A comprehensive guide to VCU in the postseason

Even before last season, the school formerly known as VCWho had a rich tradition in the NCAA tournament with multiple at-large bids, victories, and even a #2 seeding. Here’s a quick history lesson on the Rams’ tournament appearances to give you some perspective on this year’s tournament run.

March 9, 2012; 6:59 AM • by Aaron Williams

One year ago, VCU’s coaches, players, and fans were anxiously awaiting “Selection Sunday” as the Rams’s NCAA tournament hopes were so slim that the team didn’t even tune into the selection presentation.

This year Ramnation’s experience has been a little different. VCU punched its ticket to The Dance by beating Drexel on Monday in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. Instead of wavering between dancing and the NIT, VCU is contemplating seeds and tournament sites. No one can predict what will happen once the tournament starts and no one can predict what will happen on Selection Sunday. Just be happy that this year VCU is waiting for a surprise seeding instead of a surprise invitation.

But even before last season, the school formerly known as VCWho had a rich tradition in the NCAA tournament with multiple at-large bids, victories, and even a #2 seeding. Here’s a quick history lesson on the Rams’ tournament appearances to give you some perspective on this year’s tournament run.

Now get ready to sit back, call in sick to work, and enjoy watching 68 of the best basketball teams in the country battle for one trophy–and some bragging rights.

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Sunbelt Era:

• 1980 (automatic)
• Seed: #12
• Result: #5 Iowa beat VCU 86-72

• 1981 (automatic)
• Seed: #5
• Result: VCU beat #12 Long Island 85-69 before losing to #4 Tennessee 58-56 in overtime.

• 1983
• Seed: #5 (at-large)
• Result: VCU beat #12 La Salle 76-67 before losing to #4 Georgia 56-54.

• 1984
• Seed: #6 (at-large)
• Result: VCU beat #11 Northeastern before losing to to #3 Syracuse 78-63.

• 1985 (automatic)
• Seed: #2
• Result: VCU beat #15 Marshall 81-65 before being upset by #7 Alabama 63-59.

CAA Era:

• 1996 (automatic)
• Seed: #12
• Result: #5 Mississippi State beat VCU 58-51.

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2004 (automatic)

• Seed: #13
• Record: 23-7
• RPI: 49
• KenPom: 73
• Best Win: George Mason (RPI #77)
• Worst Loss: Hofstra (RPI #137)

#4 Wake Forest beat VCU 79-78. After trailing by as many as 11 points to the Chris Paul-led Demon Deacons, the Rams fought back and with one second remaining B.A. Walker drained a three pointer to cut the margin to one point. It was simply too little too late.

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2007 (automatic)

• Seed: #11
• Record: 27-6
• RPI: 42
• KenPom: 66
• Best Win: Old Dominion (RPI #39)
• Worst Loss: Toledo (RPI #94)

VCU beat #6 Duke 79-77. One fifteen foot jump shot by Eric Maynor catapulted VCU basketball into it’s “modern era.” Duke’s 13 point lead didn’t create enough of a cushion against VCU’s high octane offense. The last time VCU had won a tournament game, Eric Maynor wasn’t even born. Maynor taught VCU to believe again, and his game winning basket with 1.8 second remaining created a new standard for success under coach Anthony Grant.

In the next round, #3 Pittsburgh beat VCU 84-79 in overtime. After trailing by 15 points at halftime, the Rams fought back and sent the game to overtime. Unfortunately B.A. Walker couldn’t summon enough 3-point magic to overcome the final five point deficit.

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2009 (automatic)

• Seed: #11
• Record: 24-9
• RPI: 44
• KenPom: 53
• Best Win: New Mexico (RPI 67)
• Worst Loss: UNC-Wilmington (RPI #277)

#6 UCLA beat VCU 65-64. The Rams trailed by as many as 12 points before coming back behind the stiff defense of Larry Sanders. With only 13 seconds remaining, the Rams rebounded the basketball and called a timeout. After multiple replays of the “Duke shot” on the television coverage, Eric Maynor missed the game winner. While Maynor was drafted into the NBA, his winning legacy lived on in the success of his younger teammates like Joey Rodriguez, Ed Nixon, Brandon Rozzell and Bradford Burgess.

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2011 (at-large)

• Seed: #11¹
• Record: 23-11
• RPI: 49
• KenPom: 84
• Best Win: George Mason (RPI #24)
• Worst Loss: Georgia State (RPI #223)

Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Dick Vitale, and almost everyone else in the world said some harsh words that motivated Coach Shaka Smart and Co. to win five games in the NCAA Tournament. The Rams lost in the Final Four to Butler after beating #11 USC, #6 Georgetown, #3 Purdue, #10 Florida St. and #1 Kansas. More importantly, Jay Bilas learned to never say VCU doesn’t belong.

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2012 (automatic)

• Seed: ?
• Record: 28-6
• RPI: 42
• KenPom: 46
• Best Win: South Florida (RPI #43)
• Worst Loss: Georgia Tech (RPI #186)

Will VCU return to the Final Four? Maybe not. Will more people pencil in VCU advancing through their brackets? Absolutely. Only time will tell what this year’s new-look Rams are capable of achieving. One week from now Richmond will undoubtedly straddle the thin line between sanity and obsession, and win or lose we will all question our ridiculous (and wonderful!) emotional investment in college sports.

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March 9, 2012 6:59 AM 0