VCU @ Charleston preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 17, 2019 ) VCU 0, Charleston 0

No. 25 VCU goes for a third straight win when it visits Charleston Wednesday in a non-conference contest. The Rams are coming off a 10-point win over Missouri State on Sunday, while the Cougars, who have dropped four of their last six outings, fell to Richmond on Saturday.

Junior forward Marcus Santos-Silva is the centerpiece of the VCU offensive attack, leading the team in scoring (13.2 points) and rebounding (8.6 rebounds). But coach Mike Rhoades' squad is known most for its defense, ranking second in the nation in defensive turnover percentage (28.7) and coming off a game in which it forced 26 miscues by Missouri State. Senior guard Grant Riller leads the Cougars and is third in the Colonial Athletic Association with 20.8 points per game and also paces the team with 3.8 assists per contest. Charleston doesn't score a lot -- averaging 68.1 points per game -- but it also doesn't allow its opponents to score much, giving up just 67.1 points a game.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, No TV.

ABOUT VCU (8-2): The VCU pressure defense isn't something that can be solved very easily, but one way is not to try to beat it with just one player off the dribble. The Rams focused on MIssouri State point guard Tyrik Dixon in their last game because of his penchant for trying to break presses by himself, and they forced him into four turnovers, among the Bears' 26. VCU isn't going to make either passing the ball or dribbling it very easy, but when the Rams know a player wants to try to do it all themself, they usually come with quick double-teams to force them into mistakes.

ABOUT CHARLESTON (5-5): With opponents focusing on Riller, Charleston is trying to find other players to step forward and make open shots to help take some pressure off the senior. Against Richmond, junior guard Brevin Galloway had a career-high 22 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while senior forward Sam Miller came off the bench and scored a career-best 16 points, including three 3-pointers. That kind of scoring balance is what the Cougars are going to need as teams focus on Riller more and more, especially in conference play.

TIP-INS

1. VCU ranks first in the country in steal percentage (15.2) and 12th in block percentage (16.2), making it one of only three teams (DePaul, Florida State) in the top 15 in both categories.

2. Riller became just the third player in Charleston history to score 2,000 points when he tallied 21 in the loss to Richmond.

3. Senior G Marcus Evans is second on the Rams in scoring (11.7 points) while leading the team in assists per game (2.5) and 3-point shooting (45 percent).

PREDICTION: VCU 74, Charleston 63