11th-seeded VCU stuns mighty Kansas
Virginia Commonwealth celebrates after winning the Southwest regional final game against Kansas, 71-61. (March 27, 2011) Credit: AP
SAN ANTONIO -- Move over, Butler. VCU is coming through.
Two weeks ago, 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth's players so doubted they would get an NCAA Tournament invite that they watched Cartoon Network and went out for burgers instead of watching the selection show. Now, all of America will be watching them in the Final Four.
The 11th-seeded Rams are headed to Houston and Kansas is headed home after the biggest March upset in years. VCU beat the Jayhawks, 71-61, yesterday, becoming the third 11th seed to make the Final Four. Kansas was the last top seed standing, but what looked like an easy path to the final weekend ended in stunning fashion.
Eighth-seeded Butler, you're promoted to a favorite Saturday. VCU is the trendy underdog pick this year.
"Once again we felt like nobody really thought we could win going into this game," VCU coach Shaka Smart said. "Our guys have done a phenomenal job of putting all the doubters aside, all the people that didn't believe in us, and going out to do their job."
VCU guard Joey Rodriguez counted one of Kansas' Morris twins -- Marcus or Markieff -- as one of those doubters. During a pregame captains meeting with officials, Rodriguez said one twin offered him some parting words: "The run ends here."
"We'll see," he shot back. And Kansas didn't like what it saw.
As the final seconds ticked down, Jamie Skeen -- who led VCU (28-11) with 26 points and 10 rebounds -- heaved the ball from the foul line into the stands behind the opposite backboard. The Rams on the bench, who spent the final minutes with locked arms to hold each other back, spilled out onto the court, grinning ear to ear.
Kansas players walked slowly off the court. Several, including Markieff Morris, cried. "Probably the best game they played, ever," he said. "Probably the best game ever as a school tonight. We let them beat us."
It's George Mason all over again, and VCU had an even tougher path to the Final Four than its fellow Colonial Athletic Association school did in 2006.
The Rams needed five wins to go from First Four to Final Four. They toppled the Pac-10's USC, the Big East's Georgetown, the Big Ten's Purdue, the ACC's Florida State and the Big 12's Kansas. Now they'll pick on someone their own size: Butler.
Kansas? All it did was bully smaller teams. Routs of Boston University, Illinois and Richmond didn't provide a test. Kansas (36-3) hadn't trailed by more than two the entire tournament, but when Brandon Rozzell sank a three-pointer with 3:50 left in the first half, VCU had a 39-21 lead. The Rams shot 9-for-12 from three-point range in the half.
After falling behind 43-27 just 13 seconds into the second half, Kansas got within 46-44 with 13:11 left, but a 9-2 VCU run blunted the rally, with Skeen's three-pointer making it 55-46.
After the Jayhawks got within five, three-pointers by Rodriguez and Bradford Burgess put VCU ahead 63-54 with 3:48 left.
Marcus Morris had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Kansas, and Markieff had 13 and 12. Tyshawn Taylor added 14 points.
