VCU Rams Final Notes & Predictions

By:Tyrone Montgomery Jr.

Things didn’t go as planned for VCU this season. The Rams finished the 18-15. This year, they loss in the second round to Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. That loss cost them an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. So the question is, what’s next for The VCU Rams. Well, we can expect Head Coach Mike Rhoades to return for his second season leading these troops. Justin Tillman should be on his way to the NBA, however, only to the G League. Tillman has talent and he brings great energy to any team, but don’t expect him to be drafted on draft night. However, I think Tillman will eventually land on an NBA team roster. Remember Troy Daniels? What about Treveon Graham? Briante Weber? Troy Daniels is currently getting good minutes for The Phoenix Suns. Treveon Graham is a regular rotation player for The Charlotte Hornets. While current playing in the G League, Briante Weber has played for several NBA teams, and he will definitely be on another NBA roster soon. What do all of these players have in common? None of them were drafted and are still having fairly good careers in the NBA. Expect the same for Justin Tillman. This team will feature Sean Mobley a lot more next season. Did you notice him in the starting lineup late in the season? There was a reason behind that. We can also expect to see more Mike’l Simms next season as well. He may be their best player. He had a phenomenal season, and I believe he is the most NBA ready player on this 2017-18 roster. His skill set is perfect for today’s game. Johnny Williams had a descent season for The Rams, but he may have met his basketball career ceiling. One thing I will say is he has to be one of the toughest basketball players I’ve ever seen and met. The other senior on the team is a senior who I believe caught the short end of the stick this season for The Rams, Kris Lane. I’m not saying that because of our Meadowbrook Alumni connection either. Lane can actually play basketball. He should have been starting this entire season. Perhaps Coach Rhoades was looking ahead.

Maybe he knew this roster wasn’t ready to compete on the big stage and he wanted to develope some of the younger guys on this team. Lane could stretch the floor, rebound fairly well, and he was an unselfish player too. One thing I liked about Lane is that he hit a ton of big shots for this team. But that’s not even his best highlight. The best thing about Kris Lane was that he always was a team player and he kept his head up. When he fell out of the rotation, he stayed ready when his number was called and was always cheering for his VCU Rams just like the sellout crowds all season long. Kris Long proved to be a true professional. While losing a great player in Tillman, VCU should actually be better next season. But for the meantime, let’s thank The VCU Rams and all of the fans for such a great season. Their story doesn’t end here. NBA could be all of their next stops. So let’s compare the entire roster to who their game’s match up with in today’s game.

Justin Tillman (Forward- Sr) – Thaddues Young (Indiana Pacers)

Johnny Williams (Guard – Sr) – Jerian Grant (Chicago Bulls)

Isaac Vann (Guard/Forward – Soph) – Shabazz Muhammad (Milwaukee Bucks)

De’Riante Jenkins (Guard/Forward – Soph) – Nick Young (Golden State Warriors)

Mike’l Simms (Guard/Forward – Soph) – Aaron Afflalo (Orlando Magic)

Sean Mobley (Forward – Fr) – Dario Saric (Philadelphia 76ers)

Dylan Sheehy-Guiseppi (Guard – Fr) – Javale McGee (Golden State Warriors)

Malik Crowfield (Guard – Soph) – Troy Daniels (Phoenix Suns)

Marcus Santos-Silva (Forward – Fr) – Trevor Booker (Indiana Pacers)

Xavier Jackson (Guard – Jr) – Shabazz Napier (Portland Trailblazers)

Kris Lane (Center – Sr) – Meyers Leonard (Portland Trailblazers)