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North Carolina opens NCAA Tournament play in the South Region on Thursday, and unlike past years as a No. 6 seed or lower, the Tar Heels are facing a formidable first-round opponent in No. 11 seed VCU.
The Rams have been to the NCAA Tournament 15 times since 2004. Of those 15 appearances, they have won in the first round five times, including a win over No. 6 seed Duke in 2007 and, of course, their Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2011. Given that the program expects to make the NCAA Tournament and win games to survive and advance, VCU will be no slouch compared to some of the first-round opponents the Tar Heels have faced over the years.
Here are some things you need to know about VCU.
VCU has a 27-7 overall record and finished with a 15-3 record in Atlantic 10 play, sharing the regular season title with Dayton. The Rams won the A10 Conference Tournament by defeating Duquense in the quarterfinals, St. Joseph’s in the semifinals and Dayton in the championship game.
The Rams are 2-5 against Quad 1 opponents with wins over South Florida and a road win iover Dayton and losses to NC State, Vanderbilt, Utah State and St. Louis two times.
Phil Martelli Jr. is doing a fantastic job in his first year on the job, which is an understatement given what the Rams have accomplished. Before he came to VCU, he was the head coach at Bryant, where he led the Bulldogs to a 43-25 overall record and the Northeast Conference Tournament title last season, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
If you’re wondering why his name sounds familiar, he is the son of Phil Martelli, the longtime head coach at Saint Joseph’s. The elder Martelli led the Hawks to a 30-2 record in 2003-04 and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before they lost to Oklahoma State in the Elite Eight on a team that featured
The younger Martelli played for his father at St. Joe’s from 1999-2003.
Points: Terrance Hill (14.4, 44.6% FG, 35.5% 3FG)
Rebounds: Lazar Djokovic (5.4)
Assists: Terrance Hill (2.8)
VCU’s offense is one of the best in the country, averaging 81.6 points per game and shooting 36.7% from 3-point range, which ranks 37th nationally. North Carolina, meanwhile, has allowed opponents to shoot 34.5% from beyond the arc, which ranks 238th nationally and 14th in the ACC. The Tar Heels were last in conference play in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from long range.
VCU also has plenty of depth. The Rams have nine players who have appeared in at least 27 games and average at least 10 minutes. They rank seventh nationally in bench points at 34 per game, and all but one of those rotation players average more than 5.5 points.
The Rams have a solid defense, allowing 71.5 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field, which ranks 111th and 104th nationally, respectively, out of more than 360 Division I programs. But they do not force many turnovers, ranking 154th at 11.9 per game, and they foul often. VCU commits 17.3 fouls per game, which ranks 168th nationally.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: What to know about VCU
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The Rams have been to the NCAA Tournament 15 times since 2004. Of those 15 appearances, they have won in the first round five times, including a win over No. 6 seed Duke in 2007 and, of course, their Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2011. Given that the program expects to make the NCAA Tournament and win games to survive and advance, VCU will be no slouch compared to some of the first-round opponents the Tar Heels have faced over the years.
Here are some things you need to know about VCU.
How has VCU fared this season?
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VCU has a 27-7 overall record and finished with a 15-3 record in Atlantic 10 play, sharing the regular season title with Dayton. The Rams won the A10 Conference Tournament by defeating Duquense in the quarterfinals, St. Joseph’s in the semifinals and Dayton in the championship game.
The Rams are 2-5 against Quad 1 opponents with wins over South Florida and a road win iover Dayton and losses to NC State, Vanderbilt, Utah State and St. Louis two times.
Who is VCU's head coach?
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Phil Martelli Jr. is doing a fantastic job in his first year on the job, which is an understatement given what the Rams have accomplished. Before he came to VCU, he was the head coach at Bryant, where he led the Bulldogs to a 43-25 overall record and the Northeast Conference Tournament title last season, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
If you’re wondering why his name sounds familiar, he is the son of Phil Martelli, the longtime head coach at Saint Joseph’s. The elder Martelli led the Hawks to a 30-2 record in 2003-04 and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before they lost to Oklahoma State in the Elite Eight on a team that featured
The younger Martelli played for his father at St. Joe’s from 1999-2003.
Stat leaders
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Points: Terrance Hill (14.4, 44.6% FG, 35.5% 3FG)
Rebounds: Lazar Djokovic (5.4)
Assists: Terrance Hill (2.8)
Strengths
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VCU’s offense is one of the best in the country, averaging 81.6 points per game and shooting 36.7% from 3-point range, which ranks 37th nationally. North Carolina, meanwhile, has allowed opponents to shoot 34.5% from beyond the arc, which ranks 238th nationally and 14th in the ACC. The Tar Heels were last in conference play in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from long range.
VCU also has plenty of depth. The Rams have nine players who have appeared in at least 27 games and average at least 10 minutes. They rank seventh nationally in bench points at 34 per game, and all but one of those rotation players average more than 5.5 points.
Weaknesses
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The Rams have a solid defense, allowing 71.5 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field, which ranks 111th and 104th nationally, respectively, out of more than 360 Division I programs. But they do not force many turnovers, ranking 154th at 11.9 per game, and they foul often. VCU commits 17.3 fouls per game, which ranks 168th nationally.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: What to know about VCU
Continue reading...
