Will Wade inherited pressure and a rolling program when he took over for Shaka Smart at VCU in 2015. Smart had built a brand there, packing the home gym with a manic style of play that sent the Rams to the NCAA Tournament five times, including a Final Four appearance, under his watch.
Wade has kept the program humming. The Rams finished second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and have aligned themselves for a strong chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, which would produce back-to-back appearances for Wade since he took over.
Record: 24-7, 14-4
Atlantic 10 Tournament bracket.
Path to the tournament: VCU is in a good position to get into the NCAA Tournament. It can use the Atlantic 10 Tournament to improve its seed slightly, or see it drop slightly and add some nerves to Sunday night. But, the Rams have a solid chance at the NCAA Tournament moving into conference tournament week.
Tournament projections: ESPN has VCU as a No. 9 seed playing in Tulsa. CBS has VCU as a No. 9 seed playing Greenville, South Carolina, and marked as on the bubble. USA Today projects VCU as a No. 10 seed that plays in Indianapolis.
Up next: Friday, March 10 vs. TBD, 6 p.m., PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network
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