Led by third-year head coach Shaka Smart, the Rams were coming off a season marked by a run to the Final Four.

VCU was predicted to finish third in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason polls, which was released October 18, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia.

Sources: Shaka Smart Roster Last update: July 25, 2011 Senior guard/forward Bradford Burgess was named to the first team Colonial Athletic Association.

Sophomore forward Juvonte Reddic and junior guard Darius Theus were named to the third team Colonial Athletic Association.

[4] Despite the opening victory, the Rams lost their second two games of the season, both at neutral venues during the Charleston Classic, losing to Seton Hall and Georgia Tech.

[6] On November 27, 2011, the Rams traveled south to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, their first nationally ranked opponent of the season.

[9] From late November until early January, the Rams went on an eight-game winning streak, including victories over their intercity rivals, the Richmond Spiders and South Florida.

The Rams began Colonial Athletic Association conference play on December 17, 2011, by hosting the UNC Wilmington Seahawks.

Two days later, the Rams hosted Georgia State, and suffered their first home loss of the season, falling 53–55 against the Panthers.

The record earned the Rams three votes in the AP Coaches' Poll, making them unofficially ranked 36th in the nation amongst Division I schools.

[12] Following the one-point loss to George Mason, the Rams played their final non-conference game of the regular season against Northern Iowa in the ESPN BracketBusters series.

[13] Winning, again by a ten-point margin, 74–64, the Rams reached their second-consecutive CAA Championship, and their seventh in the past eleven years.

Played in Portland, Oregon at the Rose Garden, the Rams took a 62–59 victory over Wichita State, sending them into the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament.