As the NCAA Tournament comes to a close, GMS likes to review some of the power conference or power program teams that made it to the Big Dance and ask whether or not they’ve got a shot to return to the show next season. We continue on with teams eliminated in the second round.
Recruit and Reload: VCU Rams
Key Losses: Melvin Johnson, Korey Billbury
Key Returners: Mo Alie-Cox, JeQuan Lewis
Key Newcomers: De’Riante Jenkins
Breakdown: Will Wade blew past expectations last season, his first in Richmond. Continuing to do that will mean capitalizing on the returns of Alie-Cox and Lewis. Both will bring back plenty of experience, with Lewis making one of the biggest and most important jumps in the country last year from the previous season. The Atlantic 10 takes a step backwards next season, meaning that VCU could go through their growing pains (if there are any) early on in the non-conference and still have time to turn things around for a conference title.
Recruiting is off to a solid start for Wade as well, evidenced by him bringing in a four-star talent like Jenkins. Losing that first class to Shaka Smart’s departure was tough, but Wade seems to be building a foundation on which he’ll be able to continue landing players good enough to be recruited by “bigger” schools.
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