VCU Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Rams

1 of 4

PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 19: The Virginia Commonwealth Basketball Rams (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

A new crop of talent and coaches must stabilize VCU basketball if the Atlantic 10 power is to successfully negotiate the road to another NCAA Tournament.

With four players returning from last year’s squad joined by eight newcomers, the VCU basketball program begins the 2018 season upside-down.

The job of rebuilding the VCU basketball roster falls to first-year head coach Mike Rhoades. Rhoades joins VCU after the surprise departure of Head Coach Will Wade. Wade left for LSU after coaching the Rams for two years. Eight players left as well – five by graduation and three by transfer.

Rhoades is a familiar face to VCU basketball fans as he was an associate head coach for the Rams under head coach Shaka Smart. There is more to Rhoades than familiarity, however. Last season in his third year as Rice head coach, Rhoades led Rice to its first 20 win season in more than a decade.

Rhoades attacked the VCU upheaval by first building a staff familiar with the VCU basketball program and himself.

Joining Rhoades at VCU is former VCU point guard Joey Rodriguez. Rodriguez was also on the staff of VCU basketball and worked with Rhoades at Rice. He now serves as VCU Director of Player Development.

New associate head coach Jeremy Ballard also coached at VCU for Shaka Smart before serving as an assistant at Illinois State and Pitt. New Director of Operations Jimmy Martelli, and assistant coaches J.D. Byer and Brent Scott have each also coached with Rhoades.

The new staff immediately faced the need of assembling enough players to scrimmage.