VCU at St Bonaventure 1/20/21 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

The VCU Rams travel on the road to the Reilly Center to take on the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. VCU bounced back from a loss to Rhode Island, by going on the road to beat George Washington 84-77 to improve to 10-3 (3-1 conference) on the year. The Bonnies have won four straight and are coming off a 62-48 win over Duquenese to improve to 6-1 on the year.

VCU comes in averaging 76.5 points per game ranking 92nd in the country in scoring offense and is shooting 47.4% from the field as a team. It’s a solid offense and although it can get sloppy at times, they get to the line a lot and allow their defense to create offense. 

Sophomore guard Nah’Shon Hyland leads the way, he’s averaging 18.1 points per game and is a volume guy, taking over 8 threes per game shooting 35.5%. And the emergence of freshman contributors Adrian Balwin and Jamir Watkins. Watkins is scoring 7.5 points in just 15.5 minutes of the bench per game. And Balwin starting all thirteen-games averaging a team-high 4.8 assists. 

St. Bonaventure has had their struggles offensively this season, they come in as the 207th ranked scoring offense averaging 71 points per game. The Bonnies offense is well balanced with a ton of guys returning from last season but really struggles to shoot the three making 29.3% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Junior guard Jaren Holmes has led the way, averaigng 15.6 points on 48% shooting and he’s been scorching hot from three making 51.5% of his 4.5 attempts per game. Paired with Holmes in the backcourt, it’s point guard Kyle Lofton his 5.3 assists leads the team and he trails right behind with 15.4 points per game. Junior forward Osun Osunnyi is averaging just under a double-double with 10.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per.

Both of these teams are solid defensively, the Bonnies come in allowing 61.6 points per game ranking 21st in the country in scoring defense, opponents have shot 40% from the field and been held to just 27.1% from three, the 12th ranked three-point defense. St. Bonaventure is 55th in KenPom adjusted defense. VCU is allowing 66.7 points per game ranking 94th in scoring defense opponents have shot jsut 40.3% from the field and the Rams are 21st in KenPom adjusted defense.