All Access

All-Access Weekly Digest

Standard

Richmond

Richmond Alerts

Alert

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Richmond.

Axios Richmond

A picture of the Richmond skyline with the letters RIC

Axios Richmond Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Richmond Members

Membership

VCU men's basketball team has a new coach.

Driving the news: Ryan Odom was introduced to fans and players at the Siegel Center last week, replacing former coach Mike Rhoades.

Here's what to know about the man who will lead the Rams' rebuild.

Odom was born in North Carolina but grew up in Charlottesville. Odom has fond memories of Virginia, and of his time as a UVA ball boy while his father was an assistant coach there.

He played college ball at Hampden-Sydney, where he set the school's record for 3-pointers.

Eight years later, established in his coaching career, he came back to Virginia as an assistant at Virginia Tech.

What he's saying: "My career has surrounded Richmond in a lot of ways," Odom told WTVR last week.

Unlike the last two coaches, Rhoades and Will Wade, Odom never worked as an assistant for Shaka Smart and has no prior connection to VCU.

What's new: Odom will likely lead VCU's biggest diversion yet from the high-energy "havoc" playing style that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Odom's five-year tenure at UMBC was hallmarked by one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history.

The intrigue: A win for a 16-seed over a No. 1 seed was thought to be virtually impossible in the men’s tournament until 2018 when Odom's Retrievers beat UVA 74-54.

What to watch: Most of the Rams' roster entered the transfer portal when Rhoades left. Odom will likely lead a vastly changed team.

Meet Ryan Odom, VCU's new men's basketball coach

Odom was born in North Carolina but grew up in Charlottesville.

Ryan Odom previously coached Utah State. Photo: Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

VCU men&#x27;s basketball team has a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new coach" data-vars-click-url="https://vcuathletics.com/staff-directory/ryan-odom/671" data-vars-content-id="04ae4b53-a3f3-4c49-8d44-dc240aaf40a9" data-vars-headline="Meet Ryan Odom, VCU&#x27;s new men&#x27;s basketball coach" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://vcuathletics.com/staff-directory/ryan-odom/671" target="_blank">new coach</a>.Driving the news: Ryan Odom was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="introduced" data-vars-click-url="https://richmond.com/sports/college/ryan-odom-is-introduced-as-the-new-vcu-mens-basketball-coach/article_83b7327a-cfd6-11ed-bcbc-772cbce73a3b.html" data-vars-content-id="04ae4b53-a3f3-4c49-8d44-dc240aaf40a9" data-vars-headline="Meet Ryan Odom, VCU&#x27;s new men&#x27;s basketball coach" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://richmond.com/sports/college/ryan-odom-is-introduced-as-the-new-vcu-mens-basketball-coach/article_83b7327a-cfd6-11ed-bcbc-772cbce73a3b.html" target="_blank">introduced</a> to fans and players at the Siegel Center last week, replacing former coach Mike Rhoades.

Sports

The Locks Tower first opened in 2019. Photo: Fadel Allassan/Axios

👋 Fadel here, with an installment of our series about all the new apartments popping up in Richmond. Who’s moving into them? Where’d they come from? What do they do?

When Ned kicked off the series a couple weeks ago, it got me thinking of my home in the business district along East Byrd Street. 

The building: The Locks Tower is a 12-story luxury property that opened its 237 units to residents in 2019.

Many apartments have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the canal walk, downtown or the James River. 

Monthly rents are $1,609 to $4,229, per apartments.com.

The tenant: Rishard Davis, a 25-year-old software engineer who works remotely, moved here with his girlfriend in 2020. They now have a 5-month-old son.

Rishard Davis. Photo: courtesy of Rishard Davis

Why they chose it: Davis’ girlfriend goes to medical school at VCU several blocks away. It’s around $1600/month for their one-bedroom apartment.

The perks: Davis tells me he regularly takes advantage of the gym, complimentary coffee and zen garden.

How he describes his new neighbors: They seem like young, working professionals like himself. Plus, he’s appreciated having other people of color on his floor.

“I’ve been able to connect with them,” he says.

The bottom line: “I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else,” Davis tells me.

Who lives here: The Locks Tower

The Locks Tower is a 12-story luxury property that opened in 2019.

<figure><img alt="Locks Tower" height="4032" id="d150d9f2-4497-469c-a99c-f532fec71659" src="https://images.axios.com/40ohjjjlm5CCw-E0wDLLSV1btuA=/2022/10/27/1666886204519.jpg" width="3024"/><figcaption>The Locks Tower first opened in 2019. Photo: Fadel Allassan/Axios</figcaption></figure>👋 Fadel here, with an installment of our series about all the new apartments popping up in Richmond. Who’s moving into them? Where’d they come from? What do they do?When Ned kicked off the series a couple weeks ago, it got me thinking of my home in the business district along East Byrd Street.

Real Estate

If you ditched for a while or are maybe just unacquainted, it’s a great time to start following the Rams.

Driving the news: VCU’s storied men’s team tips off the season at the Siegel Center against Manhattan College tonight at 7pm. Here’s a primer so you don’t get outed as a total bandwagon at the water cooler.

The big storyline: VCU is years removed from the seven-year streak of March Madness appearances that followed the school's 2011 fairytale run to the Final Four. They’ve only made the Big Dance twice in the last five years under Coach Mike Rhoades.

But the Rams still have a strong reputation nationally. They finished second in the Atlantic 10 Conference the last two seasons and reached the conference tournament final in 2021.

The intrigue: Rhoades has built on the entrancing “Havoc” style that’s long hallmarked VCU’s brand.

They’ve consistently been among the best defensive teams in the country under Rhoades — it’s often been a tepid offense that’s held them back.

