Freshman Graham takes flattering comparisons in stride

Graham is averaging 17 minutes and seven points per game thus far in his freshman campaign.

Quinn Casteel
Assistant Sports Editor
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Graham is averaging 17 minutes and seven points per game thus far in his freshman campaign.

If you’re a freshman at VCU, or any other college program in the country, and the natural comparison people make when they see you play is Bradford Burgess, it’s a good thing.

That has been the case for former D.C.-area high school standout Treveon “Tre” Graham, who so far, has a very good thing going with head coach Shaka Smart and the Rams.

“Guys say we look alike and say we play alike,” Burgess said. “(Graham) gets the comparison, but at the same time he’s his own player who brings his own things to the table. He’s going to be a great guy for our program.”

Troy Daniels agreed that he saw a resemblance between Burgess and the freshman, but when asked about it Graham said, “I don’t see it, but I know a lot of people do see it.”

Although he may not think there is a physical resemblance, Graham would be the first one to admit they are similar players on the court.

“When I came here, they said I played like Brad,” said Graham. “I didn’t see it at first, but after playing with him almost a year, I see the strength, and we both shoot and we both attack the basket. A lot of the attributes we have are the same.”

Graham and Burgess play the same position with similar styles and are about the same size. When he arrived at VCU this summer, Graham was listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 215 pounds, which is nearly identical to Burgess when he entered as a 6-foot 5-inch, 207-pound freshman in the summer of 2008. Four years later, in the twilight of his senior season, Burgess is now 18 pounds heavier and has added another inch. A similar physical progression should be expected of Graham, who is also on a crash course in terms of the mental aspects of the college game.

“He’s evolving into more of an all-around player,” Burgess said of Graham. “At the beginning he was more offensive-minded than anything, but as the season’s gone on, he’s bought into our system defensively.”

Credit for Graham’s progress can be attributed to a multitude of things, but some of his improvements have come from simply watching the way Burgess plays.

“If we’re on the floor at the same time, I look to him to see what he’s doing, and I’ll go out and try to imitate,” Graham said. “I try to do what (Burgess) does so I can do it the right way.”

Smart’s system involves using lineups with less height in order to add more speed, but with Graham on the court there is no such sacrifice. His speed and athletic ability, paired with his size, have allowed him to take pressure off Juvonte Reddic and DJ Haley by guarding the opponents’ second or third tallest player.

The most important part of Graham’s game is his ability to draw fouls while driving to the basket. Despite playing just 17 minutes per game, he has more free-throw attempts than anyone on VCU without the last name of Burgess. And even though he is averaging 12 less minutes than Burgess did four years ago, Graham’s seven points per game are on pace with Burgess’ 7.4 ppg his freshman season. Graham’s emergence has come as a bit of a surprise to teams throughout the CAA, but those who are familiar with his background know he is used to high-quality basketball.

Graham posts up versus James Madison forward Enoch Hood in a game earlier this season.

Graham played his high school ball at St. Mary’s Ryken, a member of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, which features some of the top players in the D.C. and Maryland area, many of whom go on to play at elite programs. Graham said he remembers playing against William & Mary freshman Marcus Thornton in high school, as well as Georgetown’s Jason Clark, UNC’s Kendall Marshall and Duke’s Tyler Thornton.

“It’s crazy,” Graham said. “We were just playing against each other, and now they’re at Duke, North Carolina, all these big schools, and they’re playing pretty well.”

Graham also said that having played against so many elite athletes in high school made it a lot easier for him to adjust to the college game.

“I was real confident coming into this year,” he said. “I wasn’t nervous or anything. In high school I was a bigger guy so I didn’t try to change anything when I got here; I just kept attacking the basket.”

Graham’s numbers put him in a class with the elite freshman around the conference, but he does most of his talking with his play on the court. He said he doesn’t know what he will have accomplished four years from now, but Burgess had a dose of perspective for him.

When asked if he thought Graham could one day be VCU’s all-time leading scorer, the guy who by season’s end will have started more games in a Ram uniform than any other player in school history said, “He definitely can.”

 

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