Freshmen Mikeal Brown-Jones, Jamir Watkins returned from VCU break with ideal mentality return shut to dwelling for A-10 opener at Saint Joseph’s | College Sporting activities

“As you go into upcoming video game, hey, they’re well prepared, they’re all set to go,” Rhoades reported, continuing about the pair’s powerful follow Sunday. “If we contact them, they’re going to assist us. And that’s a excellent point.”

Watkins, 6-7 and 205 lbs ., is averaging 15.4 minutes, with 9.4 points and 2.8 rebounds. Brown-Jones, 6-8 and 220 lbs ., is averaging 9.9 minutes, with 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.

The two have had early signature performances, Watkins a 15-level outing in VCU’s 93-68 victory in excess of Western Carolina, that incorporated three 3-ideas. And Brown-Jones a 10-stage outing in the VCU’s 77-54 get around Aged Dominion on Dec. 12. He went 3 of 3 from the discipline, like a trey.

Watkins also scored the tying basket with 8.5 seconds remaining in VCU’s game at Penn Point out. That put the workforce on the precipice of what would’ve been a important victory, even though it inevitably fell on a buzzer-beater.

One particular of VCU’s directives for players is to “stick to the plan”: be coachable, operate on their activity and exhibit carryover in regions of needed advancement. It appears Rhoades has observed that from Watkins and Brown-Jones.

Watkins is “watching a lot of movie and he’s taking part in improved and superior, and he’s likely to play additional,” Rhoades reported. “And Mikeal’s the identical way. Like Mikeal wishes to aid the crew so terrible, so you see his rigorous solution all the time, in observe and in game titles.”