For those people who were waiting for Wake Forest transfer Jamie Skeen to cast a long shadow and dominate VCU opponents in the low blocks, that time has arrived.
Nearly a year to the day, and against the same opponent that he made his Rams’ debut, Skeen reminded fans what all the excitement was about, using a series of drop-step moves and flat-out muscle to frustrate Tulane’s defense and stake VCU to a 13-point halftime lead. The Rams went onto a 70-67 win behind Skeen’s 15 points.
Three nights later, Skeen dumped 14 points and 10 rebounds on UAB to record his third double-double of the young season.
The difference in the hulking, 6-9, 240-lb forward is hard to miss. Often lost in the shuffle behind future NBA First Round Draft Pick Larry Sanders last year, Skeen found his opportunities limited. To complicate matters, Skeen was adjusting to a brand-new system, the fourth head coach of his college career and a 21-month break between games. In 28 games last season, Skeen averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game.
However, following Sanders’ departure to the NBA, Skeen has become the Rams’ primary and most consistent offensive option. Through 15 games, he is averaging a team-high 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds a game.
“I’m getting a lot more touches because last year we did have an NBA player that played in the post,” Skeen pointed out, matter-of-factly. “It was pretty much [Larry Sanders’] show and I was a back-up post, pretty much. Now that he’s gone, I guess I’m the No. 1 big, so I’ve got to step up and make the best of my opportunities.”READ MORE…
