2016–17 VCU Rams men's basketball team

The 2016–17 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second-year head coach Will Wade, played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 26–9, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in second place. In the A-10 tournament, they beat George Mason and Richmond before losing to Rhode Island in the championship game. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West region where they lost in the first round to Saint Mary's.

Following the season, head coach Will Wade left VCU to take the head coaching position at LSU following the firing of Johnny Jones. Wade had served has the head coach for the last two seasons making him VCU's shortest tenured head coach since Benny Dees. On March 21, 2017, the school hired Rice head coach Mike Rhoades, who had served as associate head coach under Shaka Smart from 2009 to 2014.

Previous season The Rams finished the 2015–16 season with a record of 25–11, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in a tie for a first-place. In the A-10 tournament, the Rams lost to Saint Joseph's in the championship game. The Rams received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they beat Oregon State in the first round before losing to Oklahoma in the second round.

Preseason The Rams were picked to finish third in the A-10 preseason poll. Mo Allie-Cox was selected to the All-A-10 second team while JeQuan Lewis was selected to the third team. Cox and Lewis were also selected to the All-Defensive team.

Offseason

Departures Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes Jordan Riullano 3 G 5'9" 185 Freshman Bronx, NY Walk-on; transferred to SUNY Sullivan Michael Gilmore 11 F 6'10" 215 Sophomore Tallahassee, FL Transferred to Miami (FL) Gerron Scissum 22 F 6'7" 210 Freshman Huntsville, AL Transferred to James Madison Korey Billbury 24 G 6'4" 210 Senior Tulsa, OK Graduated Melvin Johnson 32 G 6'4" 193 Senior Bronx, NY Graduated Johnathan Nwankwo 33 F 6'9" 245 Freshman Bronx, NY Transferred to College of Southern Idaho

Incoming transfers Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School Issac Vann 11 F 6'6" 190 Sophomore Bridgeport, CT Transferred from Maine. Under NCAA transfer rules, Vann will have to sit out in the 2016–17 season. Will have three years of eligibility left.

2016 recruiting class

2017 Recruiting class

Roster

Schedule and results

!colspan=12 style=| Exhibition

!colspan=12 style=| Non-conference regular season

!colspan=12 style=| Atlantic 10 regular season

!colspan=12 style=| Atlantic 10 tournament

!colspan=12 style=| NCAA tournament

References