So, what a topsy-turvy Atlantic 10 tournament we have.

For the first time since 2006, all four of the teams that earned a double-bye were eliminated in the A-10 quarterfinals, leaving four single-bye teams left to claim the conference’s automatic bid in next week’s NCAA tournament.

The fun begins again on Saturday, when No. 5 VCU takes on No. 9 Saint Joseph’s from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The game is at 1 p.m. and will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Here’s what VCU fans need to know, by the numbers:

5

As the No. 5 seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament, VCU is now the best remaining seed in the tournament. As such, many bracketologists are projecting VCU as claiming the A-10’s automatic bid, which would give the conference two bids in the NCAA tournament.

Dayton, by virtue of its metrics and stellar non-conference record, is seen as a virtual lock for an at-large bid in the tournament despite losing to Duquesne in the A-10 quarterfinals.

2

Two is the number of A-10 All Conference First Team selections remaining in the tournament once the dust cleared following Thursday’s chaos.

Both are appearing in the day’s first game.

VCU guard Max Shulga continued a streak of four consecutive years that VCU has claimed a first team selection. The senior guard led the team in many stat categories, including points and rebounds per game at 15 and 4.6 respectively. The Ukrainian shot 44.3% from the floor in the regular season.

Shulga also ranks third in the A-10 in free throw percentage and sixth in 3-point percentage.

Joining Shulga on the all-conference first team is St. Joe’s guard Erik Reynolds II, who also ranks top five in the conference in free throw percentage. The junior guard has been lighting it up, to the tune of a 30-point offensive explosion in upsetting top-seeded Richmond in the A-10 quarterfinals.

The Maryland native is averaging 17 points per game on 41.3% shooting from the floor and 38.4% shooting from deep. He is also shooting an impressive 87% from the free throw line – roughly on par with Shulga’s output from the charity stripe.

Both guards have also battled injuries in this tournament. Reynolds suffered a hard fall in St. Joe’s opening A-10 tournament game against George Mason and was late to pregame warmups in the quarterfinals, while Shulga appears to still have lingering back issues after missing the regular season home finale against Duquesne with back spasms.

Regardless, both guards are appointment television, and this will be the matchup to watch Saturday afternoon.

7

In 10 prior contested A-10 tournaments, VCU has made it to the A-10 semifinals.

The Rams are 7-0 in such contests.

VCU has always made it to the A-10 quarterfinals, now boasting an 11-year streak including this year. Three times, VCU has been eliminated in the quarterfinals, including twice as a double-bye team.

But if the Rams advance, they always make it to Sunday.

The streak will be on the line Saturday afternoon, as VCU will be looking for its eighth appearance in the A-10 title game since joining the conference in 2012-13.

13.5

So far in the A-10 tournament, VCU senior guard Zeb Jackson has averaged 13.5 points per game, courtesy of first-half scoring blitzes by the Michigan transfer.

The captain of the team and the longest tenured Ram, Jackson had an impressive game from the free throw line on Thursday, going 10-of-11 while scoring 17 points en route to a VCU win that at times seemed to never be in doubt.

Jackson also has shown his prowess on the defensive end that generated all-defensive team buzz earlier this season. In two games, Jackson is averaging 4.5 steals per game in the tournament, picking UMass’s pocket five times in Thursday’s quarterfinal victory.

The offense runs through the steady hand of Jackson, who will be key to matching up against the talented St. Joe’s backcourt of Reynolds and Lynn Greer III.

40.7

40.7% is the season-long 3-point percentage of senior guard Joe Bamisile, who has shown the ability to pop off the bench and light up opposing teams.

Bamisile had one of his hot games on Thursday, connecting four times from deep and leading VCU in scoring with 18 while powering VCU to advance.

Throughout the season, Bamisile has often had hot and cold games, often back-to-back. The A-10 tournament has proven to be that way for the senior, who scored eight points in the second-round win against Fordham while struggling at the free throw line.

VCU’s hopes of advancing to a second consecutive title game may lie in Bamisile lighting up the second unit from the bench.

Bamisile confirmed late in the regular season that he will be using his fifth year of eligibility and will return to VCU in 2024-25.

67.1

Sophomore forward Tobi Lawal is the Atlantic 10 leader in field goal percentage, making 61.7% of his attempts.

The Londoner has proven to be one of VCU’s main draws, with a bouncy athleticism and 49.5-inch vertical that leads to dazzling above-the-rim play.

Already in the conference tournament, Lawal has had a series of highlight-reel dunks that would likely make an all-conference “One Shining Moment” compilation video.

Lawal has been coming off the bench for much of the season, and looks to continue to do so as he spells fellow sophomore Christian Fermin. In the last game, Lawal recorded seven points and six rebounds in 17 minutes of action.

19

In each of VCU’s tournament games, the Rams have recorded 19 team fouls.

While both games have been with tight whistles on both sides, the ensuing foul trouble has created potential lineup issues for the Rams.

Notably, all three of VCU’s primary big men faced foul trouble in the quarterfinals against UMass. Roosevelt Wheeler picked up four fouls in five minutes of first half action while spelling Fermin and Lawal.

