VCU’s sophomores are a class with a lot of class, and upside as well.

Four second-year basketball players have been difference makers in the Rams’ four-game winning streak and 9-4 overall record.

Meet Coach Mike Rhoades’ talented sophomores:

• Jamir Watkins, No. 0, 6-foot-7, Trenton, N.J.

• Jalen DeLoach, No. 4, 6-foot-9, Savannah, Ga.

• Jayden Nunn, No. 23, 6-foot-4, Flint, Mich.

• Nick Kern, No. 24, 6-foot-6, St. Louis, Mo.

All were essential ingredients in VCU’s recipe for a 74-52-win Dec. 21 over Navy, before 7,214 Siegel Center fans.

Watkins and DeLoach had 18 points each against the Midshipmen with Kern adding seven and Nunn six.

Some clarification is in order.

Watkins is in his third year as a VCU student but missed the 2021-22 season due to a knee injury. Therefore, he has sophomore eligibility.

Now fully healed, he averages 11 points and six rebounds in the Rams’ balanced scoring attack.

The smooth forward tallied a career-high 22 against Northern Illinois.

Heavily recruited out of Trenton Catholic, Watkins passed up offers from the likes of Virginia Tech, West Virginia and St. John’s to become a Ram.

DeLoach and 6-foot-8 senior Brandon Johns (a transfer from Michigan) provide the Rams with two bona fide inside scorers and defensive stoppers in the paint. Answering to “Loach,” he’s collected the ominous nickname “Loach Ness Monster” for his intimidating presence at both ends of the floor. The native Georgian averages 10 points and seven rebounds and leads all Rams with 21 blocked shots. DeLoach passed on offers from several SEC schools to come to Richmond. Coaches recruit hard, beating the bushes for talent, but sometimes they need a little luck, too.

That was the case with VCU landing Nunn. Nunn had committed to play at Iowa State but re-opened his recruiting when Steve Prohm was let go as coach and replaced by T.J. Otzelberger.

He was quick to make an impression in VCU black and gold. Starting 29 of 31 games as a freshman, Nunn averaged nine points while hitting 32 three-pointers and doing much of the early ballhandling with Ace Baldwin recovering from an Achilles injury. In his second season, Nunn is averaging 9.2 points while logging 32 minutes per game as Baldwin’s backcourt mate.

Kern’s statistics (three points, two rebounds per game) aren’t eye-catching, but his physical presence is. Strong and bouncy, he’s tough enough to exchange elbows inside and nimble enough to operate on the perimeter.

Kern is a proven winner. Before coming to VCU, he helped Vashon High of St. Louis to three Missouri Class 4 state titles while being named State Player of Year.

Vashon is the alma mater of former boxing champions Henry Armstrong, Leon and Michael Spinks, and baseball great Elston Howard.

College coaches always aspire to win right now, while also laying the groundwork for upcoming seasons.

Four classy sophomores are in the process of making that happen at VCU.