Bryant Drayton
Contributing Writer
There is no doubt Treveon Graham’s name will end up in the rafters at VCU, as the senior forward from Temple Hills, Maryland captivated Ram fans during his four-year career. Whether it was the game-winning three pointer to beat the University of Virginia in 2013, or his 34-point performance against LaSalle University in 2014, the “Freight Train” has been nothing but stellar to his teammates, school and the city of Richmond.
Graham finished his career with more than 1,800 points, 800 rebounds and 200 three-pointers. He is the only player in VCU history to accomplish that feat. Graham was awarded for his production on the hardwood through numerous accolades he garnished during the duration of his career.
Being named a 2014-15 John Wooden and James Naismith Award watch list candidate put him in elite company with the top players in the country. Graham was also awarded with back-to-back Atlantic 10 conference first team selections.
Graham became one of three players selected to attend the LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant Skills Academy camps this past summer.
His most recent award was an invitation to compete in the 2015 Reese’s College All-Star game played on Final Four Friday, April 3, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In 18 minutes, Graham scored eight points, five rebounds and two assists.
Graham joined Davidson College guard Tyler Kalinoski as one of only two members from the A-10 to be selected. This is the fourth straight year a VCU senior was selected to participate, as Juvonte Reddic, Troy Daniels and Bradford Burgess all got the nod at end of their senior seasons.
His 16.2 points per game led the team in scoring for the third straight year, as he totaled 15.1 ppg his sophomore season and 15.8 as a junior. He was also the leading rebounder, recording 7.1 per game.
Graham took it upon himself to drive and get to the basket this season, which is clear from his 42.8 percent field goal percentage. He would end up finishing his career with 108 victories, the third most all-time for a VCU senior class.
Though his college career has come to an end, the future is bright for Graham to play professional basketball. He has the best chance of any VCU graduate to be selected and play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) due to his size and credentials around the rim.
Draft Express placed Graham as the No. 99 prospect for the 2015 NBA draft and the No. 19 ranked player in his class. If this were true, Graham would not be drafted, but would still get a chance to try out for teams and prove his worth.
The biggest adjustment needed in Graham’s game would come on the defensive end, as his position places him against the most gifted offensive weapons the NBA has to offer.
Every team that scouts Graham will understand what he brings to the offensive end: an attacker off the dribble that can also pull up from the three. His ability to attack the rim and draw contact from his defenders makes him NBA ready. Graham has an innate ability to find a way to score baskets and for that, NBA scouts rave about his potential.
Former head coach Shaka Smart challenged Graham to become a consistent leader to his teammates for the betterment of the program.
“He’s always taken care of his own business and leading by example but that’s not good enough for his senior year,” Smart said. “He needs to be more vocal and ask himself how can I improve and move the team forward to a place we can all be successful.”
Graham accepted this challenge, and would go on to lead VCU to its first A-10 championship in school history and win tournament MVP with his 20-point performance in the conference title game.
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