Final Four, upsetting higher-seeded teams along the way.
The team has produced talented players who have gone on to play professionally, such as Eric Maynor, who was drafted 20th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Rams have also been coached by prominent figures, including Jeff Capel, who was the youngest head coach in Division I NCAA basketball when he was appointed at the age of 27 in 2002. During his tenure, Capel compiled a 79-41 record and led the Rams to multiple successful seasons.
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is considered one of the most popular and successful sports programs at Virginia Commonwealth University, and they continue to compete at a high level in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
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Atlantic 10 Conference
The Virginia Commonwealth University men's basketball team, also known as the VCU Rams, competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The A-10 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with member schools located predominantly on the East Coast and in the Midwest of the United States, including Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Virginia.
The VCU Rams basketball team joined the A-10 Conference in the 2012-13 season, leaving the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2017, the Rams were ranked the 40th most valuable men's basketball program in the country by The Wall Street Journal, with a valuation of $56.9 million.
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL) and adopted its current name in 1982 after changes in membership. The conference has seen further membership changes since, with a maximum of 16 members at one point. The A-10 Conference has a strong tradition of intense rivalries, including those between Saint Joseph's, La Salle, and Temple, as well as between URI and UMass.
Virginia Commonwealth University sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The university's athletic director is Ed McLaughlin, and the official student supporter group is the Rowdy Rams.
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CAA Conference tournament success
The VCU Rams men's basketball team represents Virginia Commonwealth University and competes in Division I of the NCAA. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012-13 season, after previously competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The Rams have enjoyed notable success in the CAA Conference tournament, winning the championship on multiple occasions. In their first season as members of the CAA, the Rams won the regular-season and conference tournament championships, qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1985.
The 2003-2004 season under Head Coach Jeff Capel saw the Rams capture the CAA regular season and conference tournament championships once again. They repeated this feat for the fourth time since joining the conference, capped by a dominant 71-50 victory over rival George Mason in the final. This 21-point margin stands as the largest margin of victory in a CAA Conference tournament championship game.
The Rams have also achieved success in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four in 2011. In that tournament, they advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history, upsetting higher-seeded teams along the way.
In addition to their success in the CAA Conference tournament, the Rams have been ranked highly in terms of the value of their basketball program. In 2017, The Wall Street Journal ranked them as the 40th most valuable men's basketball program in the country, with a valuation of $56.9 million.
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NCAA tournament appearances
The VCU Rams men's basketball team represents Virginia Commonwealth University and competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012-13 season, having previously competed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The Rams have a rich history of NCAA tournament appearances, dating back to the 1978 National Invitation Tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round by the University of Detroit. Their early history also includes four berths into the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship under the coaching of J.D. Barnett, starting with their first appearance in 1980.
In the 2003-2004 season, under Head Coach Jeff Capel, the Rams returned to prominence, capturing the CAA regular season and conference tournament championships. This qualified them for the 2004 NCAA tournament as the No. 13 seed in the East region, where they faced Wake Forest in the first round.
The 2006-2007 season saw the Rams, led by Anthony Grant, set a school record for wins, finishing with a 28-7 record. They received an automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, defeating George Mason 65-59 to advance.
The 2011 NCAA tournament was a memorable one for the Rams, as they qualified as an at-large bid and went on a remarkable run. They defeated USC in the "First Four" play-in game and then upset Georgetown and Purdue to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. VCU's dream run continued as they defeated Florida State in overtime to reach the Elite 8, making history once again.
The Rams have also won ten conference tournaments, including three in the Sun Belt Conference and five in the Colonial Athletic Association. In 2017, the men's basketball program was ranked the 40th most valuable in the country by The Wall Street Journal, with a valuation of $56.9 million.
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History of head coaches
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The VCU Rams men's basketball program was founded in 1968, at the same time as the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia. In the 1968–69 season as an independent team, the program played its first season, coached by Benny Dees, assisted by Landy Watson and Vann Brackin. Dees led the team to two winning records before being replaced by Chuck Noe. It took ten seasons for the Rams to appear in a postseason tournament, earning a berth into the 1978 National Invitation Tournament but being eliminated in the first round by the University of Detroit.
Under the coaching of J.D. Barnett, the Rams earned four berths into the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, the first coming in 1980. During Barnett's six years of coaching the team, the Rams won the Sun Belt Conference four times. In their first season as members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the Rams posted a 24–9 overall record, going 14–2 in conference play en route to the CAA regular-season and conference tournament championships.
Jeff Capel, who joined VCU as an assistant in 2001, became the head coach in 2002 and was the youngest head coach in Division I NCAA basketball at 27 years old. During his time with VCU, Capel compiled a 79–41 record. In April 2006, Capel resigned as head coach to accept the same position with the University of Oklahoma Sooners. He was replaced by Anthony Grant, who had previously been an assistant head coach with the 2006 NCAA champions, the University of Florida Gators. In his first year as head coach, Grant led the Rams to a school-record 28 wins, finishing the season 28–7. Grant was named the CAA Coach of the Year.
Grant posted an impressive 76–25 record in his three seasons as the head men's basketball coach at VCU, dominating 52–10 versus CAA opponents, including conference tournaments. He led VCU to two NCAA tournament berths and one NIT berth before departing the program to take over the head coaching position at the University of Alabama.
From 2009 to 2015, the Rams were led by Shaka Smart, who had previously been an assistant coach for the Florida Gators men's basketball team. Smart left VCU for the University of Texas in 2015, and Will Wade returned to VCU to take over as head coach. The current head coach of the VCU Rams is Phil Martelli Jr.
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Frequently asked questions
The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams basketball team is part of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012-13 season.
Before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Rams were part of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The Rams are widely regarded as one of the most popular and successful sports programs at Virginia Commonwealth University. They have made it to the NCAA Final Four once in their history, in 2011. They have also won ten conference tournaments, including three in the Sun Belt Conference and five in the Colonial Athletic Association.
