Significant VCU basketball notes: When will Rhoades, PSU come to Siegel Center? Plus honoring J-Rod.

VCU has developed a reputation as a “stepping stone” head coaching position, serving as a launching pad for emerging coaches who achieve success before moving on to high-major programs like Texas, LSU, or Penn State. As a result, when coaches leave but are contractually required to return, these games hold a deeply cathartic significance for a fan base that has experienced numerous departures.

Beyond the game-day atmosphere, this clause is a strategic move for VCU, which finds it challenging to schedule high-major opponents outside of multi-team events like the Charleston Classic or ESPN Events Invitational, helping to strengthen its nonconference schedule. Mike Rhoades left VCU for Penn State in March 2023 amidst difficult circumstances.

Given the mixed feelings among the fanbase regarding his exit, Rhoades’ return to the Siegel Center is expected to evoke an atmosphere more reminiscent of Will Wade’s return than Shaka Smart’s.

The Texas and LSU games occurred a little more than two years after Smart and Wade left in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

And yes, in case you were wondering, the same clause exists in second-year coach Ryan Odom’s contract.

Rams to Honor Rodriguez’s Legacy

For Coach Odom, the generational ties that bind the VCU basketball community are essential to what makes the program a unique environment for players and coaches alike. This rich culture will take the spotlight at Friday’s home game against Division II Elizabeth City State (4-2) at 7 p.m., as VCU (5-2) prepares to retire the No. 12 jersey of beloved point guard and Final Four legend Joey Rodriguez during a pregame ceremony set to begin around 6:40 p.m.

Odom, who served as an assistant at Charlotte during VCU’s remarkable 2011 Final Four run, noted that his current team experiences the influence of Rodriguez’s contributions to the program on a daily basis. “They have their own dreams of achieving something similar,” Odom remarked. “We all recognize that it was a remarkable time.”

Rams assistants Darius Theus and Bradford Burgess were Rodriguez’s teammates in 2011. Burgess’ No. 20 jersey is one of seven already hanging in the rafters of the Siegel Center.

Rodriguez’s will become the eighth. Odom said Theus and Burgess are thrilled to see their teammate’s legacy celebrated.

“That’s one thing about VCU, the respect, the connection that every current team has with the former players and coaches is really cool,” Odom said.

“I’ve talked about it a lot since I arrived here, it’s a really special place. It’s about the people, the individuals that have meant so much to this program. And it’s also about the fans, and their willingness to support this place and be a vital part of the history of VCU basketball.”

Odom used to watch Rodriguez, whom he described as “the ultimate competitor and winner,” during the latter’s AAU days with the Florida Rams, and in high school when Rodriguez played at Lake Howell High (Seminole County, Fla.).

“He was going to do whatever it took for his team to win. He didn’t have to score all the points and make all the plays. But he was going to figure out how he was going to impose his will on the game,” Odom said.

“He had the ultimate heart … he was a phenomenal competitor, player and teammate over the course of his career. Certainly, he did so much for VCU.”

VCU men’s basketball photos from Charleston Classic