Several VCU men's basketball players announce they will return next year
After the college basketball season ends on Monday night, the NCAA's transfer portal will open for players seeking a new school or a larger endorsement deal.
VCU moved quickly to lock down a number of players from this year's team, the first Rams squad to win an NCAA men's basketball tournament game in a decade.
In a series of social media announcements, seven players said they will return to the Rams next season.
Most importantly, all three of this year's starters who have eligibility remaining will return – Nyk Lewis, Brandon Jennings and Lazar Djokovic.
The notable departure is guard Terrence Hill Jr., who scored 34 points in a dramatic come-from-behind win over North Carolina in the NCAA tournament.
Retaining the bulk of the team likely won't be cheap. VCU Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin said last year the school planned to spend between $4 million and $5 million on players, which put VCU at or near the top of its conference in spending.
The school does not disclose name, image and likeness payments to individual athletes, which is standard practice nationally.
Speaking to radio host Adam Epstein of The Fan last week, Coach Phil Martelli Jr. said retention isn't all about money, though.
He said he wants young players to know they can come to VCU and improve their game. To that end, he devotes a portion of every practice to player development, instead of just preparing for the upcoming opponent.
"You know, we we really promise that in the recruiting process," he said in the interview. "So our last practice, that day between games in Greenville, was practice No. 104 I believe.
"Practice 104, and we did player development. And there's a lot of places in the country where you come in for practice 104 and it's, here's our offensive game plan. Here's our defensive game plan, get back on the bus.
"For some of those guys, that was going to be their last college practice ever. But we're going to squeeze everything we can in player development."
Martelli's return will give an added layer of continuity. He said in the radio interview he's "not a job chaser" and looks forward to a second year with VCU.
Even with the continuity, the Rams will be challenged next year. At Saint Louis, which finished tied with VCU for the league's regular-season title, coach Josh Schertz signed a contract extension that reportedly doubles the amount of money he has available to spend in NIL, which was about $3 million last season.
Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org. VCU is a Richmonder sponsor but was not allowed to influence or review this article.
