Any time a celebrated, Richmond-area recruit commits to VCU, there's understandable excitement. Freshman guard Brandon Jennings is no exception.
 
Jennings, rated the 13th best player in Virginia by 247 Sports, attended Prince George High School before transferring to St. Christopher's prior to his sophomore season. In his senior campaign, he earned All-Metro Player of the Year and First Team All-State honors from the Richmond Times-Dispatch and led St. Christopher's to the winningest season in program history. His 1,391 career points rank third all-time at St. Christopher's and helped him field scholarship offers from Colorado State, Louisville, Richmond and others.
 
Despite the interest, Jennings chose to stay close to home and close to his family's heart and sign with VCU, where his mother, Demetria earned both her undergraduate and master's degrees. But Brandon Jennings wasn't just interested in the comfort of his hometown school. Growing up, Jennings watched the Rams develop a steady parade of star guards who became the backbone of NCAA Tournament and conference championship teams. It's a tradition he'd like to continue.
 
With his family located in Richmond, the possibility of playing at an elite program such as VCU, while continuing to stay close to his loved ones was critical to Jennings' decision to become a Ram.
 
"Being able to get support from staying at home and having my family come to all my games - I know my mom would have made it to every game either way - but being able to have cousins, uncles, and everyone come to games to support me was pretty big in my decision," said Jennings.
 
While being able to have family present at games and reward them for their sacrifices was important, watching the rise of VCU Basketball as a Richmond native was a substantial factor in his decision as well.
 
"He knows what we're about," said former VCU guard and current Assistant Coach Darius Theus. "We're in a time where maybe some guys are at a place for the money, not at a school for the brand. When we get a player from Richmond, who has seen the things that VCU has been through – a Final Four, CAA Championships, A-10 Championships, the great coaches and players that have come through here – to have a kid that appreciates the brand of basketball, that's the advantage right there."
 
VCU's history of success was impossible for Jennings to ignore.
 
"There's been a lot of talent that has come through here and a lot of talent quickly. It's a program that elevates you as a player and is consistently evolving to remain a winning program," Jennings said.
 
According to Theus, Jennings has approached his freshman year with a coachable mindset. Jennings says his appreciation for VCU's history has kept him humble, and he values the opportunity to learn from a someone like Theus, who led the Rams to 111 wins during his playing career from 2009-13.
 
"Learning from [Theus] is special, and he gets us right in practice," Jennings said. "I haven't watched any highlights of him from back in the day, but I'm sure he was killing."
 
Jennings certainly knows his history. Theus was Shaka Smart's first signee as VCU head coach in 2009. The Portsmouth, Va. native quickly became a fan favorite and helped lift the Rams to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2011 Final Four, as well as the 2013 CAA Championship, where he was named Tournament MVP.
 
Theus leans into his ability to coach from a different perspective, given he wore the VCU letters during a special time in the program's history.
 
"If you wore the same jersey, it gives you an opportunity to coach guys in a different way, allows players to lean on you in a different way," Theus said. "He's been open to being coached. He's already come in with this high-level I.Q., probably even better than when I came in. It's been great to coach him. It's been great to be around him, and I'm thankful he's allowed me to be a part of his journey. I think if you wore the jersey at VCU, these guys open up to you a little bit more, which is special."
 
Jennings has also benefited in the early going from the experience of the other guards on VCU's roster. Max Shulga, Joe Bamisile, Zeb Jackson, and incoming transfer Phillip Russell enter 2024-25 with a combined 16 seasons of college basketball experience, and Jennings has made it a point to keep his eyes trained to his elders.
 
"Just learning wherever I can," said Jennings. "They all have similar, yet different games, so just taking pieces from each one of them and trying to incorporate them into my game has been a goal of mine. Specifically, Max's ability to play off two, Zeb's quickness and decision-making, Phil's demeanor and swag he plays with, and Joe's overall confidence."
 
Theus credits Jennings' eagerness to learn from his teammates to the foundation instilled within him.
 
"He's not coming in here with an ego, he's coming in here with a willingness to learn," said Theus. "He knows he's a good basketball player – which, I love his confidence – but he also understands that he has an advantage getting to learn from Max Shulga, Joe Bamisile, Zeb Jackson, and Phil Russell. As a freshman, what more would you want from a group of older guys? They're willing to help him, and he's willing to learn."
 
While Jennings will have to compete with and navigate VCU's depth at the guard spots in 2024-25, Theus believes it will set him up for a bright future.
 
"I think it's great he gets to come in as a freshman and learn from those four guys alone, because when they leave, the opportunity is going to be through the roof," Theus said. "To put some more years up on that board [conference championship board] in the future … he's going to be the one."