It’s not bad enough that the VCU Rams lost head coach Shaka Smart to Texas once the college basketball season had concluded, a situation that many new the AD would have to deal with at some point.
The Rams also lost several key newcomers in the process.
Key Losses: Treveon Graham (graduation), Briante Weber (graduation)
Possible losses: No announcements made
Key Returners: Melvin Johnson, Mo Alie-Cox, Terry Larrier, JeQuan Lewis
Key Newcomers: No announcements made
Breakdown: Any time there is a coaching transition, there will be players lost in the shuffle for one reason or another. In VCU’s case, they haven’t been decimated by transfers as much as they have by decommitments. At this point, their entire 2015 class has been released from their National Letters of Intent, allowing Tevin Mack, Kenny Williams, and Jordan Murphy to reopen their recruitments. That will certainly hurt new coach Will Wade, a former assistant of Shaka Smart’s, but the returning roster does offer up some optimism. Johnson, the team’s second leading scorer a year ago, will keep the Rams dynamic on the perimeter, as well as give them an experienced leader to help ease the coaching transition. Convincing Larrier and Alie-Cox to remain in Richmond was also vital. One key story-line will be whether or not JeQuan Lewis can take the next step in his development, and rebound from a sophomore year that brought on a significant drop in his offensive efficiency. Still, he has serious potential in the Atlantic 10, and bringing him back was a necessity for coach Wade.
