Vcu

The question is no longer whether Virginia Commonwealth belongs. Instead, it's: Who can stop the Rams? Bradford Burgess scored 23 points and 11th-seeded VCU made it three victories in 5 days yesterday, routing third-seeded Purdue, 94-76, in Chicago, to earn a trip to the Southwest Regional semifinals. VCU's remarkable run sends the Rams to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. With their fans chanting "VCU, VCU" as the final seconds ticked off the clock, they've now ousted Southern Cal, Georgetown and Purdue since Wednesday night.

Michigan made Havoc look helpless. Now Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and the rest of the cool-headed Wolverines are part of the school's longest NCAA tournament run in nearly two decades. Mitch McGary had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Michigan breezed through Virginia Commonwealth's vaunted pressure with a clinical performance, beating the fifth-seeded Rams, 78-53, Saturday in Auburn Hills, Mich., to advance to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1994.

Two years ago, at 300 pounds, Marc Jackson had trouble scoring five points in a basketball game. Last night, after having made the last of five official visits to colleges with Division I programs, the 6-9, 245-pound center at Roman Catholic signed a letter of intent with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. "I think about that all the time, how much has happened," Jackson said. "I know I'm not finished, either. My game is not yet complete. I'm going to be a much better player as time goes on. " Jackson, who played for William Penn as a sophomore then transferred to Roman (and lost 50 pounds)

VIRGINIA Commonwealth basketball coach Shaka Smart on Wednesday ended speculation that he might take the open job at Illinois by announcing that he'll stay with the Rams. The decision by the young coach was cause for celebration among VCU fans and disappointment for their Illini counterparts - Illinois' search for a replacement for fired coach Bruce Weber has begun to resemble the search last year for a new football coach, when the school's top choices reportedly turned down the Illini.

Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion, Northeastern, and William and Mary advanced to the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament yesterday. Brandon Rozzell's three consecutive three-pointers fueled a late VCU spurt, and the Rams went on to topple George Mason 75-60. Larry Sanders had his 12th double-double of the season for the Rams (22-8) with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ryan Pearson led the Patriots (17-14) with 22 points. The Rams face archrival Old Dominion in a semifinal today at 3 p.m. The top-seeded Monarchs (24-8)

Brandon Rozzell led four players in double figures and VCU made 12 three-pointers to stun Georgetown with a 74-56 win that showed any remaining doubters the Rams do, indeed, belong in the NCAA Tournament. Rozzell tied his career high with six three-pointers and finished with 26 points, while Joey Rodriguez had 17 points and seven assists. Bradford Burgess and Jamie Skeen added 12 each. It is the first time the 11th-seeded Rams (25-11) have won more than one game in the NCAA Tournament, and they'll now play third-seeded Purdue tomorrow.

IT CERTAINLY WAS an emphatic closing statement. And it was probably enough to just about ensure that Temple's basketball team, one of many that were still supposedly straddling the dreaded bubble, will be part of the Madness for the sixth consecutive March. Sunday afternoon at a jammed Liacouras Center, the Owls (23-8, 11-5 Atlantic 10) finished the regular season with their seventh straight victory, 84-76 over 21st-ranked Virginia Commonwealth (24-7, 12-4). It gave them the third seed in the conference tourney, which begins Thursday in Brooklyn.

HOUSTON - In the end, when you lose there is only the losing that matters and not the winning that came before, however wonderful, however unexpected, however affirming of everything you have preached and believed. Shaka Smart and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams didn't have to be lucky enough to reach the Final Four this season, and that means them no disrespect. Getting this far requires luck, whether it is a first-time trip or a return appearance by an NCAA power. Things have to go right.

St. Joseph's defense was able to shear 30 points off Virginia Commonwealth's scoring average in yesterday's nonconference game at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. Unfortunately, what little offense the Hawks had vanished in the closing minutes, and the Rams prevailed, 54-47. VCU had averaged 84.5 points in its first two games. Junior Quanitra Hollingsworth, a 6-foot-5 center, led the Rams (3-0) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Krystal Vaughn, who beat the Hawks (2-1) at the close of last year's meeting in Richmond, Va., added 17 points.

