When the doors swung open at the Siegel Center on Friday night, VCU fans streaming in may have been wondering “wait, what’s my age again?”
From throwback uniforms on the big screens, to programs adorned with all-time VCU scoring leader Eric Maynor to the music on the PA system and from The Peppas, the 2000’s were back for one night only on Broad Street.
VCU fans were treated to free 2000’s-era style T-shirts complete with the throwback “V” and ram logo, while students received white throwback bucket hats that stood out as the at-capacity Siegel Center filled before tip-off.
On the floor, the Rams (11-7, 3-2 Atlantic 10) felt like big rock stars, delivering a dominant 85-61 win over a floundering Saint Louis Billikens squad (8-10, 1-4 A-10) that felt like even more of a blowout than the 24-point margin showed.
Leading the charge for VCU was senior guard Joe Bamisile, who erupted for a season-high 29 points, one marker short of his career-high.
The guard, who faced eligibility issues earlier this season before a federal appeals court allowed multi-time transfers immediate eligibility via injunction, was cooler than being cool on Friday night, knocking down seven 3-pointers on 10-for-13 shooting.
The Billikens were ice cold from deep, connecting from 3-point range just four times Friday night.
All in all, Friday night was a good, good night for the Rams, who have built positive momentum as conference play rolls on.
Key players
Joe Bamisile played 23 minutes off the bench on Friday night.
The Chesterfield native made every one of those minutes count.
Bamisile’s only three misses came from deep, where he cashed in seven times to the tune of 29 total points. The 6-4 athletic guard paired the explosive scoring night with five rebounds, a block and a steal.
Late in the first half, Bamisile showed off his skills on both ends of the floor by dunking, securing a defensive rebound and scoring a driving layup on consecutive possessions, forcing Saint Louis head coach Travis Ford to call a timeout as the VCU lead grew to 33-24.
Following the timeout, the Tobi Lawal experience began.
Lawal, who turned heads after recording a 49-inch vertical leap during offseason workouts, recorded a pair of thunderous blocks to close the first half, including one right as the halftime buzzer sounded as the Rams took a 36-26 lead back to the locker room.
In sum, Lawal recorded three blocks on Friday night to pair with five rebounds, as the sophomore from England continued to show talent that could translate to next-level success.
Joining Bamisile in double figures were Max Shulga (15 points), Jason Nelson (13 points) and Sean Bairstow (10 points).
Bairstow continued to dazzle as a facilitator, dishing out a team-high six assists with no turnovers. The performance came six days after the Australian recorded a double-double with 12 assists, a career-high mark for the Utah State transfer.
Top plays
Setting aside the many, many Joe Bamisile 3-pointers that got the Siegel Center rocking, a couple of plays stood out on the night for the Rams.
Tobi Lawal’s previously mentioned block at the halftime buzzer made it to ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 at #8:
https://x.com/VCU_Hoops/status/1748787093285875988?s=20
Late in the game, Sean Bairstow threw down a transition dunk to punctuate the night and get the Siegel Center on its feet:
https://x.com/VCU_Hoops/status/1748523918564941901?s=20
Zeb out, J-Nel in
Senior guard Zeb Jackson was held out of Friday night’s game after leaving last Saturday’s game late at La Salle in the first half with back spasms. In announcing the injury earlier on Friday, VCU head coach Ryan Odom noted that Jackson is targeting a return for Tuesday night’s home contest against Loyola Chicago.
Starting in Jackson’s place was Richmond native Jason Nelson. The sophomore guard, a rare in-conference, in-city transfer who started 26 games for the Richmond Spiders last season, earned his first start for VCU Friday night.
Nelson immediately shined on the offensive end, scoring VCU’s first six points courtesy of a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and a smattering of free throws. At the game’s outset, Nelson and Saint Louis senior forward Terrence Hargrove Jr. traded scores, with Hargrove scoring the Billikens’ first eight points.
Nelson ended the game with 13 points on 3-for-6 shooting, going to the free throw line a team-high eight times. The John Marshall High graduate added two rebounds, two assists and a steal to a successful first VCU start.
But perhaps the most memorable moment of the night for Nelson came in warmups. When Nelson’s name was announced, the Siegel Center crowd responded with vibrant applause and a standing ovation for the hometown player, who was one of the most anticipated additions in Odom’s recruiting class.
Connor Odom makes debut
A new but familiar name has hit the box score for the first time this season.
Senior walk-on Connor Odom, son of head coach Ryan Odom, checked in to the game with 1:29 to play and the Rams up by 26. It marked Odom’s VCU debut after he followed his father from Utah State this past offseason.
Odom recorded a missed layup at the 1:01 mark but made his playing time count as fans chanted to get #14 the ball.
In 10 games at Utah State in the last two seasons, Odom recorded three points and two rebounds, with the points coming on a made 3-pointer in the 2021-22 campaign.
In 2023, Odom was named a corecipient of the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association along with Terrance Hargrove Jr from Saint Louis. Odom received the award in recognition of his openness in overcoming a combination of Lyme Disease, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Odom began his collegiate career at Flagler College and previously walked on at Maryland before joining his father at Utah State.
“One of those magical Siegel Center nights”
Following the game on Friday night, VCU radio broadcaster Robby Robinson posted on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, that Friday “was one of those magical Siegel Center nights.”
https://x.com/RobbyVCU/status/1748553460021109196?s=20
The 2000’s night promotion was hailed by fans in the arena and on social media as a resounding success, with VCU getting props for the throwback logos and the in-arena music.
Most notably, a “playlist shuffle” during a first half media timeout had the arena rolling as the PA system shuffled through some of the 2000’s greatest hits. The student section and The Peppas in the left end zone were practically moving in unison to “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” and “Party in the USA” as the referees’ whistles brought play back.
In the post-game press conference, Joe Bamisile specifically singled out the band as a memorable moment across his collegiate career, which now spans four different universities.
“I think it’s super lit, I’m not going to lie,” Bamisile said. “As you guys know, I’ve been to a bunch of schools. I’ve never been to a school with a band like that. It’s super cool to see how invested, musically, a basketball game can be.”
A word about SLU
It has been tough sledding for Travis Ford and his Billikens.
Saint Louis is multiple games under .500 for the first time since 2018, and have now opened A-10 play 1-4, with Friday night marking both the Billikens’ season-low in points scored and in made field goals.
The Billikens fell to 0-9 at the Siegel Center and 5-15 all-time against VCU.
Junior guard Sincere Parker led the Billikens with 21 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Terrence Hargrove Jr. joined Parker in double figures with 10 points and was also perfect from the free throw line.
Parker and Hargrove knocked home nine field goals, representing just under half of Saint Louis’ made baskets on the night.
Gibson Jimerson, longtime Saint Louis star and the Billikens’ leading scorer, was held scoreless for most of the night, ending with two points on just three shots.
The Billikens have shown some flashes, with a close win over St. Joseph’s and a five-point loss on the road against No. 21 Dayton. But on-and-off court stories have surrounded Ford and the team, notably the allegations that Ford’s son used a burner account on X, formerly known as Twitter, to defend his father.
Saint Louis’ next game is Wednesday at home against Davidson.
