CALIFORNIA (Pa.) (EXHIBITION)
2010-11 Record: 15-13
Guy you’ll want to heckle: Steve Swiech, F, Sr. (12.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 59% FG)
The skinny: The meatiest storyline in tonight’s game is the matchup of Cal (Pa.) Coach Bill Brown (teacher) and VCU Coach Shaka Smart (student). The two men have remained close throughout the years and Brown followed VCU all the way to the Final Four last season.

While the coaches will exchange pleasantries and speak platitudes about mutual respect for one another, there is still an actual game to play. VCU lost 61 percent of its scoring from last year’s squad and will be breaking in six freshmen. The Rams have a challenging schedule ahead and this is their first chance to work out the kinks in a real game.

The Vulcans (fantastic mascot, seriously) are not pushovers. Three years ago, Brown led California to the Division II Elite Eight. Just a few days ago, the Vulcans (don’t even know what a Vulcan is, but still love it) pushed Miami (Ohio), losing 64-61 in a matchup of parenthetical powers.  That game was played at a Miami-friendly pace, tonight should be much different. Cal isn’t afraid to get out and run.

A former Akron recruit, Swiech is a load at 6-foot-9, 260 lbs. The Rams would like to run him off the floor as soon as possible. He is one of four starters returning from last year’s Vulcan squad.

Fast facts: VCU’s last loss in an exhibition contest was an 83-78 defeat at the hands of Virginia Union at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Nov. 10, 2005… Bradford Burgess averaged 14.3 points per game last season. The Rams’ four other probable starters, Darius Theus, Troy Daniels, Juvonte Reddic and D.J. Haley, averaged a combined 9.6 points per game in 2010-11… Theus and Daniels spent 10 days in Europe this summer with Global Sports Academy as part of an exhibition tour. Their coach on that trip was Cal’s Bill Brown.