VCU’s return to dance brings closure to COVID-induced forfeit

Mike Rhoades (center) draws up play for his VCU team as Rams battled Saint Mary’s in NCAA Tournament. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Pete Janny (@pete_janny)

ALBANY, N.Y. — When the action tipped off from MVP Arena Friday afternoon, VCU had officially made its return to the biggest stage in March. 

Since appearing in the Final Four in 2011 under Shaka Smart, the Rams have been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament. But there were low moments too, none more than finding themselves on the wrong side of history two years ago. Before taking the court against Saint Mary’s on Friday in Albany, their last dance partner was COVID-19, and there was no way around it after VCU incurred a positive test in the bubble in Indianapolis.

 

Since Mike Rhoades assumed head coaching duties at VCU in 2017, three tournament bids have followed for the Rams, the most recent ending at the hands of Saint Mary’s in the first game of Friday’s opening-round action. On Thursday, a day before getting ready to christen his program’s return against fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s, Rhoades recalled the nightmare in the bubble in Indianapolis. Now, two years later, he was able to infuse some humor into it.

“That’s two years ago,” Rhoades told reporters. “I’m trying to remember two days ago.”

Specifically, Rhoades recalled the moment his team reached the end of the road amid uncontrollable circumstances. He will never forget receiving the call from VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin confirming the worst-case scenario. Finally, they had pulled the plug, only three hours before the Rams were set to face Oregon.

“We were all stuck up on the 16th floor, and we just waited,” Rhoades said. “My AD, Ed McLaughlin, he called me and said that they’re going to shut us down. I’m pretty sure the term was a cluster positive test, and they couldn’t risk it.”

The Rams’ situation was so dire that the NCAA had to backtrack on its original plans to allow teams with at least five healthy players to be eligible. The Rams had that amount, but were not free from the worst of the outbreak.

“Unfortunately, we’re the only team ever to get kicked out of the NCAA Tournament for something that was out of our control,” Rhoades said.

In moments of desolation, which had reemerged in full force after Friday’s setback to Saint Mary’s, Rhoades has been instrumental in keeping things in perspective for a program that still seems to get overlooked compared to programs from bigger conferences.

“I told our guys we just missed an opportunity to play a basketball game,” Rhoades said of the turn of events in 2021. “That’s it. A lot of people lost a lot of other things and a lot worse off than us.”

Rhoades took solace in a piece of advice his mother gave him about life not always being fair. There’s more than a morsel of truth to that for the beleaguered Rams, but that’s life.

“She used to say to me, and my brother and my sister that life’s not always fair,” Rhoades said. “Life’s not fair and you have to deal with it. And he we are.”

The 2021 team was talented, and led by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Bones Hyland, who has since carved out a role for himself in the NBA. This iteration of the Rams entered the tournament on a nine-game win streak and winners of 22 of its last 25 games. All season, the Rams gave their opponents very little break to try figuring out their high-pressure defense, but Saint Mary’s had an edge on both ends of the court against them. Rhoades dubbed this game a clash, only to see his team post its lowest point total of the season.

For Rhoades, a disciple of Smart dating back to their days together at VCU, the opportunity for his players to showcase their talents again on the biggest stage meant everything. Randy Bennett had high praise for the Rams as well leading up to the first-round battle between two schools that geographically contrast yet have similar play styles. The respect from the Gaels’ head man was clear, and it was telling from someone who took his own programs to 16 straight postseason appearances.

“I think we’re more alike than not,” Bennett said. “They have a great tradition as a program. They’ve been good for a long, long time, VCU. It’s a good program.”