2023–24 VCU Rams men's basketball team

The 2023–24 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by first-year head coach Ryan Odom, played their home games at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

2023–24 VCU Rams men's basketball
NIT, Quarterfinals
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
Record24–14 (11–7 A-10)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaStuart C. Siegel Center
2023–24 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Richmond153 .8332310  .697
Loyola Chicago153 .8332310  .697
No. 24 Dayton144 .778258  .758
UMass117 .6112011  .645
VCU117 .6112414  .632
Duquesne108 .5562512  .676
St. Bonaventure99 .5002013  .606
George Mason99 .5002012  .625
Saint Joseph's99 .5002114  .600
La Salle612 .3331617  .485
Rhode Island612 .3331220  .375
Fordham612 .3331320  .394
Davidson513 .2781517  .469
Saint Louis513 .2781320  .394
George Washington414 .2221517  .469
2024 A-10 tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

The Rams finished the 2022–23 season 27–8, 15–3 in A-10 play to win the regular season championship. They defeated Davidson, Saint Louis, and Dayton to win the A-10 tournament championship, their first since 2015.[1] As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed in the West region. There they lost to Saint Mary's in the first round. VCU guard, Ace Baldwin Jr., was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.[2]

On March 29, 2023, head coach Mike Rhoades left the school to take the head coaching position at Penn State. That same day, the school named Utah State head coach Ryan Odom the team's new coach.[3] On April 8, Odom announced former VCU player, Darius Theus as an assistant coach to his staff.[4]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Jamir Watkins0F6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210RS SophomoreTrenton, New JerseyTransferred to Florida State
Ace Baldwin Jr.1G6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)190JuniorBaltimore, MarylandTransferred to Penn State
Jalen DeLoach4F6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215JuniorSavannah, GeorgiaTransferred to Georgia
Arnold Henderson VI15G5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)180SeniorMechanicsville, VirginiaGraduated
Jarren McAllister21G6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)205RS JuniorWake Forest, North CarolinaTransferred to TBD
Jayden Nunn23F6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190JuniorFlint, MichiganTransferred to Baylor
Nick Kern Jr.24F6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)190JuniorSt. Louis, MissouriTransferred to Penn State
Brandon Johns Jr.30F6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)240GraduateLansing, MichiganGraduated
Josh Banks33G6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)175JuniorCharlotte, North CarolinaTransferred to UNC Asheville
David Shriver35F6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220RS SeniorPhilippi, West VirginiaGraduated

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious school
Sean Bairstow7G6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205GraduateBrisbane, AustraliaTransferred from Utah State
Joe Bamisile22G6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195SeniorRichmond, VirginiaTransferred from Oklahoma
Jason Nelson1G5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)175RS SophomoreRichmond, VirginiaTransferred from Richmond
Max Shulga11G6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)197SeniorKyiv, UkraineTransferred from Utah State
Roosevelt Wheeler4F/C6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240JuniorRichmond, VirginiaTransferred from Louisville

2023 recruits

No players have officially committed to VCU.[5]

