This year the VCU Rams are the most unexpected participant in the biggest weekend of the season.
Here’s how they got to Houston…
VCU Rams (28-11 SU, 18-20 ATS)
Next Game: vs. Butler. Saturday, 6:09 p.m. CBS
Coach: Shaka Smart
Key Players: Jamie Skeen (15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Joey Rodriguez (10.5 ppg, 5.1 apg)
Road to The Final Four:
First Four: Defeated No. 11 USC 59-46
Second Round: Defeated No. 6 Georgetown 74-56
Third Round: Defeated No. 3 Purdue 94-76
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 10 Florida State 72-71 OT
Elite Eight: Defeated No. 1 Kansas 71-61
VCU’s shocking run actually started back on Selection Sunday, when they were everyone’s uninvited team on the March Madness guest list. With VCU earning a spot in the “first four,” games, experts, bettors and fans alike wondered how could a club which finished in fourth place in the CAA could be in the tournament over schools like Colorado, Alabama and others.
Shaka Smart’s club quietly put that notion to rest with a dominating first four victory over the USC Trojans. While the Rams offense would explode later in the tournament, it was their defense that won them that game, holding the Trojans to just 46 points and 39.5 percent shooting from the field.
Afterward, VCU cakewalked through Chicago, with dominating wins over No. 6 Georgetown and No. 3 Purdue. While the Rams were still unlikely Final Four Picks at that point, the message was clear: This group wasn’t going to back down.
Next it was onto San Antonio, for the Southwest Regional semifinals, where the Rams took on No. 10 Florida State. With Joey Rodriguez and Jamie Skeen getting the spotlight early in the tournament, it was actually Bradford Burgess who was the star that night. He led the Rams with 26 points, including six made three-pointers.
And finally, who could forget Sunday’s win over No. 1 seeded Kansas? It was a game for the ages, and one that all fans will remember forever, as Skeen led all scorers with 26 points, and grabbed 10 tough rebounds against a massive Kansas front-line. Most importantly, in a tournament dominated by offense, it was actually VCU’s defense which was the difference. They held the Jayhawks to an unfathomable 2 for 21 shooting from 3-point range, and converted 12 of 25 of their own to take home the title.
And now the Rams are off to Houston where they’ll look to continue to play the role of world beaters against the Southeast representative Butler Bulldogs.
It won’t be an easy matchup, but at this point, are you betting against VCU as one of your Final Four Picks?
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