Virginia Military Institute Basketball: No Ordinary College; No Ordinary Life

The VMI Corps of Cadets are the sixth man at Cameron Hall. Wrecking chaos and mayhem on opponents, the Corps can shatter the confidence of any player once the ball goes in the air.
The VMI Corps of Cadets are the sixth man at Cameron Hall. Reeking chaos and mayhem on opponents, the Corps can shatter the confidence of any player once the ball goes in the air.

It’s twenty minutes before tipoff on a recent Saturday afternoon at Cameron Hall on the Virginia Military Institute campus in Lexington, Virginia.

Diehard VMI faithful and college basketball spectators filter into Cameron, eager to see the traditional 1:00 pm Saturday matchup. The game has significant additional meaning in that the opponent this day is their Southern Conference rival, and like VMI, an all-military school, The Citadel.

The two teams are warming up on the court below. In a matter of minutes both teams will send their respective starting fives to mid court for the afternoon’s battle.

Then, in virtual unison, the VMI sixth man arrives to fill the sections across the court from the scorer’s table. The VMI band plays at one end zone to announce their arrival.

Chaos is about to reign.

Make no mistake about it, the VMI Corps of Cadets is the ultimate sixth man. Over 1,000 strong, it would be hard to find any group more prevalent with their attendance than The Corps at Cameron Hall.

Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, home of the ACC’s Blue Devils, is known for their “Crazies” that jump up and down. At Cameron Hall, The Corps stares you down, beats you down and can get loud enough to shatter the composure of any visiting player.

The noise can be deafening, inbounding a ball – challenging, and if you’re an opposing player that suffers a turnover or shoots an air ball, be forewarned that you will garner a lot of attention for the rest of the game. These guys and gals will definitely know your name.

Like the style of support The Corps provides, the lifestyle at VMI is unique in itself. It’s truly no ordinary college; no ordinary life.

That catchy slogan is easily visible along the court side scorers’s table situated between the two team’s benches. It, in a nutshell, spells out the VMI tradition. And, the school and it’s cadets, both men and women, would have it no other way.

The institution, founded in 1839, is steeped in military history. Many of its cadets fought in the Civil War, a number under Stonewall Jackson, who was a member of the faculty. VMI also produced many of America’s military leaders in World War II, including George C. Marshall, the top U.S. Army general during the war.

Today, many of those same traditions that existed more than 170 years ago are still practiced in everyday life, without compromise. All students at VMI are military cadets pursuing bachelor’s degrees. Prospective cadets must be between 16 and 22 years of age, and be unmarried with no legal dependents. They must also be physically fit for ROTC participation and a graduate of an accredited secondary or approved home school.

VMI offers cadets strict military discipline combined with a no-frills, physically and academically demanding environment. Labeled the “West Point of the South,” it differs from the federal service academies in several repects. The living conditions are far more austere and spartan, and all cadets at VMI are offered the flexibility of pursuing civilian endeavors or accepting a military commission in any of the active or reserve components of any of the U.S. military branches upon graduation.

The lifestyle at VMI is decidedly different from dormitory or apartment living at conventional colleges, where everyday conveniences are at one’s fingertips. Today’s cadets foreswear many comforts, and the institute is still known for its pageantry, from close-order marching to the nightly playing of “Taps.”

During the first few months at VMI, students are put to stringent tests. New cadets are called “Rats,” the accepted term since the 1850s. Rats are subjected to a long-standing tradition, encountering the challenge that VMI cadets that came before them experienced : the Ratline. The purpose of the Ratline is to teach self-discipline, self-control, time management and a clear understanding of what it takes to be a VMI cadet. It’s no cakewalk.

Given such demanding requirements and the intense level of personal commitment, how does a Division-I athletic program attract athletes willing to go through the VMI process? No better person to ask than VMI head basketball coach Duggar Baucom, who has led a very successful program despite the obvious recruiting challenges of an all-military college.

“VMI is certainly different,” Baucom says. “There’s delayed gratification here. If a player can withstand the VMI system for four years, he will be set with a good job from our alumni network upon graduation. Many players and their parents realize the importance of that. It might not be for everyone, but the return is significant. Most of my recruits do not have multiple offers and that’s also attractive to them.”

“We are straightforward to the parents and kids considering VMI,” Baucom points out. “We don’t hide anything. The first six months, every new student here is treated like a second-class citizen.”

Most players will make a visit and ask themselves, ‘Is this really the place for me?’ VMI is a life-changing thing. You have adversity as a freshman with such a demanding learning experience. Basketball players as well as other Keydet athletes get no preferential treatment to circumvent the system. Most are reluctant to even talk about their indoctrination.

One who was willing to shed some light on his experience was former VMI basketball Hall of Fame member Damon Williams, a standout player at VMI in the class of 1990 who played alongside his twin brother Ramon. Damon is now a Roanoke-based businessman and still referees basketball throughout the area.

“VMI was the only Division-I scholarship offer we got, but it was perfect because it allowed my brother and I to play together,” Damon told me in a 2014 interview.

“The first six months at VMI are like being in hell,” Damon added with a chuckle. “There’s a summer indoctrination, but nothing compares until you go through the Ratline. Our dad was a marine, so we had a disiplined home life. But, VMI brings a big transition.

You learn time management and must adjust to a strict lifestyle. There was no advantage to being a basketball player; in fact, it was probably tougher. In the end, you remember the friendships, camaraderie and what VMI offered from a character standpoint.”

Despite the daunting challenges, basketball success has had its great moments in Lexington. The most famous athletic story in VMI history was the two-year run of the 1976 and 1977 basketball teams. The ’76 squad advanced to within one game of the Final Four before losing to undefeated Rutgers. In 1977 the Keydets reached the Sweet 16, losing to powerhouse Kentucky and finishing 26-4.

Baucom has returned that pride to the VMI program. A former North Carolina state trooper who was advised to leave that profession because of the stress, he quickly worked his way from high school to college coaching, eventually landing at VMI.

Baucom’s signature run-and-gun style has become the trademark for Keydet basketball. His 2006-07 team averaged 100.9 points per game.

“We’ve implemented the run-and-gun style that goes to the extreme,” Baucom notes. “I figured if we’re going to an extreme, let’s really go to an extreme. We bring the ball up court and shoot before we have a chance to turn it over. It has paid off.”

Last year VMI played in its first postseason tournament in 37 years. The Keydets knocked off Canisius, IPFW and Ohio before falling to Yale in the Collegeinsider.com tournament. VMI finished 2014 with a 22-12 record.

After losing two key players to graduation and top-scoring guard Q.J. Peterson to a medical furlough earlier this month, VMI is looking to a strong finish in the Southern Conference race.

But, regardless of the outcome, one thing will remain constant for the squad and the institute itself.  At  VMI, it’s all about “The Whole Damn Team.”

– Bill Turner

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