Duke vs VCU Full game NCAA basketball 2015 / 11.20.2015
Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard JeQuan Lewis (1). Photo by: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
As the VCU Rams look ahead to their Atlantic 10 Quarterfinal matchup with either George Mason or Fordham, there are still a lot of questions marks for a team attempting to reach its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The Rams head to Pittsburgh with the knowledge that most projections have the Rams in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. However, this doesnt mean VCU can be complacent in the league tournament. A season ago, when the Rams also were projected to easily make the NCAA Tournament field as an 8 or 9 seed, their run to the A-10 final and subsequent loss to Saint Josephs only landed the Rams with a 10 seed, the last team with a First Four bye. With this in mind and considering the Rams recent struggles against Rhode Island and Dayton, an early loss in the A-10 Tournament would make the Rams have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday. Rhode Island, the fourth seed, and Dayton, the top seed, are on the opposite side of the bracket as VCU. As it stands now, if VCU wins two games in the conference tournament and performs well in the final, the Rams should be safely in the Tournament.
However, the Rams path to the final is a difficult one and the tournament has been won by the top two seeds only two times since 2011. In quarterfinal matchup against George Mason or Fordham, the Rams face two teams who played VCU close this season. In two matchups against George Mason, the Rams won two games that were much closer than the nine and 12-point margins of victory suggest. In their lone matchup against Fordham, the Rams played one of their sloppiest games of the season, turning the ball over 22 times and losing on an Antwoine Anderson overtime buzzer-beater. Presuming the Rams advance, they would potentially face a third matchup against cross-town rival Richmond, who boast the A-10 Player of the Year in T.J. Cline and the Rookie of the Year in DeMonte Buckingham. While the Rams defeated the Spiders twice in the regular season, VCU played Richmond before the rams perimeter shooting slump took effect.
vcu will need big performances from its three stars, JeQuan Lewis, Justin Tillman and Mo Alie-c*x, in Pittsburgh to ensure a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Lewis, Tillman and Alie-c*x will take the court on Friday night with new accolades attached to their name. Lewis was name to the All-Conference First Team, Tillman was an All-Conference Third Team selection and Alie-c*x was named to the All-Defensive Team for third time in his career
Source: http://isportsweb.com/2017/03/07/vcu-basketball-looking-ahead-atlantic-10-tournament/
