STF Super Awesome Top 30 Team Preview: #25 Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Team: Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Conference: Colonial

2006 Record and Ending: 28-7 (16-2) knocked off Duke in the NCAA tournament and lost to Pitt in the second round.

Key Players Returning: First and foremost, coach Anthony Grant, who almost became the domino that fell into the Florida job before Billy Donovan waffled on going pro. Eric Maynor is back, as are Wil Fameni, Jamal Shuler, and Michael Anderson, all of whom saw significant minutes in the tournament last year.

What's to Love: Maynor, obviously. His breakout performance against the Blue Devils made him a star. He scores, he dishes, and he's an emotional leader. And he's still a Junior. His front line returns to help him out.

What's not to Love: The Rams were highly successful with what amounted to a three-guard lineup last season. Two of those guards (B.A. Walker and Jesse Pellot-Rosa) have graduated. Shuler can step into one spot, but if 3G continues to be the template, a Freshman is going to have to step up.

Key Player: Maynor is a given, but he can't carry the team alone, so let's pick someone else. Shuler was a streaky scorer last season, so if he's going to help anchor the backcourt, he'll need to become more reliable.

Best Case: The expectations are clear - dominate the CAA and return to the dance. Heady stuff for a second-year coach, but Anthony Grant is up to the challenge. With Maynor as the superstar, that's exactly what should happen. The Rams go back to the tournament, and their notoriety will gain them a slightly higher seed.

Worst Case: This is not a league of cupcakes. The college basketball world knows that you never, ever sleep on Jim Larranaga and the George Mason Patriots. Drexel and Old Dominion challenge for the conference lead with experienced coaches every year as well. If any of those teams gets hot, VCU could come in third or fourth in the conference and miss the dance. Oh, and Hofstra's pretty good, too.

STF Prediction: VCU is the team to beat in the CAA, and I don't think anyone's got the horses. Last year's 16-2 in conference is doable, though my gut tells me they'll lose more than two this year. VCU is back in the tournament next year, and will escape the first round.

I see the Rams going 22-5, losing at Maryland and at Bradley. In-conference, the mark will be 15-3, with losses to ODU, Drexel, and GMU. That's still enough for the #1 seed in the conference tourney, which will lead them back to the promised land.