Roster

As of 23 April 2023
2023–24 VCU Rams men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 1 Jason Nelson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)175 lb (79 kg) RS SoRichmond Richmond, VA
G 2 Zeb Jackson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)180 lb (82 kg) SrMichigan Toledo, OH
F/C 4 Roosevelt Wheeler 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) JrLouisville Richmond, VA
G/F 5 Alphonzo Billups III 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)180 lb (82 kg) SoVarina Richmond, VA
G 7 Sean Bairstow 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205 lb (93 kg) GSUtah State Brisbane, QLD
G 8 Michael Belle 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrStrasbourg London, ENG
F 10 Tobi Lawal 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)200 lb (91 kg) SoLee Academy London, ENG
G 11 Max Shulga 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)197 lb (89 kg) SrUtah State Kyiv, UKR
F 13 Kuany Kuany 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)200 lb (91 kg) GSCalifornia Melbourne, VIC
G 14 Connor Odom 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)165 lb (75 kg) SrUtah State Annapolis, MD
F 21 Christian Fermin 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoPocono Mountain West Tobyhanna, PA
G 22 Joe Bamisile 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrOklahoma Richmond, VA
F 34 Obinnaya Okafor (W) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)216 lb (98 kg) SoBethel Hampton, VA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 28, 2023*
7:00 p.m.
Mars Hill W 110–50 
 21  Nelson  8  Belle  10  Jackson  Siegel Center (5,017)
Richmond, VA
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
McNeese L 65–76  0–1
 22  Shulga  7  Jackson  8  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
November 10, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Samford W 75–65  1–1
 17  Shulga  10  Fermin  7  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,114)
Richmond, VA
November 15, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Radford W 73–50  2–1
 19  Nelson  10  Lawal  5  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,045)
Richmond, VA
November 18, 2023*
2:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Seattle W 60–56  3–1
 20  Jackson  9  Fermin  7  Shulga  Siegel Center (6,421)
Richmond, VA
November 23, 2023*
5:30 p.m., ESPN2
vs. Iowa State
ESPN Events Invitational quarterfinals
L 64–68  3–2
 17  Shulga  5  Jackson  8  Shulga  State Farm Field House 
Bay Lake, FL
November 24, 2023*
8:00 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU
vs. Boise State
ESPN Events Invitational consolation 2nd round
L 61–65  3–3
 24  Shulga  9  Lawal  3  Tied  State Farm Field House (2,579)
Bay Lake, FL
November 26, 2023*
10:30 a.m., ESPNU
vs. Penn State
ESPN Events Invitational 7th place game
W 86–74  4–3
 22  Jackson  9  Belle  6  Jackson  State Farm Field House 
Bay Lake, FL
December 1, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Norfolk State L 60–63  4–4
 15  Jackson  11  Belle  3  Tied  Siegel Center 
Richmond, VA
December 6, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPNU
Memphis L 80–85 OT 4–5
 14  Shulga  8  Tied  5  Shulga  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
December 10, 2023*
2:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Alcorn State W 86–58  5–5
 18  Jackson  10  Lawal  7  Jackson  Siegel Center (6,389)
Richmond, VA
December 16, 2023*
2:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Temple W 87–78  6–5
 19  Jackson  7  Lawal  7  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,189)
Richmond, VA
December 22, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Maryland Eastern Shore W 75–51  7–5
 14  Shulga  7  Lawal  7  Nelson  Siegel Center (7,098)
Richmond, VA
December 30, 2023*
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Gardner–Webb W 87–73  8–5
 22  Bairstow  10  Lawal  5  Tied  Siegel Center (7,188)
Richmond, VA
Atlantic 10 regular season
January 3, 2024
9:00 p.m., CBSSN
