Rhode Island vs. VCU: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Rhode Island has yet to lose in conference play this season. Will that stay true after a road game at VCU?
TV schedule: Friday, February 2, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Stuart C. Seigel Center in Richmond, Virginia
Time and time again, Rhode Island 18-3 (8-0) has answered the call when it comes to winning A-10 conference games. But it hasn’t been easy as of late.
In the last two games, the Rams have had to fight all the way to the end to pull off wins, with a game-winning three-pointer by Stanford Robinson needed to beat Duquesne at home followed by double-digit comeback effort to defeat Massachusetts on the road in a shootout.
This last one was a historic win for the program, as it represented their 13th consecutive win, giving them their longest win streak in nearly 70 years. They’re currently in great position for an at-large bid, with the latest edition of Busting Bracket’s Bracketology giving the Rams a No. 5 seed.
Related Story: Latest Bracketology
Unless Rhode Island loses in the conference tournament, the A-10 likely to be a one-bid league, with no other team having the resume to warrant such consideration. After Dan Hurley’s team, it’s a logjam underneath, with eight teams separated by just two games.
One of them is VCU 14-8 (6-3), one of the best teams in the league since they arrived over from the Colonial Athletic Conference. These Rams have run three games in a row after losing a really bad game to Richmond.
The good news for Mike Rhode’s team is that there was a Khris Lane sighting in the last win over George Mason. After a solid start in the non-conference for VCU, the Longwood grad transfer has disappeared completely, scoring more than eight points just once and being relegated to the back of the bench. His 25 points last time out is a welcomed sign for the team.
This game features the two leading candidates for A-10 Player of the Year between VCU’s Justin Tillman (18.2 ppg and 9.7 rpg) and Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell (18.0 ppg). The two seniors have led their teams to this point and will play a crucial part in the outcome of this game.
Next: Remembering the late Rasual Butler's legacy at La Salle
Rhode Island is the better team, but the game is at VCU, which can and will be a hostile environment. If senior forward Andre Berry can shut down Tillman enough, it’ll be hard for the underdogs to score. It’ll be another tough night for Rhode Island but look for the conference leaders to prevail once again.
Prediction: Rhode Island 80 – VCU 77