Fermin ended the game with four fouls, while Lawal tacked on three of his own.

Beyond that trio, VCU does not have many reliable threats in the paint, so keeping them clean on the personal foul ledger is paramount for head coach Ryan Odom.

The task for the trio on Saturday? Sophomore forward Rasheer Fleming. The 6-9 sophomore is averaging 11 points per game for the Hawks, and ended the regular season with a 23-point game against Davidson.

In the quarterfinals against Richmond, Fleming notched 12 rebounds to up his season average to 7.3 boards per game.

73-69

The Rams and the Hawks have faced once this year, in a 73-69 win at the Siegel Center on Feb. 25.

VCU trailed by six at halftime, but powered past the Hawks on the strength of a 52-point second half, the highest scoring half VCU has had this season.

Lawal and Bamisile led the charge with 16 points each, while Bamisile connected on four 3-pointers. Shulga recorded a “triple-nickel,” with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win. Lawal recorded 12 rebounds in a double-double effort.

Two Hawks scored 21 points in the loss. Reynolds had a slow first half, but traded buckets with Bamisile late and connected on six 3-pointers.

Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Xzayvier Brown recorded 21 points and knocked home six 3-pointers of his own, continuing a remarkable freshman campaign. The Philadelphia native averages 13 points per game on 46.6% shooting and 41.9% from deep.

71

As of March 16, VCU’s NET ranking is 71st, good for second in the A-10 and one spot behind VCU’s season-high NET ranking, set in mid-February.

While trending upward, the metrics are not one of a team worthy of an at-large bid. The lowest ranked NET team to make the NCAA tournament was Rutgers in 2022, which was ranked 77th.

Rutgers’s inclusion itself was controversial, and frankly no team outside of the Power 5 conferences with a sub-70 NET ranking has even a puncher’s chance at an at-large bid.

What does that mean for VCU? They have to win two games this weekend to lock up a second-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and A-10 title.

1

The most important part of tournament season? Taking it one game at a time.

With none of the four remaining teams holding a resume capable of an at-large bid, the NCAA tournament essentially begins now for the A-10’s remaining teams.

Survive and advance, and NCAA tournament glory awaits.

The Hawks and the Rams will continue their March journey at 1 p.m. today.

Featured image: Hunter Hensel/A10Talk

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In March, when the next loss means the end of the season for many programs across the country, much of the conversation is about building momentum entering the conference tournament.

The VCU Rams (19-12, 11-7 Atlantic 10) have not done that this season.

The Rams limp into Brooklyn on a three-game losing streak, dropping a narrow road loss to Richmond and a double-digit home loss to Duquesne before losing the final A-10 Friday ESPN showcase game in overtime to No. 25 Dayton in an overtime squeaker.

While the Rams led by as many as 17 points in the Friday night contest and played exceptional against a team many have tapped as the favorites in Brooklyn, the loss meant that VCU did not clinch the double-bye in the A-10 tournament and open their postseason on Wednesday afternoon as the No. 5 seed against No. 12 Fordham.

Before Wednesday afternoon’s Rams vs. Rams matchup, here are the things to know as VCU enters postseason play.

Mad Max

VCU senior guard Max Shulga was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team on Tuesday, the only VCU player honored in this year’s roundup of A-10 awards.

The Utah State transfer had a banner year in 2023-24, notching career highs in points per game (15) and rebounds per game (4.6) on 44.3% shooting from the floor.

The Ukrainian played in 30 of VCU’s 31 games, missing just the home finale against Duquesne with back spasms.

On the season, Shulga led VCU in a variety of stats, including total minutes (992), points per game, made 3-pointers (76) and total assists (108).

As such, Shulga often stuffed the stat sheet across categories, perhaps most notably in a 13-point, 10-rebound, 7-assist performance against Fordham on Feb. 6 that gave Shulga his first double-double as a Ram and had him flirt with the first VCU triple-double in many years.

Ten days later, Shulga notched his season-high of 26 points in a road victory against Saint Louis, connecting on five 3-pointers and adding seven rebounds to a standout performance.

In sum, Shulga was VCU’s best, most consistent player in 2023-24, and the senior has been rewarded with one of the A-10’s highest honors.

Shulga’s award continues a mini streak for VCU. This year marks the fourth straight year that VCU has placed a player in the A-10 All-Conference First Team, with Shulga joining Bones Hyland (2021), Vince Williams (2022) and Ace Baldwin (2023) as recent honorees.

Additionally, former VCU guard Tre Clark III was named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team following a standout year at Duquesne.

Injury report

VCU will make the journey to Brooklyn with no names on the injury report – a relative rarity for VCU this season.

Through 31 games, the quartet of Max Shulga, Sean Bairstow, Joe Bamisile and Zeb Jackson have all been active just 15 times, with Bamisile and Bairstow each missing the first 10 games of the season due to Bairstow’s foot fracture and Bamisile’s eligibility concerns.

As such, much of VCU’s potential remained unrealized for significant portions of the schedule, namely during the important non-conference slate when tournament resumes can be built.

The quartet are the only Rams averaging double figures on the season, with all shooting above 40% from the floor except Jackson, who is shooting 39.9% from the field.