St. Bonaventure L 78–89  8–6
(0–1)
 15  Fermin  9  Fermin  6  Bairstow  Siegel Center (6,348)
Richmond, VA
January 6, 2024
4:00 p.m., USA
George Washington L 82–84  8–7
(0–2)
 20  Shulga  14  Fermin  4  Shulga  Siegel Center (7,207)
Richmond, VA
January 9, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at George Mason
Rivalry
W 54–50  9–7
(1–2)
 13  Shulga  8  Bairstow  3  Shulga  EagleBank Arena (4,000)
Fairfax, VA
January 13, 2024
12:30 p.m., USA
at La Salle W 71–65  10–7
(2–2)
 14  Bairstow  10  Lawal  12  Bairstow  Tom Gola Arena (1,647)
Philadelphia, PA
January 19, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
Saint Louis W 85–61  11–7
(3–2)
 29  Bamisile  5  Tied  6  Bairstow  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
January 23, 2024
7:00 p.m., CBSSN
Loyola Chicago W 74–67  12–7
(4–2)
 25  Bamisile  9  Fermin  6  Bairstow  Siegel Center (7,204)
Richmond, VA
January 27, 2024
8:00 p.m., CBSSN
at Davidson W 63–58  13–7
(5–2)
 18  Shulga  6  Lawal  4  Bairstow  John M. Belk Arena (3,861)
Davidson, NC
January 30, 2024
7:00 p.m., CBSSN
at St. Bonaventure L 62–67  13–8
(5–3)
 25  Shulga  6  Jackson  3  Tied  Reilly Center (3,901)
Olean, NY
February 3, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPNU
Richmond
Capital City Classic
W 63–52  14–8
(6–3)
 15  Tied  8  Lawal  6  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
February 6, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Fordham W 75–60  15–8
(7–3)
 13  Shulga  10  Shulga  7  Shulga  Rose Hill Gymnasium (1,627)
Bronx, NY
February 9, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 18 Dayton W 49–47  16–8
(8–3)
 11  Nelson  8  Bairstow  5  Shulga  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
February 16, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
at Saint Louis W 95–85  17–8
(9–3)
 27  Bamisile  10  Lawal  5  Bairstow  Chaifetz Arena (5,382)
St. Louis, MO
February 20, 2024
7:00 p.m., CBSSN
at UMass L 52–74  17–9
(9–4)
 13  Bamisile  8  Bairstow  6  Bairstow  Mullins Center (4,313)
Amherst, MA
February 25, 2024
4:00 p.m., CBSSN
Saint Joseph's W 73–69  18–9
(10–4)
 16  Tied  10  Lawal  6  Bairstow  Siegel Center (7,637)
Richmond, VA
February 28, 2024
6:30 p.m., CBSSN
Rhode Island W 88–67  19–9
(11–4)
 24  Bamisile  8  Lawal  5  Jackson  Siegel Center (7,107)
Richmond, VA
March 2, 2024
6:00 p.m., CBSSN
at Richmond
Capital City Classic
L 76–79  19–10
(11–5)
 19  Shulga  6  Jackson  5  Bairstow  Robins Center (7,201)
Richmond, VA
March 5, 2024
7:00 p.m., MASN/ESPN+
Duquesne L 59–69  19–11
(11–6)
 18  Bamisile  5  Tied  5  Nelson  Siegel Center (7,044)
Richmond, VA
March 8, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
at No. 25 Dayton L 86–91 OT 19–12
(11–7)
 26  Jackson  6  Shulga  5  Shulga  UD Arena (13,407)
Dayton, OH
A-10 tournament
March 13, 2024
2:00 p.m., USA
(5) vs. (12) Fordham
Second Round
W 69–62  20–12
 14  Shulga  7  Shulga  4  Shulga  Barclays Center (7,725)
Brooklyn, NY
March 14, 2024
2:00 p.m., USA
(5) vs. (4) UMass
Quarterfinals
W 73–59  21–12
 18  Bamisile  6  Tied  7  Shulga  Barclays Center (6,817)
Brooklyn, NY
March 16, 2024
1:00 p.m., CBSSN
(5) vs. (9) Saint Joseph's
Semifinals
W 66–60  22–12
 25  Shulga  8  Jackson  3  Shulga  Barclays Center 
Brooklyn, NY
March 17, 2024
1:00 p.m., CBS
(5) vs. (6) Duquesne
Championship
L 51–57  22–13
 20  Bamisile  9  Lawal  2  Tied  Barclays Center 
Brooklyn, NY
NIT
March 20, 2024*
9:00 p.m., ESPN2
at (1) Villanova
First Round - Villanova Bracket
W 70–61  23–13
 17  Bamisile  10  Lawal  6  Shulga  Finneran Pavilion (1,763)
Villanova, PA
March 24, 2024*
7:30 p.m., ESPNU
at South Florida
Second Round - Villanova Bracket
W 70–65  24–13
 14  Jackson  6  Bairstow  4  Bairstow  Yuengling Center (6,398)
Tampa, FL
March 27, 2024*
9:00 p.m., ESPN2
at (2) Utah
Quarterfinals - Villanova Bracket
L 54–74  24–14
 13  Bairstow  9  Fermin  2  Bamisile  Jon M. Huntsman Center (6,008)
Salt Lake City, UT
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Source:[6]

See also

References

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