Theus writing legacy as next great VCU point guard

Quinn Casteel

Assistant Sports Editor

There’s a saying in the VCU locker room: “Team equals Darius, and Darius equals team.”

Shaka Smart coined the saying at the beginning of the season when he wanted to show Darius Theus the confidence he had in him as the starting point guard, and in Monday’s CAA championship game against Drexel, Theus proved his coach right.

The junior from Portsmouth, who was named the tournaments MVP, had a career-high 16 points to go along with five assists and five steals. Theus has said all season that he feeds off the confidence he receives from his teammates, and that confidence was at an all-time high against Drexel as he singlehandedly took over the game.

“I wanted to be that guy from the jump ball,” Theus said. “I just wanted to get into it to get my team going. I played real well but I can’t take all the credit. The confidence my teammates have in me to make plays is a blessing, and it’s great to be a part of this great team.”

It was out of character for Theus to take three more shots (12) than any other VCU player, particularly because he normally plays a distributive or traditional style of point guard, but as the saying goes, he was doing it for the team.

“Emotions are very high,” Theus said after the game. “I’m just happy for Bradford (Burgess). For us to win him a championship in his senior year, it’s a great feeling.”

Theus and Drexel point guard Frantz Massenat squared off in what was one of the game’s most intriguing individual match-ups, and ultimately the first-year starter got the best of the first team allconference honoree. Theus not only had his best scoring night of his career, but also held Massenat to 5-of-13 from the floor with four turnovers.

“Massenat is such a great player,” Theus said. “You’ve got to be disciplined out there when you’re guarding him.” With his MVP performance in the title game, Theus adds a page to his résumé that puts him in the conversation as the next great VCU point guard, following in the footsteps of Eric Maynor and Joey Rodriguez. He might not be an NBA first-round draft pick as Maynor was, and hasn’t yet led a team to the Final Four as Rodriguez did, but Theus has accomplished more in less than a full season as a starter than many players do in a career.

Burgess has witnessed the progression first hand: “Darius is an amazing floor general,” Burgess said. “He’s been under Joey (Rodriguez), he’s had guidance from Eric (Maynor), and he paid his dues the first few years and he’s been running the show this year. The things he’s been doing, he’s been capable of his whole career. He’s a great guy, and I couldn’t be happier for anybody else.”

Smart said after the game that another CAA coach had recruited Theus out of high school as well, but only wanted him as a walk-on. Smart said the coach told him that Theus would be ready to contribute by his junior year: “I guess he’s ahead of schedule,” Smart said.

Theus made third team all-CAA in his first year as a starter and has guided the Rams to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in nearly three decades. Needless to say, the best