The AFP on WREL: Improbable
AFP editor Chris Graham talks Virginia sports with WREL-1450AM’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.”
The segment begins, naturally, with an examination of the improbable run of Virginia Commonwealth to the Final Four. It’s not a fluke, says Chris, citing data on how VCU has improved markedly in defensive efficiency and shooting from the field.
The Rams can win it all, Chris says. But will they get to Monday’s final and cut down the nets?
A look at the new #1 team in college baseball, Virginia, wraps us up.
Unbelievable! VCU knocks off Kansas to earn Final Four berth
Virginia Commonwealth led by as many as 18 points in the first half, and then withstood a furious second-half Kansas rally to shock the top-seeded Jayhawks 71-61 on Sunday and advance to the first Final Four in the school’s history.
“We knew Kansas was going to make a run in the second half, but we never gave up the lead, and our guys kept fighting,” VCU coach Shaka Smart said after the historic upset.
VCU (28-11) became the first team to win five games to reach the Final Four after being forced into a First Four matchup as one of the final four teams to receive an at-large bid into the tournament as the #11 seed in the Southwest Region. Read more
Unbelievable! VCU knocks off Kansas to earn Final Four berth
Virginia Commonwealth led by as many as 18 points in the first half, and then withstood a furious second-half Kansas rally to shock the top-seeded Jayhawks 71-61 on Sunday and advance to the first Final Four in the school’s history.
“We knew Kansas was going to make a run in the second half, but we never gave up the lead, and our guys kept fighting,” VCU coach Shaka Smart said after the historic upset.
VCU (28-11) became the first team to win five games to reach the Final Four after being forced into a First Four matchup as one of the final four teams to receive an at-large bid into the tournament as the #11 seed in the Southwest Region.
The Rams played again like the higher seed on Sunday, dominating the first 20 minutes of play en route to posting a 41-27 lead at the halftime break. A 12-2 KU run cut the lead to four at 43-39 at the 15:11 mark, and a Tyshawn Taylor three-point play brought the Jayhawks to within two at 46-44 with 13:13 left. Smart went to a zone defense at that point to try to slow Kansas down, and the strategy worked as VCU held Kansas to three points over the next 4:45 during an 11-3 run that put the lead at 57-47 on a Jamie Skeen dunk.
A pair of key threes by Joey Rodriguez and Bradford Burgess provided some needed breathing room as Kansas made one last run to cut the lead to 65-59 with 1:43 to go on a Markief Morris layup, but the Jayhawks would get no closer.
“We got prepared well by Coach. He prepared us really well, and we just went out there and executed what he told us to do,” said Skeen, who led the Rams with a career-high 26 points.
Brandon Rozzell scored 12 off the bench for VCU, which will play Butler next weekend in the national semifinals.
Marcus Morris had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Kansas (35-3).
The Virginia Commonwealth win completes an odyssey through the Southwest Region that included wins over Southern Cal from the Pac 10, Georgetown from the Big East, Purdue from the Big Ten, Florida State from the ACC and then Kansas from the Big 12.
“I’m so happy for all of our guys and all of our fans, everyone that believed in us all the way. We had to win five games to get here, but we did it,” Smart said.
The AFP on WREL: Sweet (16) Dreams
AFP editor Chris Graham talks Virginia sports on WREL-1450AM’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.”
The segment begins with a look back and look ahead at VCU and Richmond and their runs in the NCAA Tournament. Can either of the two surprise Sweet 16 teams be Final Four-bound?
Chris and Jim then break down the rest of the Sweet 16. Who will make it to Houston?
Chris then reports on the exciting three-game college baseball series from the weekend pitting two top-five teams in UVa. and Florida State. Chris was there for all three one-run, extra-inning affairs, and thinks he might have seen two of the teams that will be playing in Omaha in June.
Weekend Watchdog: Opening Day and Final Four
Column by Mike Judge
WeekendWatchdog.blogspot.com
It’s a weekend where sports seasons change. Saturday, you’ll be watching the Final Four on CBS. Sunday, it’s off to Fenway Park for the first game of the Major League Baseball season – Yankees at Red Sox.
And Monday, it’s Official Opening Day and One Shining Moment night. Read more
Weekend Watchdog: 16 … 8 … 4
Column by Mike Judge
WeekendWatchdog.blogspot.com
Four more days, and we’ll be down to the Final Four.
CBS tips off the Sweet Sixteen Thursday at 7 p.m. with the Big East survivors in the early slot – Butler against Syracuse and Washington vs. West Virginia. Nightcap games around 9:45 p.m. include Kentucky-Cornell and Kansas State facing Xavier.
Friday, the Tennesee-Ohio State game begins coverage at 7 p.m., along with Baylor against St. Mary’s. Later, it’s Northern Iowa meeting Michigan State before Purdue tackles Duke. Of the eight games in the Sweet Sixteen, it’s the only one matching either a No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 or 2 vs. 3. Read more
The AFP on WREL: Sweet (16) Dreams
Posted by afp on March 22, 2011 · Leave a Comment
The segment begins with a look back and look ahead at VCU and Richmond and their runs in the NCAA Tournament. Can either of the two surprise Sweet 16 teams be Final Four-bound? Read more
Filed under Blogs, Sports · Tagged with college baseball, college world series, final four, ncaa tournament, richmond, sweet 16, uva. baseball, vcu