Colonial Athletic Conference report

SportsLine report
March 14, 2000

It was a very disappointing year for the Rams, who started out looking like the contender they were predicted to be, then fell apart in conference play. And nobody knew why.

VCU has one of the league's premier offensive players in Bo Jones (16.5 ppg), possibly the CAA's top point guard in LaMar Taylor (12.3 ppg, 4.79 apg) and one of its top rebounders in Shawn Hampton (6.8 ppg).

And things started out well for VCU, starting out with three straight wins over Louisville, Delaware State and Colorado. But a streak of seven losses in eight games gutted any success they built, and a triple-overtime loss to American in the Rams' season finale set a bad precedent for their 66-57 loss to UNC-Wilmington in the conference tournament quarterfinals.

The Coach

Nobody knows yet who the real Mack McCarthy is. Is he the coach that led Tennessee-Chattanooga to a 243-122 record and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 seasons at the school? Or is he the one that apparently can't conjure up discipline among his highly-talented players. There's no doubting McCarthy has plenty to work with on his team, but it hasn't come together yet and the team often looks uninspired on the court. And the coach will always take the blame for those deficiencies.

Who'll be Back

Everybody, since the Rams have no seniors on their roster. That means Bo Jones and LaMar Taylor can wreak havoc in the backcourt once again, and Shawn Hampton and Reggie Okosa can form a powerful inside combination. If time is all that's needed to bring the chemistry together, then the Rams could be a very difficult team to beat next season.

Who's Gone

Nobody -- unless players transfer.

Key Newcomers

G-F Antonio Hargrove, 6-5, 195: The Alberta, Virginia native is a nice get, as he is ranked as a top 100 recruit nationally by several services. He's a slasher who could be a lethal scorer immediately.

G Domonic Jones, 6-1, 180: The Chesterfield, Virginia native is expected to be the point guard of the future, and will backup this season with an eye toward the future.

C Denis Orlov, 7-2, 210: The Russian hasn't played much and might not play at all this season, but his height is rare in the CAA and can hardly be discounted.

SF Willie Taylor, 6-5, 185: He's a Georgetown transfer, so he's got that going for him ... which is nice. If nothing else he's another athlete to throw in the mix, but more likely will be an impact player.