The 2016–17 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
during the
2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 11, 2016. The first early-season tournaments were the 2K Sports Classic, Charleston Classic, and Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The season ended with the 2017 NCAA Division I men' ...
. The Rams, led by second-year head coach
Will Wade
Frank Williams Wade (born November 26, 1982) is an American college basketball coach who serves as the head men's basketball coach at NC State Wolfpack men's basketball, North Carolina State University. He previously coached at Chattanooga Mocs ...
, played their home games at
Stuart C. Siegel Center
The Stuart C. Siegel Center is a multi-purpose facility on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, United States. The facility's main component is the 7,637-seat (expandable to 8,000) E.J. Wade Arena. It also serv ...
as members of the
Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. The A-10's member schools are located most ...
. They finished the season 26–9, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in second place. In the A-10 tournament, they beat
George Mason
George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, where he was one of three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution. His wr ...
and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
before losing to
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
in the championship game. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West region where they lost in the first round to Saint Mary's.
Following the season, head coach Will Wade left VCU to take the head coaching position at
LSU
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
following the firing of Johnny Jones. Wade had served has the head coach for the last two seasons making him VCU's shortest tenured head coach since
Benny Dees
Benny Dees (December 29, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American college basketball coach. He was head coach of the University of New Orleans Privateers team from 1985 to 1987, the University of Wyoming team from 1987 to 1993 and Western Carolin ...
. On March 21, 2017, the school hired
Rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
head coach
Mike Rhoades
Michael David Rhoades (born September 21, 1972) is an American basketball coach. He is the head men's basketball coach at Penn State University, where he was hired on March 29, 2023. Prior to his position at Penn State, Rhoades served as the hea ...
, who had served as associate head coach under
Shaka Smart
Shaka Dingani Smart (born April 8, 1977) is an American men's college basketball coach and former college basketball player. He is the current head men's basketball coach at Marquette University.
Smart rose to prominence in 2011 after leading Vi ...
from 2009 to 2014.
Previous season
The
Rams
In engineering, reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS)2015–16 season with a record of 25–11, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in a tie for a first-place. In the A-10 tournament, the Rams lost to Saint Joseph's in the championship game. The Rams received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they beat
Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees through all 11 of the universit ...
in the first round before losing to
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
in the second round.
Preseason
The Rams were picked to finish third in the A-10 preseason poll. Mo Allie-Cox was selected to the All-A-10 second team while JeQuan Lewis was selected to the third team. Cox and Lewis were also selected to the All-Defensive team.
VCU Rams men's basketball
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012–13 season after previously competing in the Colonial Athleti ...
VCU Rams men's basketball
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012–13 season after previously competing in the Colonial Athleti ...