Wednesday night’s college basketball slate features an intriguing matchup between teams from the Mountain West and the A-10. The 6-3 VCU Rams welcome the 7-2 New Mexico Lobos to Richmond, as both squads look to build on their early success during the 2025-26 season.
Each team has a new head coach this season, with Phil Martelli Jr. taking over the reins at VCU after back-to-back strong seasons at Bryant and Eric Olen leading New Mexico after turning things around at UC San Diego. The Rams and the Lobos each have quality wins this season, but who will come out on top in this matchup?
New Mexico vs. VCU Prediction
New Mexico feasted on inferior opponents to begin the season, then surprisingly fell to in-state rival New Mexico State. However, the Lobos bounced back by hanging tough against Nebraska and notching notable wins over Mississippi State and Santa Clara.
New Mexico features a balanced attack, with five players scoring in double figures on the year. Three of those players are freshmen. Big man Tomislav Buljan is averaging 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds, shooting over 55% from the field, per Sports Reference. Guard Jake Hall leads the team in scoring (13.3 PPG), while knocking down 40.6% of his 3-point attempts.
VCU presents another stiff test for the Lobos. The Rams are ranked 41st in KenPom and have convincing wins over South Florida and Virginia Tech. They have three losses, but those were to Utah State, NC State, and Vanderbilt, all strong teams.
The perimeter tandem of Terrence Hill Jr. and Jadrian Tracey sets the tone for VCU. Hill, who comes off the bench, leads the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game, and he’s shooting a lethal 51% from beyond the arc. Tracey is averaging 12.0 points and also shooting better than 40% from deep.
The Rams are an elite defensive team, ranking 15th nationally in efficiency. However, the Lobos have some weapons that can test them, and vice versa. Expect a bit of pace here, but VCU should prevail as the more complete unit on both ends. The Rams remain undefeated at home on the season.
New Mexico vs. VCU Prediction: VCU 80, New Mexico 72
New Mexico vs. VCU How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Siegel Center
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
Projected Starting Lineups
New Mexico
- Jake Hall G
- Deyton Albury G
- Chris Howell G/F
- Antonio Chol F
- Tomislav Buljan C
VCU
- Brandon Jennings G
- Nyk Lewis G
- Jadrian Tracey F
- Barry Evans F
- Lazar Djokovic C (Game-time decision)
