Following his March Madness magic with UMBC and a strong tenure at Utah State, new VCU head coach Ryan Odom arrived at Richmond to a program that has reached the tournament in ten of the last thirteen seasons, gaining notoriety for its “Havoc” style defense.
In his two years at Utah State, Odom gained experience leading a proud mid-major program, so the high expectations at VCU will not daunt Odom.
However, Odom faces the challenge of supplementing his offensive mentality that hummed efficiently at Utah State and pair it with VCU’s defensive roots. It’s a winning combination if the brew is stirred just right.
The offseason has not gone smoothly, however.
Odom’s first offseason hurdle came when Oklahoma transfer Joe Bamisile’s waiver was denied. A rotational guard with the Sooners, Bamisile was formerly a star scorer at George Washington, averaging over sixteen points and two three-pointers made per game in the 2021-22 season.
Considering VCU is Bamisile’s fourth school in four seasons, the denied waiver was expected, but the the Rams’ most recent blow could potentially tailspin VCU’s non-conference schedule when it was shared that Sean Bairstow is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after suffering a non-contact foot injury last weekend.
Last year’s captain at Utah State, the 6’8 205 Bairstow is a versatile, two-way forward who can shoot, dish, run point and even play back to the basket. Bairstow, along with fellow Utah State transfer Max Shulga, were expected to lead VCU’s new offense – the veteran duo combined to average 23.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.6 three-pointers made per game last season.
Without Bairstow, expect VCU to put the ball in the hands of Shulga more often, but also share the ball more freely amongst the team’s nine remaining healthy and eligible scholarship players.
When asked of his offensive philosophy, Odom has once been quoted that “the best man is an open man”, so even without Bairstow, expect VCU to spread the floor in the half-court and look for open shots.
Shulga and Richmond transfer Jason Nelson, the team’s projected starting point guard, play well in the pick-and-roll, so it would not surprise if athletic forwards like Cal grad transfer Kuany Kuany and Toibu Lawal are more frequently utilized to have plays drawn up for them rolling off screens.
Between the two, Kuany is the most likely to start at power forward in Bairstow’s absence. While he does not possess Bairstow’s distributing abilities, Kuany shoots well enough from three (career 30.0 3P%) to provide spacing and is also an asset on the defensive boards.
Kuany is arguably most valuable using his athleticism to slash and attack the rim. According to KenPom, Kuany led Cal in free throw rate and converted a strong 82% of attempts from the charity stripe.
Speaking of athleticism, sophomore forward Toibu Lawal is not only VCU’s best athlete, but Odom claims he is the best athlete he has ever coached. Playing most of his minutes last year at the 5, Lawal’s physicality and motor play best at the 4, especially as his skills and feel for the game develop.
If Odom is looking to help replace Bairstow’s distribution at the 4, redshirt freshman Alphonzo Billups III could earn major minutes early on. A former top-100 recruit, Billups’ season ended early in December due to a fractured hand, but he has the size, handle and vision to slot in at either forward spot. During VCU’s offseason trip to Greece, Billups’ work on the boards opened the eyes of Odom and his staff.
London import Michael Belle is the last candidate to earn minutes early in the season. Originally recruited by Odom during his time at Utah State, the 6’7 215 freshman averaged seventeen points, nine rebounds and three assists while playing high school ball in Strasbourg, France.
Obviously, Bairstow’s loss will be felt, but there’s a silver lining: VCU might not have a lot of bodies, but power forward is arguably the team’s deepest position.
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