Ohio State and Virginia Commonwealth have never played before, but that doesn't mean Sam Thompson isn't well-aware of the recent success the Rams have had.
"I haven't seen them a ton this year," Thompson said Sunday, "but like I'm sure most of you were, I was a fan when they made their deep run and they've kind of had that reputation ever since then."
Thompson, of course, was referring to VCU's journey to the Final Four in the 2011 NCAA tournament when it began playing in the First Four and Dayton. The Rams made an incredible run, defeating USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State and Kansas before ultimately falling to Butler in the national semifinal.
It was then when VCU first emerged under head coach Shaka Smart as a nationally-known program. The Rams haven't missed the NCAA tournament since that 2011 run and Smart has been a hot name discussed whenever any major school has a job opening.
Smart is a great, up-and-coming coach with a unique style. VCU features a famed 'Havoc' defense that is designed to fluster opposing teams by playing aggressive, pressure defense. The Rams will pick up full-court on made baskets with a press and trap constantly throughout the game.
"We know that they’re gonna play hard, we know that they’re gonna trap all over the court, they’re gonna play with a ton of energy," Thompson said. "We’re going to do the same thing and it’s going to be a fun game.”
It's no secret what VCU does, yet it's still effective. The Rams rank 10th in the country, forcing 16.2 turnovers per game and only turn the ball over themselves 10.6 times per game. That plus-5.6 margin is good for the third-best turnover margin in all of college basketball.
“Hopefully with a senior guard and D'Angelo we are a tough team to press and trap.”– Thad Matta
VCU features a ton of long, athletic guys who get after it on the defensive end even though it has played the last six weeks without its defensive anchor, Briante Weber, who was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Regardless, in order to beat Havoc, you must have good guard play. If a team's guards struggle handling pressure, you're not going to beat the Rams. It's that simple.
Luckily for the Buckeyes, they have a pair of pretty good ball-handlers in the backcourt in Shannon Scott and D'Angelo Russell. Ohio State essentially has two points guards on the floor at all times, a luxury not many teams can say.
"We haven’t come across a lot of teams that play that way; there’s not a whole lot of them out there," Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta said. "Hopefully with a senior guard and D'Angelo we are a tough team to press and trap."
In theory, it seems like a decent matchup for Ohio State. But at the same time, it's very difficult to simulate VCU's length, quickness and athleticism in practice. The only way to prepare for such a unique style is to actually play against it and by then it could be too late.
Still, the Buckeyes are looking forward to the opportunity of playing again in the NCAA tournament and are hopeful to avenge last season's second-round loss to Dayton.
"I’m sure I speak for Shannon, too, when I say we’re ecstatic and we’re excited. This is the best time of the year," Thompson said. "This is what we came to Ohio State to do is play in the NCAA tournament and have a chance to compete in the month of March. We’re gonna get ready for it.”
