VCU has to get back to playing 'loose and confident'
This year?s VCU team is one that gets along well, coach Mike Rhoades said. He said the players hang out together, and there?s no division among them.
But the Rams can get easily frustrated during games, Rhoades said, and that?s one thing that can hurt them. They sometimes feel they?re letting their teammates down.
VCU (15-12, 7-7 Atlantic 10) has lost four of five heading into Wednesday?s 7 p.m. game at Massachusetts (11-16, 4-10). Rhoades said the Rams lack confidence, and that?s partly because they?re not making as many shots as they would like. That?s affecting other parts of the game.
?Our guys really care, our guys are really tight,? Rhoades said. ?They just get very frustrated when things aren?t going their way or some shots aren?t falling or we have a couple lazy turnovers. And if you don?t play through that stuff, that?s where things snowball. And that?s where you get the game on Saturday at GW.?
Rhoades said he and senior guard Jonathan Williams have shared some moments this season when he feels he?s letting people down. But Rhoades doesn?t want players to think that way.
?It?s not about letting people down or continuing the streak,? he said. ?It?s about how much better can we get from now until the next game? How prepared can we get??
VCU reviewed the film from Saturday?s loss at George Washington on Monday. From that, sophomore forward Issac Vann felt the Rams stood around a lot, trying to feed the ball to senior forward Justin Tillman.
?We just got to move the ball and then play,? Vann said.
With the attention that Tillman draws ? he?s averaging 19 points and 9.4 rebounds ? Rhoades said after Saturday?s game that VCU has to find different ways to get him the ball. Tillman said on Monday that he has to work on getting the ball out, too.
?They?re trying to double-team me, triple-team me,? Tillman said. ?Have help coming from the weak side. Try to catch me off guard so I don?t see it. ... So I have to work on throwing it out, finding my open teammates that are on the 3-point line.?
UMass is at the bottom of the league standings with Fordham. But the Minutemen have the A-10?s leading scorer in sophomore guard Luwane Pipkins. Pipkins has averaged 20.9 points overall and 23.4 points in conference play.
Rhoades said Pipkins is dynamic in the way he can score.
?He shoots it very well behind the line, but he?s so darn quick with the basketball he can get by guys and make plays for he and his teammates,? he said.
Tillman said that VCU will try to make Pipkins? teammates make plays for UMass. Vann said the Rams will try to wear Pipkins down. ?A lot of people are going to get to guard him,? he said.
There?s a week and a half left in the regular season. As the Rams go through their last four games ahead of the A-10 tournament, Rhoades said they have to get back to playing loose and confident.
?Just play the next play as hard as they can,? Rhoades said. ?And that?s hard to do. ? You want to play as close to perfect as you can, and when you don?t, it gets tougher and tougher. And a lot of times, unfortunately, it?s shooting.
?Everybody wants to be the guy that makes that shot for the team. And then when you don?t, that?s when you get tighter and those shots get tougher and tougher.?
