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VCU Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Rams

By Lukas Harkins

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: De'Riante Jenkins #0 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams celebrates a basket against the Rhode Island Rams during their Atlantic 10 basketball tournament quarterfinal game at Barclays Center on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: De'Riante Jenkins #0 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams celebrates a basket against the Rhode Island Rams during their Atlantic 10 basketball tournament quarterfinal game at Barclays Center on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: Vann of the Rams reacts. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: Vann of the Rams reacts. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Projected Starting Frontcourt

Issac Vann | 6-foot-6 | 200 lbs | Senior

Yet another experienced senior with tremendous defensive ability, Issac Vann looks poised to hold down the “3” spot in the starting lineup. He brings plenty of size to the wing at 6-foot-6 and is returning after starting every game for the Rams last season. In addition to being a top-notch wing defender, Vann has proven to be a capable scoring threat as well. Although still not a major perimeter threat (30.5% from three), he averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

It is unlikely that Vann will take a major leap this season but he is already a very strong contributor for the Rams on both ends of the floor. If he can emerge as a more dangerous shooter, that would definitely help take the team to the next level. Either way, though, he is a versatile and active defender while bringing double-digit scoring on the offensive end. It’s hard to argue with the concept that he is a high-quality starting wing.

Corey Douglas | 6-foot-8 | 220 lbs | Junior

VCU features four returning full-time starters from last season and therefore those players are locks to reprise their roles. That leaves one open spot in the absence of Sean Mobley and it appears as though Corey Douglas is ready to fill that void. The 6-foot-7 rising junior started 10 games last season and played a relatively significant role at 14.2 minutes per game. Although not necessarily a major offensive threat, Douglas is a strong interior presence as a rebounder and shot-blocker.

Over the course of last season, Douglas averaged 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per 40 minutes. Considering VCU does not feature a ton of frontcourt depth this season, it is reasonable to expect that Douglas will see a significant increase in his role. He is an elite-level rim-protector for his size and should be a solid anchor for the team inside this season. Watch for him to be a strong rebounder on both ends while recording his fair share of clean-up buckets.

Marcus Santos-Silva | 6-foot-7 | 250 lbs | Junior

A dark-horse potential All-Conference player, Marcus Santos-Silva does not receive the credit that he deserves. A bruising 6-foot-7 power forward with exceptional rebounding skills, MSS is a strong interior presence for the team. He might be the youngest piece of VCU’s starting lineup but Santos-Silva is quite experienced in his own right. The junior big man is fresh off a breakout campaign in which he started every game for the Rams and averaged 10.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per contest.

Even though VCU’s guards receive the majority of the credit for the havoc they cause on the perimeter, MSS is what allows them to be so aggressive. He is outstanding when it comes to positioning inside and protects the paint especially well if any opponent is able to get the ball inside. MSS is extremely intelligent as a defender and consistently makes the right reads as a “safety blanket” of sorts for the defense. He is one the most important players for the Rams on both ends of the floor and could make another sizable leap this season.