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 Health Desk: Thursday, Feb. 25
- Local News: RMH experts to speak at Free Heart Symposium
- Local News: Free H1N1 shots available at RMH
- Study: Socioeconomic status can affect life expectancy
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Local News: RMH experts to speak at Free Heart Symposium RMH will hold its third annual “Matters of the Heart” educational symposium at 6:30 p.m. March 2 at the JMU Festival Conference and Student Center.
This community event will feature free health screenings and presentations by physicians from the RMH Heart & Vascular Center and RMH Neurology on some of today’s most important heart and vascular issues. Steven Marra, MD, medical director, RMH Cardiothoracic Surgery, will give an update on the RMH cardiothoracic surgery program, and RMH neurologist Daniel Chehabar, DO, stroke care medical director, will discuss the signs, symptoms and prevention of stroke.
“Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the U.S.,” said Dr. Marra. “When the community needs us, we want them to know that we are offering leading-edge heart and vascular procedures at the RMH Heart & Vascular Center. We’re also here to educate the community about prevention—the best medicine.”
Many of the risk factors that contribute to heart disease also may cause stroke, added Dr. Chehebar.
“Stroke is the third leading cause of death, and the top cause of disability, in America,” said Dr. Chehebar. “Yet up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. Knowledge truly is power in dealing with stroke. Our goal is to equip the community with life-saving preventive tools.”
Guests at the event also may meet with RMH representatives and receive free blood pressure screenings. Refreshments will be served.
The JMU Festival Conference and Student Center is located at 1301 Carrier Drive, off of University Boulevard.
Registration is required by calling RMH HealthSource at 540.433.4850. Read more
Health Desk: Wednesday, Feb. 10
- RMH lifts visitor restrictions
- Home Instead announces CAREGiver of the Year
- Free, not fee, the way to go in obesity, smoking cessation counseling
- Study reveals a need to evaluate and regulate ‘electronic cigarettes’
- Nutrition initiative
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
RMH lifts restrictions on visitors under age 18: Due to the decrease in the incidence of H1N1 influenza, RMH has lifted its restriction on visitors age 18 and under.
Healthy children and youth are now allowed to visit in the hospital. However, if there is an increase in the incidence of H1N1 or other influenza, the restriction will be reinstated.
Visitors are still limited to two per patient. Exceptions may be granted for those visiting patients who have life-threatening conditions.
RMH continues to screen visitors at hospital entrances for flu-like symptoms. Protective face masks and hand sanitizer are available at hospital entrances as well. Read more
The CAA and the RPI
Can the good times last for rising midmajor?
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The CAA is too good for its own good, apparently. After starting the week with William and Mary at #2 – #2! – in the weekly NCAA RPI, and Virginia Commonwealth (#18) and Old Dominion (#41) entering league play with pretty impressive power rankings in their own right, well, the conference has already started feasting upon itself.
Manic Monday saw W&M lose at home to UNC-Wilmington by a 62-61 final, and VCU lost at Northeastern 62-57, pushing the Tribe and the Rams both back between 15 and 20 spots in the updated (and unofficial) midweek RPI ratings.
That said, those teams in particular, and the Colonial as a whole, have to stand to benefit from the hot early-season runs from the CAA’s Big Three, right? Because isn’t that how the RPI works – by having individual teams’ power rating being dependent upon the power ratings of their opponents?
Right? Read more
Charter schools, when explained, get support
VCU survey shows most know little about charter-school concept
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Virginia residents are not well informed about charter schools but a majority support them when charter school programs are explained, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University.
The Commonwealth Education Poll finds only 8 percent say they have heard or read a lot about them, 27 percent have read or heard some, and the majority of 64 percent have heard or read nothing or not too much about charter schools. When a charter school program is described, a 56 percent majority favors a charter school program, while 26 percent oppose and 18 percent are undecided. Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell made increasing the number of charter schools in Virginia one of his key proposals for education. Read more
Waterpipe smoking dangers noted in VCU study
Staff Report
VCU news: www.vcu.edu
Smoking tobacco through a waterpipe exposes the user to the same toxicants – carbon monoxide and nicotine – as puffing on a cigarette, which could lead to nicotine addiction and heart disease, according to a study led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
In the past eight to 10 years, smoking tobacco with a waterpipe, also called a hookah or shisha, has grown in popularity in the United States, especially among adults 18 to 24. The belief among some waterpipe users is that this method of smoking tobacco delivers less tar and nicotine than regular cigarette smoking and has fewer adverse health effects. Read more
Challenging nonconference hoops schedule for VCU
Posted by afp on August 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment
“Overall our schedule presents a wide variety of challenging opponents,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “We’ll have the chance to test ourselves in extremely hostile environments and against various styles of play. This early set of games in November and December will tell us quite a bit about ourselves heading into CAA play.”
Wake Forest, Cornell and Richmond highlight the possible seven postseason qualifiers that the Black & Gold could face during the 2010-11 campaign. The trio combined for 75 wins last season and all made trips to the NCAA Tournament. Wofford and Winthrop also made trips to the Big Dance to put a possible five tournament teams on the Rams’ slate. Read more
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