Additional injury concerns surrounded redshirt freshman Fats Billups, who had to be helped off the floor late in the first half in last week’s loss to Duquesne. Billups was active in the Dayton game on Friday, playing four minutes in the overtime loss.

The best ability is availability, and VCU has weathered the storm and has all players ready for a potential four-games-in-five-days run in Brooklyn.

Key players

Beyond all-conference selection Shulga, VCU’s most significant players are the other double-digit scorers: Sean Bairstow, Zeb Jackson and Joe Bamisile.

Bairstow’s averages approach Shulga’s in minutes per game and his total assists trail just Shulga and Jackson despite missing 13 games due to injury. Bairstow is a great facilitator and can see the floor well, and has recently uncorked some athleticism in the paint with some great dunking ability.

Bamisile is among the conference’s best sixth men, providing a scoring spark off the bench and igniting VCU’s offense when it becomes stagnant. He most notably pieced together back-to-back 25-point games earlier this season – the first time a VCU player has done that in seven years.

The team captain, Jackson has recently shown his ability to take over games with a career-high 26 points in Friday’s loss to Dayton. Jackson is second on the team in assists and is a reliable presence running the offense. If things get tough, look for head coach Ryan Odom to lean on his veteran guard.

Of course, players of note would not be complete without sophomore Tobi Lawal, who dazzles with his pure athleticism and vertical. Along with Christian Fermin, Lawal’s defensive presence in the paint will be key in battling against some of the other bigs in the conference, while his dunking ability will be sure to make an all-A-10 tournament highlight reel.

Possibly key to VCU’s success is the 3-pointer, and nobody can shoot it as well as grad transfer Kuany Kuany. After an ice cold start to the season, Kuany ended the season shooting just a hair over 40% from 3-point range, second on the team of players with more than 30 attempts. Kuany has the ability to light it up from deep, which could become important if VCU begins to trail in the tournament.

Fordham preview

Fordham trailed for much of the game Tuesday against No. 13 Davidson before a late Kyle Rose jumper sent the Rams into overtime.

From there, an explosive 7-0 run to begin overtime buried the Wildcats, who would not score for the first 4:57 of the overtime period. Fordham hung on to win by eight points and set up a rematch against VCU, who defeated Fordham at Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx 75-60 on Feb. 6.

On that day, Shulga and Bamisle led VCU with 13 points each. It was the only game that Bairstow came off the bench in this season, as he was returning from injury. The grad transfer from Australia flirted with a double-double, ending with 12 points and eight assists on the day.

Fordham’s team leader in points is Rose, who is averaging 10.5 points per game while shooting 42.5% from the floor and 38.8% from deep. The fifth-year senior was also named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year on Tuesday.

On the season, Rose is averaging 2.1 steals per game, good for 40th in the country. His 64 total steals rank him second in the conference entering tournament play, trailing Tre Clark.

Rose added five more to that mark on Tuesday in the win against Davidson, to pair with six rebounds, four assists and five points.

But the story of the game on Tuesday was sophomore guard Will Richardson, who scored 20 points in the game to pace the Rams. Sixteen of those points came in the second half.

Josh Rivera added 14 points of his own on the day, connecting six times from the floor on seven attempts.

The gameplan for VCU? Lock in on Kyle Rose and find a way to slow down Abdou Tsimbila, Fordham’s 6-9 big man. The senior from Cameroon came one point shy of a double-double on Tuesday and leads Fordham with 6.4 rebounds per game. Tsimbila ranks second in the conference with blocks per game at 2.3.

No. 5 VCU and No. 12 Fordham will tip off from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the second game of the tournament’s second round. USA Network will have live television coverage.

Nuggets of note

• Wednesday is the first time VCU has been seeded outside of the double bye since the canceled 2020 tournament, when VCU and UMass made up the No.8 vs No. 9 matchup. The tournament was canceled as the Rams and Minutemen were warming up for a 12 p.m. tip-off.
• In a contested A-10 tournament, VCU has never failed to make it to the quarterfinals. In 10 prior contested A-10 tournaments, VCU has made the title game seven times and lost three times in the quarterfinals.
• If VCU is able to complete the A-10 tournament run with a championship on Sunday, it will be VCU’s third since joining the conference in 2012-13. The Rams would also become the first back-to-back champion since Temple, which three-peated from 2008-2010 under head coach Fran Dunphy.
• Both of VCU’s prior A-10 titles were clinched at the Barclays Center, the host of this year’s tournament.
• Head coach Ryan Odom enters the A-10 tournament with one career conference tournament title: the 2018 America East championship with UMBC. Later that month, the UMBC Retrievers knocked off Virginia, the No. 1 overall seed, and became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the history of the NCAA tournament.
• The winner of VCU and Fordham’s Wednesday tilt will take on No. 4 UMass on Thursday in the A-10 quarterfinals. The Minutemen, playing their penultimate A-10 tournament, boast two All-Conference First Team selections in Josh Cohen and Matt Cross. UMass defeated VCU 74-52 on Feb. 20 in the only matchup between the two teams this season.

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