Florida Gulf Coast @ VCU preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 9, 2012 ) Florida Gulf Coast 57, VCU 80

VCU aims for its first 5-0 start since 1993-94 on Saturday when the 19th-ranked Rams welcome Florida Gulf Coast to Richmond. Junior forward Marcus Santos Silva is averaging 12.8 points and 10.8 rebounds to lead the Rams, who have won 15 straight home games dating back to last season.

The reigning Atlantic 10 Conference co-player of the week, the 6-7, 250-pound Santos-Silva recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds in an 84-82 win over LSU before scoring 10 points and grabbing seven boards in last Sunday’s 93-65 rout of Jacksonville State. “All this that you see from him is because of the work he puts in,” coach Mike Rhoades told reporters. “He's one of the hardest workers, and most disciplined about his approach and his body, that I've been around in 23 years.” The Rams are forcing an average of 21 turnovers in four games and have picked up where they left off last year, when they won 12 straight games to end the regular season. Rhoades has played at least 10 players in each of the team’s first four contests while leaning on a veteran starting lineup consisting of Santos-Silva and four seniors.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MASN

ABOUT FLORIDA GULF COAST (1-4): Sophomore guard Zach Scott averages 15.6 points and 4.2 rebounds to lead the Eagles, who lost to Saint Louis, UMBC, Dartmouth and Mercer before posting a 72-70 overtime win over Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. Junior guard Jalen Warren made a last-second shot and finished with a career-high 21 points and five assists in the win over the Owls, who led by as many as 19 points in the second half. The undersized Eagles have a minus-6 rebounding margin through five games and will need a strong outing Saturday from 6-8 center Justus Rainwater (team-high 7.2 rebounds per game).

ABOUT VCU (4-0): The senior backcourt of Marcus Evans and De’Riante Jenkins is averaging a combined 23.1 points for the Rams, who are holding opponents to 65.3 points per game. Rhoades has been encouraged by the play of several freshmen, including 6-9 forward Hason Ward, who recorded eight points and four blocks in 10 minutes off the bench against Jacksonville State. Fellow freshman Nah’Shon Hyland added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Rams, who rank eighth nationally in both steal (15.9) and block (18.4) percentage.

TIP-INS

1. The teams are meeting for the first time since Nov. 9, 2012, when VCU cruised to an 80-57 victory.

2. Florida Gulf Coast was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Sun preseason media poll.

3. VCU is 117-21 at home since Jan. 29, 2011.

PREDICTION: VCU 92, Florida Gulf Coast 67