The VCU Rams were a sleeping giant all season in 2025-26, bursting onto the scene with an electric 19-point comeback win over North Carolina in March Madness. That game became what is now known as Hubert Davis's last game as the Tar Heels' head coach.
Despite having the mid-major tag, VCU has only missed four tournaments since 2009. The coaches in this stretch speak for themselves:
- 2026: Phil Martelli Jr.
- 2024-2025: Ryan Odom
- 2018-2023: Mike Rhoades
- 2016-2017: Will Wade
- 2010-2015: Shaka Smart
- 2009: Anthony Grant
Every coach on this list, besides their current one, left for a power conference job. It appears Phil Martelli Jr. (formerly at Bryant) will continue to carry on VCU's historic success after his statement win in year one.
Retention that can't be matched
VCU will be losing two players this offseason due to exhausted eligibility: Barry Evans (7.2 ppg on 26.5 minutes/game) and Jadrian Tracey (9.6 ppg on 21.9 minutes/game).
Aside from that, the Rams are only losing two additional players (minimum 70 minutes played on the season) to the transfer portal: Terrence Hill Jr. (15.0 ppg on 25.1 minutes/game) and Keyshawn Mitchell (3.2 ppg on 10.6 minutes/game).
That means that out of the eleven players who played at least 70 minutes on the season, seven will be returning to VCU. Those seven are all of the following.
- Lazar Djokovic (27.7 minutes/game)
- Brandon Jennings (24.9 minutes/game)
- Nyk Lewis (23.7 minutes/game)
- Michael Belle (22.4 minutes/game)
- Tyrell Ward (13.6 minutes/game)
- Ahmad Nowell (10.6 minutes/game)
- Jordan Tillery (6.8 minutes/game)
Together, these seven players return roughly 64% of VCU's scoring production from last season. While mid-major counterparts like Saint Louis, Miami OH, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's either lost their head coaches, lost major production to the portal, or were older and saw their production graduate, VCU is the young, talented team that stayed with their coach and is ready to run it back.
Not to mention their offseason additions
VCU has not shied away from replacing the production they've lost. The Rams have landed two high school commitments:
- Sammy Jackson, a 6'7 wing ranked 57th in the class of 2026 on 247Sports
- Collin Ross, a 6'9 forward ranked 136th in the class of 2026 on 247Sports
Along with that, VCU has landed three transfer portal commitments:
- Nyle Ralph-Beyer, a 6'4 guard who averaged 14.2 ppg at Sacred Heart
- Blake Harper, a 6'7 wing who averaged 7.7 ppg at Creighton
- Torey Alston, a 6'9 forward who averaged 13.1 ppg at Middle Tennessee
These new additions will be paired with 6'8 Michael Belle and 6'10 Lazar Djokovic, meaning VCU is not only talented, but also big for a mid-major program. Depth is also something to note, as Phil Martelli Jr. could start five returnees while having Sammy Jackson, Ahmad Nowell, and others off the bench. Martelli Jr. ran a very balanced minutes rotation last season, and that'll likely remain the case moving forward.
The Rams flex their money
According to an article by Michael Phillips at The Richmonder, VCU promised Phil Martelli Jr. upwards of $5 million in NIL in year one. Based on the success of year one, it's safe to assume that the number will only become greater.
Excluding Gonzaga and the Mountain West, VCU is likely amongst the most well-funded mid-majors in the country, which has allowed them to make signings like top-60 recruits Sammy Jackson and Nyk Lewis, as well as landing transfers like Ahmad Nowell and Tyrell Ward from UConn and LSU, respectively.
VCU is an intriguing team to play for because it's a great middle ground for coverage, playing time, money, and future opportunities. The Rams are well-known by many with the help of their 2011 Final Four run and frequent tournament appearances; their head coaching run (despite the turnover) is unheard of for a mid-major, and now they also have money to spend in a respected Atlantic 10 conference.
Max Shulga was drafted to the NBA straight from VCU in 2025, Jamir Watkins transferred up to Florida State and was drafted in 2025, Luke Bamgboye transferred up to Texas Tech last season, and Terrence Hill Jr. just transferred up to Tennessee this offseason. VCU has recent, proven examples of player success stories to recruit with. Someone on this 2026-27 VCU team will be the next addition to the NBA draft/power conference jump list.
So what's the ceiling?
VCU has a perfect combination of retention, high school recruits, and transfer portal additions for next season. Furthermore, Tyrell Ward, Lazar Djokovic, and Ahmad Nowell all look to make second-year transfer jumps, which was a feature of every Final Four team last season.
In a 76-team field, an NCAA Tournament appearance feels like the floor for the Rams next season. The Atlantic 10 will likely be competing for multiple bids again, so even if VCU slips up in its conference tournament, it now has an even larger safety net.
VCU won't go 31-0 like Miami OH. They probably won't make the Final Four, but this VCU team could push for a single-digit seed and a Sweet 16 appearance next season. As the power conference teams have only gotten stronger, it'd be hard to see them beating this year's Michigan, Illinois, UConn, or Arizona to advance further. A good ceiling to land on for VCU, if everything is executed smoothly, is the Elite Eight.
Regardless, watch out for the Rams next season and long-term, as they will continue to climb the mid-major ladder.
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