VCU draws Saint Mary's for second time in NCAA tourney

NEW YORK – As a basketball junkie, it is nothing for VCU coach Mike Rhoades to be up at 11 p.m. watching a West Coast college basketball game.

So of course he has seen fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s (26-7), the team the 12th-seeded Rams (27-7) will take on Friday at 2 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA tournament West Regional in Albany, New York.

The Gaels, out of Moraga, California, are ranked 16th in The Associated Press poll. They tied with Gonzaga for the top spot in the West Coast Conference before losing to Gonzaga 77-51 in the tournament championship game.

“Definitely a very talented team that is super well-coached,” said Rhoades as the Rams celebrated during the selection show at their hotel Sunday in Brooklyn after winning the Atlantic 10 championship.

“Randy Bennett is a heck of a coach. They’re a very efficient offensive team that guards as well. They have some really good guards.”

Fifth-year guard Logan Johnson is a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, which is presented to the top mid-major player in Division I. He leads the Gaels in points per game (14.7), assists (3.7), free throws made (99-146) and steals (51 total). He was named the WCC’s defensive player of the year.

Guard Aidan Mahaney is a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Award. He is the second-leading scorer at 14.5 points and shoots 41.2% on 3-pointers.

Alex Ducas, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, averages 12.5 points and shoots 41.8% on treys. Mitchell Saxen, a 6-10, 242-pound junior center, averages 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.

VCU and Saint Mary’s met in the NCAA tournament in 2017, with the Gaels taking an 85-77 victory in the first round in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rams were coached then by Will Wade. Rhoades took over the following year.

VCU will be making its 19th NCAA tournament appearance, 12th in the past 17 years (since 2006-07) and third in six seasons under Rhoades.

The Rams have gotten out of the first round once in their previous six appearances.

VCU last qualified in 2021, but in a cruel twist, it never played. The Rams were not allowed to compete because of multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The No. 10 seed in the West, the Rams were supposed to play No. 7 Oregon in Indianapolis. The game was called off about 3 1/2 hours before tipoff

“One year we didn’t get out of the hotel,” Rhoades said, referring to 2021.

“Everybody’s good in the NCAA tournament. For us to find a way to beat a very good NCAA tournament team like Saint Mary’s, you’ve got to go take it.

“They’re super skilled. They have big guys. They have guys who can shoot it. They have some guards who can make plays. And they really guard too. They’re just a very fundamentally sound team, well-coached with some really good players.”

VCU goes in playing some of its best basketball of the season defensively and offensively. The Rams have won nine straight games and 22 of their past 25.

“I really just to want to do as much as we can,” said graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr., who played in an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s at Michigan before transferring to VCU this season.

“This win today [in the A-10 tournament] was like a big goal for us since the summer. To make it to the tournament again … we talk about making it back to Houston, making it back to the Final Four,” which VCU did with a magical run in 2011.

“We just really want to go out with bang. I really want to go out with the bang. I’m doing whatever it takes to win.”