VCU landed the second piece of their 2017 recruiting class and a big one at that with Wednesday night’s signing of 6’8 250-lb Vermont Academy center, Marcus Santos-Silva.

Santos-Silva took an official visit to VCU this past weekend before narrowing his choices to just the Rams and VCU’s brief Atlantic 10 conference mate, Temple. His decision to join the Rams gives Will Wade and Co. their second player of the 2017 class, joining consensus top-100 point guard, Lavar Batts, who committed earlier this month.

Marcus is the No.144 ranked payer in the 2017 class according to Rivals.com and saw his stock rise this summer thanks to a strong showing where he averaged 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in his five-game EYBL Peach Jam outing with his team, BABC.

“He’s an unstoppable force on the low block, he’s got a really good skill set,” BABC head coach Leo Papile told the Boston Globe earlier this summer. “No one in Greater Boston knows who Marcus Silva is, but they will.”

Santos-Silva held offers from a number of A-10 teams as well as the likes of Boston College, Kansas State and the aforementioned Temple Owls.

The lefty is best known for his rebounding and has been praised for his work ethic. His addition should help VCU reload in the paint a season after losing the likes of Mo Alie-Cox and potentially Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed as well, baring the NCAA’s decision on whether or not to grant him his fourth year of eligibility (he’s currently listed as a senior of VCU Basketball’s roster).