If you dropped a stranger into the Stuart C. Siegel Center on gameday, they'd probably come away from the experience with a fistful of questions.
 
For starters, let's zero in on the vocabulary. VCU Basketball has its own lexicon, and the uninitiated might have a hard time keeping up. "The Stu", "That Animal", "Havoc", "Threebird", "Brifense", "The Dagger", etc. The language is unique to VCU Basketball and provides nuance to the experience. But if there's one more significant than the rest, a made-up word with real-life gravity, one that grounds the whole experience, it's "Ramily".
 
Playful as the construction may be, it gets the job done. You get the point of "Ramily", and fans, players and coaches all mean it in much the same way. The point is that the program is a place where we come together, to something familial, to form bonds bigger than the game.
 
VCU Coach Mike Rhoades has made family, or "Ramily", if you will, the cornerstone the program during his six-year tenure. If you ask people close to the program, especially players, they'll let you know it's not lip service. "Ramily" is a foundational concept.
 
It's certainly that way for VCU's two four-year seniors, Jarren McAllister and Arnold Henderson VI. On Saturday, Feb. 18 they'll be honored alongside fifth-year transfers David Shriver and Brandon Johns Jr. as part of the Rams' Senior Day festivities. While McAllister and Henderson didn't see much game action during their careers, it's clear the experience has had a profound effect on each of them, and they're thankful for the bonds they've formed.
 
"It's been amazing. Some of the best four years of my life," Henderson said. "Time really goes by fast, because I would love to do it all over again. I'm just glad I got to experience the past four years, because it's been amazing."
 
It's tough to compete with a sold-out Siegel Center – 7,600 fans pouring their admiration out to the court, and VCU's players bask in it. But when the game ends and the crowd heads home, the players lean on each other. They spend nearly every waking moment together for the entirety of their careers. They spend more time around their teammates than their blood relatives. Their teammates become family.
 
McAllister and Henderson would agree. Over the past four years, they've become more than friends. They're family now.
 
"Jarren's my brother. That's my brother for life," Henderson says.
 
"Arnold, he's a funny dude. Mr. Richmond. He's a cool dude. To this day, I'm still learning more about him every day. That's my dawg. We do anything and everything together," McAllister said.
 
The lone four-year seniors on VCU's roster, McAllister and Henderson say they bonded shortly after arriving on campus on the strength of their workman-like approaches to basketball, video games and sneakers.
 
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, VCU players and coaches were essentially sequestered for the better part of a year. Classes were fully online. Most venues did not allow fans at games, and those that did were severely limited. While the pandemic isolated the players from the outside world, it also forced them to rely heavily on each other.
 
"When they say this is a family organization, it really is, because during COVID it was just the team and the coaches. We weren't seeing anybody else, not even in class because everything was online. Being supportive of one another and being there for one another during those hard times. It really helped a lot. We really bonded a lot during that time," Henderson said.
 
Henderson grew up in Mechanicsville and has rooted for VCU as long as he can remember. He was once a ball boy for the Rams. The program was in his blood. Henderson passed on Division II and III offers to join VCU as a preferred walk-on four years ago. Although he knew his playing time would be limited, he jumped at the chance to wear black and gold.

"It was a dream to come here and play here," he said.
 
A Wake Forest, N.C. native, McAllister signed with VCU in 2019. His athleticism and chiseled 6-foot-4 frame were a natural fit for the Rams' style. But after a promising freshman season in 2019-20 in which he played 16 games, McAllister was beset by a heartbreaking run of injuries – ACL tears in three consecutive years. He has not appeared in a game since March of 2020. Despite those setbacks, McAllister is determined and upbeat.
 
"Dr. [Alex] Peavy told us one thing, 'Be where your feet are, and be great where your feet are'. I just try to repeat that in my head. Be present. Be in the moment. Understand that time is going to keep going. There's a reason for everything. I really, truly believe that. If it's not your plan, it's God's plan. Just have faith," he said.
 
McAllister's level-headed approach has been an inspiration, Henderson says.
 
"He's so mentally tough. I've never seen anybody like it before," Henderson said. "Because if anybody else had gone through those injuries they wouldn't be where he's at right now. I'm really surprised because three [ACL injuries] is crazy. His mental toughness is on another level and something I haven't seen before. I know he's not always having a good day, but he'll make sure someone else is having a good day."  
 
One way McAllister has navigated the emotional minefield has been through the support of Henderson and the rest of his teammates.
 
"Whenever I'm not feeling okay, just talking to these guys. I hang around my teammates and they put me in a positive mood. The day doesn't stop for anybody. You can have low moments, but those moments aren't forever. You've just got to keep going," McAllister said.
 
"I don't really bring [the injuries] up much because I know he doesn't want to hear about that, so I'm always just there to hear about his day and hang with him a bit. We go places. We go out to eat. I just try to make sure he's okay, because I know there's a mental aspect to all that. So just making sure he's right because I know he can't really help the ACL situation, so I'm just making sure he's in the right mind and good mentally," Henderson said.
 
On Saturday, McAllister and Henderson will have their day in the sun in front of VCU fans. The past four years have been unpredictable. At times, it's been deflating, others, elating. The emotional peaks and valleys notwithstanding, they're happy knowing they've formed an unbreakable bond.
 
"I couldn't ask anyone else to be my friend. He's really family," McAllister said.