Chris Cheeks, DC native and former VCU basketball star, dead at 54

RICHMOND, Va. - Chris Cheeks, the D.C. native who built a legacy on the basketball court at Virginia Commonwealth University, has died. He was 54.

The 6-foot-4-inch guard scored 1,273 points in two seasons at VCU from 1987 to 1989.

Chris Cheeks / VCU

Cheeks set numerous records on the court. His record 18 field goals in a 1989 game against Old Dominion is still a VCU record. His career average of 20.2 points per game ranks second in school history. The university said Cheeks owns the third and eighth highest points totals in school single-season history, and he topped 30 points in a game 10 times in two seasons.

Cheeks went on to serve as an assistant coach at VCU from 1995 to 2000 and helped the Rams capture a CAA title in 1996.

He also spent time as an assistant at West Virginia, Georgia State, Charlotte, Delaware, Western Kentucky and most recently, at Boston College.