WOMEN'S BASKETBALL'S "SQUAD" HELPS PREPARE TEAM FOR SUCCESS

By Press release submission

Dec 16, 2022

They're a hard-working group of basketball players who show up to practice at VCU's state-of-the-art $25 million Basketball Development Center.

They learn the scouting report, study the opponents' plays and tendencies, and hustle through drills and scrimmages. They are moved around by the coaching staff like life-sized action figures, placed into sets before springing to life to block shots, shoot 3-pointers and navigate through their plays all over the floor at full speed.

They're just about everything you'd want out of Division I team, except the only thing is, they aren't one.

Instead, they're an eclectic group of male VCU students, spanning from freshmen to upperclassmen, a variety of majors and backgrounds, who all love one thing, the game of basketball.

They're VCU Women's Basketball's male practice players, affectionately referred to as 'The Squad.' They volunteer hours of their time almost every day to provide a different type of competition with one goal, to try and make the Rams better.

Across Division I basketball, women's teams are allowed to, and often do, employ a male practice team. At VCU, the Rams most often use their male practice players to fully simulate and prepare for their upcoming opponents at a true replicated pace and style.

"Generally, for the most part, they are a little bigger, faster, stronger and able to run our opponents sets and presses. When we get the opportunity to compete against that every day, it helps elevate our game," said VCU Head Coach Beth O'Boyle.

'The Squad' was pieced together by advertising through social media and flyers for all interested and eligible VCU students. Some of the flyers were also actively handed out at Cary Street Gym, where pickup basketball games are a staple of college life. It was there that many of guys played pickup together regularly, forming a rapport that has carried over to the practice squad.

"I was there playing [at Cary Street] at least five days a week. Even though I wasn't taking basketball to the next level after high school, it was something great to do. I'm able to get a sweat in, get a good work out in," said male practice player Jovannie Arroyo.

Arroyo, known better as "G," is the point guard of the male practice team. He's a high-energy, fun-loving guy who played guard at Phoebus High School in Hampton and is a junior HPEX major. He had friends who had been on the team and was quickly sold on the idea.

"For a lot of people, they come for the Nike gear and for the recommendations but for me, the best part is it keeps me active. It's a good workout to get in there and give it my all. It's also kind of reminiscent of when I practiced every day for high school," said Arroyo.

For others on the squad, like senior accounting and finance major Sammy Gross, they grew up as lifelong VCU Basketball fans and getting the opportunity to be part of the program was too good to pass up.

"When I was younger, my family had season tickets to VCU Basketball. I've always been a huge fan of not just basketball, but VCU basketball specifically. When I had been told about the tryout, I was like, 'This sounds sweet.' I made sure to go and thought hopefully I can help the team any way that I can,'" said Gross.

No matter the reason for joining the team, the coaching staff credits the guys for being instrumental to the team's success over the years. The Rams have earned four consecutive postseason berths and have reached at least the Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinals in each of those four seasons, with three title game appearances.

"I can't say enough about how important they have been, even over the last couple of years, really helping push and elevate our team play. It's been incredible with the group of young men that have joined our practice team, 'The Squad.' They are so committed to helping us get better," O'Boyle said.

Each member of the team during practice is given the task of imitating a specific player for the upcoming opponent. They are given a scouting report, study the opposing team's tendencies and plays and then execute them against the Rams.

It's a lot of effort and time, something that is not always an easy task for the guys who have to also balance school and basketball, just like VCU's student-athletes. Ultimately, it's a sacrifice they are more than willing to make.

"We're not getting scholarships for this. You have to find the time to come to practice and during that time, we have to free up everything else and then get back to our regular life. It's definitely rewarding to see our time, effort and hustle pay off for them and how they're playing," said Da'Ron Stuvaints, a sophomore information systems major.

Their work often goes unnoticed to those outside the walls of the BDC, but if you look closely at VCU's games 'The Squad' is found down by the court, often cheering the loudest.

"We want to see them win. We come to all the games and we want to support them as much as possible," said Arroyo.

All of their behind-the-scenes efforts and goals in practice do pay off on game day, and the team gets a front row seat to see it.

"It's very cool watching them play games and watching it from my perspective since I know what plays the other team is running. It's very interesting," said junior HPEX major Paul Akill. "It feels really good to know that we're helping them become better basketball players because they want to get better. We come here to help so it feels very good."

Despite the teams going head-to-head in practice and their cheering during games, the relationship between the male practice players and the program itself is one that extends beyond the court.

VCU provides the players with gear, shoes, meals and some academic advising support as allowed by the NCAA. For O'Boyle, it's also important to make sure the guys know are truly part of the program.

"There's a great relationship between our players and them," O'Boyle said. "We all look at them as part of our program. It's not separated in any way. They respect each other. Our players respect the time and effort they bring. All of our guys also respect our players for how hard they work and want to see them do really well."

That support from the staff and program also extends beyond the lines of the basketball court into who they are as people.

"For us as a staff, we also care about their next career steps and how we can help them in any way possible. Whether it's recommendation letters or contacts if they want to go into coaching or graduate school. We really do have a fun group and we enjoy being around them," O'Boyle said.

At the next practice though, the two teams will get right back to their friendly rivalry; Always pushing each other to be better on the court.

"They're fast and strong, but they're extremely nice and humble," said freshman mechanical engineering major Austin Hamilton. "It's really just fun competition though. I tell them, 'I'm going to beat you in this, oh I'm going to block this, oh I can shoot better.' It's all friendly and to be able to see what we worked on then happen in the game, it makes you feel good. It makes you feel like you're helping the team, getting them better and stronger."