What to watch: Rhoades’ roster has more new faces than any other year he’s been coach — so there’s uncertainty about how the team will come together. But a top-three finish in the Atlantic 10 would signal a good season. The Rams will be itching to win the conference tournament, since they haven’t done so since 2015.

The holy grail, though, would be getting to March Madness and ruining everybody’s brackets thereafter.

Sports Illustrated ranked VCU No. 53 in the country and predicted the offense could spark to life. They think the team’s on the bubble to make the tournament.

Who to watch: Point Guard and playmaker Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr. He was just named among the top 15 potential breakout stars in the college game.

Second-year Jayden Nunn could be the chosen one to lift the offense. He was picked for the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team last year and got flowers from Sports Illustrated as a potential NBA prospect.

Forwards Jamir Watkins and Jalen DeLoach will also be key to the Rams’ success.

How to watch: The Rams will play twice a week for the most part until early March. Tickets for the 18 home games are sold online, usually starting at $25. Bigger games, like February’s rivalry game against University of Richmond at the Siegel Center, are more expensive.

All games will be televised. Listings are here.

The bottom line: The Rams will have their doubters, like any young team with a lot of new players, but fans have a lot to be hopeful about.

Your guide to the VCU men's basketball season

Rhoades has built on the entrancing “Havoc” style that’s long hallmarked VCU’s brand.

"Ace" Baldwin recovered to lead the Rams to tie for second in the Atlantic 10 last season. Photo: Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images

College basketball

If you ditched for a while or are maybe just unacquainted, it’s a great time to start following the Rams.Driving the news: VCU’s storied men’s team tips off the season at the Siegel Center against Manhattan College<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" tonight at 7pm" data-vars-click-url="https://vcutickets.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS:VCU:B22:02:&amp;linkID=vcu&amp;RSRC=SIDEARM&amp;RDAT=sbhr&amp;_ga=" data-vars-content-id="7bc26b03-6253-4263-89c3-faf7042afa7d" data-vars-headline="Your guide to the VCU men&#x27;s basketball season" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://vcutickets.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS:VCU:B22:02:&amp;linkID=vcu&amp;RSRC=SIDEARM&amp;RDAT=sbhr&amp;_ga=" target="_blank"> tonight at 7pm</a>. Here’s a primer so you don’t get outed as a total bandwagon at the water cooler.

VCU’s men’s basketball team crushed the regular season, finishing top of their conference last week

Why it matters: We may have a hometown team on the bracket when March Madness starts next week.

What's happening: VCU is now going to the school's conference tournament, the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They're the first seed and get to skip the first two rounds.

They’ll go straight to the quarterfinals today at 11:30am against No. 8 Davidson at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Watch on USA Network or stream at NBCSports.com.

Zoom in: The winning Atlantic 10 team heads to the NCAA Tournament. But VCU’s only won the A-10 tournament once in 11 years.

Context: VCU has made it to March Madness twice in the last five seasons.

The Rams' famous Final Four appearance was in 2011.

Reality check: Short of winning the A-10, (which wraps up Sunday) VCU’s path to the Big Dance is trickier. They’d have to secure an invite to the tournament on Selection Sunday (which airs Sunday at 6pm on CBS).

The bottom line: Some analysts think the Rams won’t make March Madness if they don’t win the A-10, despite their great season.

That would be a travesty for fans, but we'll still be rooting for them next year.

VCU’s chance at making March Madness

VCU is now going to its conference tournament, the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

VCU Rams guard Nick Kern Jr. (24) celebrates on the court following a college basketball game between the VCU Rams and the Rhode Island Rams on February 15, 202

VCU Rams guard Nick Kern Jr. (24) celebrates on the court. Photo: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

VCU’s men’s basketball team crushed the regular season, finishing top of their conference last weekWhy it matters: We may have a hometown team on the bracket when March Madness starts next week.

Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith resigned Tuesday evening, bringing an end to a two-and-a-half-year stint that saw his department face scrutiny, the city announced in a news release.

Why it matters: Smith was in the hot seat after a dubious claim that his department foiled a July Fourth mass shooting. He and Mayor Levar Stoney's administration have faced widespread criticism for the way they've handled the issue.

Some city council members had also expressed concerns about crime and morale within the department, WRIC reported earlier Tuesday, with member Reva Trammel calling for Smith to step down.

What's happening: Smith has been placed on administrative leave through the end of the year. Major Richard Edwards will serve as acting chief while the city searches for Smith's replacement. 

The city said Mayor Levar Stoney asked his Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders to start a national search for the next chief, "which will take time and due diligence."

What they're saying: "We would like to thank Chief Smith for his service in law enforcement and wish him well in his future endeavors," the city wrote in the release. 

Richmond Coalition of Police President Brendan Leavy said RPD is entering its "next chapter" following Smith's resignation, which it had called for in 2021.

"We look forward to working with the administration, city council and its citizens on the future success and we would like to thank all of them for listening to the men and women of the Richmond Police Department. We are embracing moving forward with the New Interim Chief and eager to have an open dialogue with all stakeholders."

Go deeper: RPD’s misleading mass shooting narrative unravels

Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith resigns

The mayor's administration will start a national search for the next chief.

Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith resigned Tuesday evening, bringing an end to a two-and-a-half-year stint that saw his department face scrutiny, the city announced in a news release.Why it matters: Smith was in the hot seat after a dubious claim that his department foiled a July Fourth mass shooting. He and Mayor Levar Stoney&#x27;s administration have faced widespread criticism for the way they&#x27;ve handled the issue.

Fadel Allassan

Featured stories

Meet Ryan Odom, VCU's new men's basketball coach

VCU’s chance at making March Madness

Your guide to the VCU men's basketball season

Who lives here: The Locks Tower

Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith resigns