November 26, 2024

NCAAB | Free Play

3 min read

By Don Phillips

 

VCU Rams at Davidson Wildcats

 

DAVIDSON WILDCATS (12-6, 4-3 A-10)
Head Coach: Bob McKillop (Hofstra, 1972)
Career Record: 508-306 (27th season), Record at Davidson: Same

 

VCU RAMS (15-5, 7-0 A-10)
Head Coach: Will Wade (Clemson, 2005)
Career Record: 55-30 (3rd season), Record at VCU: 15-5 (1st season)

 

GAME INFORMATION
Date | Time: Friday, January 29, 2016 | 6:00 PM
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Site (Capacity): Belk Arena (5,295)
Radio: Davidson Radio Network | John Kilgo (pxp), Jarod Latch (analyst)
TV: ESPN2

 

Coming off a 78-70 win at Richmond, Davidson enters 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Atlantic 10 play. Jack Gibbs leads Davidson in scoring at 24.8 points per outing, which is fourth nationally behind James Daniel (Howard), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) and Kahlil Felder (Oakland).
Gibbs also ranks among league leaders in scoring (1st), assists (1st/5.2), 3-point field goals per game (6th/2.8) and steals (8th/1.8). Gibbs has scored at least 40 points in a game three times this season and hit the 30-point mark six times. The only player with more 40 points games in a season over the last six years is Jimmer Fredette (BYU; 2010-11).
Peyton Aldridge, who scored a career-high 34 points at Richmond, is second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game. Over his last four games, Aldridge has three double-doubles, is averaging 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds, while shooting 56.2 percent from the floor and 90 percent (18-20) at the free-throw line.
The Davidson 2015-16 men’s basketball roster features four seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and two freshmen. 11 players hail from the United States, including four each from North Carolina and Ohio. Davidson also has five players with international roots – Nathan Ekwu (Enugu, Nigeria), Manu Giamoukis (Thessaloniki, Greece), Dusan Kovacevic (Novi Sad, Serbia), Will Magarity (Stockholm, Sweden) and Oskar Michelsen (Helsinki, Finland).

 

The VCU Rams are averaging 78.1 points per game, the program’s highest mark since the 1992-93 campaign (79.3). VCU has topped 80 points nine times this season and has reached the 90-point plateau on four occasions. The Rams reached 80 points seven times during the entire 2014-15 campaign. The main reason for VCU’s upward scoring trend has been greater accuracy from the field. VCU’s effective field goal percentage (.507) is the highest it’s been since the 2012-13 season.

 

The Rams are shooting .381 from 3-point range this year, their most accurate effort since the 2006-07 campaign and the fourth-best mark for VCU since the advent of the 3-point line prior to the 1986-87 season.

 

In addition, the Rams’ .611 shooting performance (33-of-54) against Fordham was its most accurate effort since Jan. 27, 2010, when VCU shot .631 in a 112-53 rout of Towson at the Siegel Center. VCU hit a school-record 20 three-pointers against Towson in that contest.

 

VCU has turned in a number of notable defensive efforts this season, ranking them among the best. The Rams set a school record for fewest field goals allowed in a half when they held Saint Louis to just two first half buckets (2-of-13) in a 72-56 win on Jan. 10. The Billikens did not record their first field goal until the 6:23 mark of the first half.

 

America’s Bookie has VCU a 2-point favorite with VA Commonwealth at -130 and Davidson +110 on the moneyline for this NCAAB match-up.

 

Selection: VCU

Copyright © All rights reserved. | Newsphere by AF themes.