NCAA Basketball: 10 mid-majors to watch for ahead of 2021 offseason

Mar 20, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Jalen Adaway (33) moves in for a basket against the Louisiana State Tigers during the second half in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Basketball Nah’Shon Hyland Virginia Commonwealth Rams (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

VCU Rams

2020-21 record: 19-7 overall, 10-4 A-10
Key returners: Nah’Shon Hyland (19.5 ppg), Vince Williams Jr. (10.6 ppg), Jamir Watkins (7.2 ppg), Adrian Baldwin Jr. (6.7 ppg)
Key additions: Nicholas Kern (three-star SF), Jalen Deloach (three-star PF)

Alongside St. Bonaventure, there may not be a more proven team in the Atlantic 10 than VCU – and there are few teams in the country who will be out for vengeance quite like the Rams, whose impressive 2020-21 campaign ended in abrupt and devastating fashion due to a positive COVID-19 test in the NCAA Tournament.

VCU’s run to an at-large postseason bid included season-defining wins over Utah State, Memphis, St. Bonaventure, and Saint Louis – as well as stellar showings against West Virginia and Penn State. The Rams were not expected to be as good as they ended up being last season, having been slotted just ninth in the conference’s preseason poll – but instead, they finished as runners-up to the Bonnies in the A-10.

The Rams’ success can be traced to the play of Bones Hyland, the Atlantic 10’s Player of the Year who led the conference in scoring at just under 20 points per game – but he was not alone either. Nearly all of VCU’s roster from last season will return, with Hyland leading the way – in addition to his surrounding cast, comprised of names like Ace Baldwin and Vince Williams Jr.

With a vast majority of their roster returning, the Rams should not look too different next year. Few have opted to transfer out, and Mike Rhoades and his staff have not, publicly, landed any teams from the transfer portal yet – but a pair of three-star forwards will help supply some new, additional depth for the 2021-22 season.

Few teams will be out to prove themselves quite like the Rams, who were – quite publicly and understandably – stunned by the sudden conclusion to their 2020-21 season. While the Bonnies will be the favorites in the A-10 heading into the coming year, VCU – which finished just half a game back of St. Bonaventure – should be right in the mix to claim the regular-season title.

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