Bishop Eustace senior Blaine Neal has made an oral commitment to play baseball at Virginia Commonwealth University. A first-team Olympic Conference National Division selection last season, Neal said that VCU offered him a full scholarship, and that he accepted on Monday. According to NCAA rules, a recruit can't sign an official baseball letter of intent until Wednesday. Neal is playing first base this season and also played the outfield last year. He said VCU told him he could play either position in college.

Shaka Smart turned down a chance to coach UCLA and instead signed a contract extension with Virginia Commonwealth, Sports Illustrated reported. According to the report, which cited an anonymous source, Smart's extension will run through 2023 and pay him about $1.5 million a season. UCLA will have to look elsewhere to replace Ben Howland. Former Bruins star and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he's the man for the job. Abdul-Jabbar said Wednesday that he wants to be considered for the Bruins job. "Like all Bruin supporters," Abdul-Jabbar said, "the recent trend at our school hasn't made me happy.

LOS ANGELES - The good doctor didn't mean to be contrary. Dr. John Giannini was not being obtuse, or ornery, or even particularly prickly the past 2 weeks, when he disputed the "Cinderella" tag affixed to his Explorers. His dispute, of course, was meant to legitimize La Salle in his own players' eyes. He's practically a sports psychologist, for goodness' sake. Don't let him mesmerize you with that soothing tone. La Salle was as Cinderella a story as any team, ever.

SHAKA SMART and VCU have agreed in principle to a deal to keep the coach at the school. Athletic director Ed McLaughlin says the details are still being finalized, but the majority of changes involve "program enhancements for the student-athletes and coaches. " McLaughlin says it also extends a contract already scheduled to run through 2020. Smart's record is 111-37 in 4 years, the sixth-most wins in the country over that stretch. Since guiding VCU to the Final Four in 2011, Smart's name has been among the first mentioned whenever a high-profile job opens up. With spots at places such as UCLA, Southern Cal and Minnesota, McLaughlin says VCU wanted to give him a new deal to be proactive.

With occasional exceptions such as those Gulf Coasters who just left town, NCAA Cinderella stories tend toward the parochial. The La Salle Explorers are the talk of this city, home of the Southwest Philly Floater, but La Salle's unexpected NCAA Sweet 16 game on Thursday will be late at night and up the cable listing. Halfway across the country, La Salle's next foe has its own underdog vibe going. After No. 9 Wichita State knocked off top-seeded Gonzaga, the nation's top-ranked team in the last AP poll, the Shockers returned home Sunday to a small crowd at the airport, cars racing alongside the bus, and 3,000 people at a rally on campus.

TWO YEARS AGO, the Colonial Athletic Association celebrated its second men's basketball team in the NCAA Final Four in recent years. First, George Mason in 2006, then Virginia Commonwealth in 2011. Now, both see the CAA in their rearview mirrors. George Mason is leaving after the spring sports season to compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which VCU joined in 2012. Mason's CAA exit will mean the Fairfax, Va., university will forfeit about $2.65 million in funds. Mason's spring sports teams will not be eligible for CAA championships.

Michigan made Havoc look helpless. Now Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and the rest of the cool-headed Wolverines are part of the school's longest NCAA tournament run in nearly two decades. Mitch McGary had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Michigan breezed through Virginia Commonwealth's vaunted pressure with a clinical performance, beating the fifth-seeded Rams, 78-53, Saturday in Auburn Hills, Mich., to advance to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1994.

WASHINGTON - First Virginia Commonealth, now George Mason. The two mid-majors that once made stunning runs to the Final Four from the Colonial Athletic Association will soon be reunited in the Atlantic Ten. George Mason, one of the CAA's founding members, is joining the A-10 as of July 1, an official with knowledge of the agreement told the AP on Sunday night. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the move will be officially announced Monday. VCU just played its first season in the A-10.

March Madness has taken over. Work has ground to a halt in most offices in America. Brackets dominate talk at the watercooler, and the office pool is fated to be won by someone who thinks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an al Qaeda terrorist. Over the last decade, March Madness has become romanticized and certain myths about it seem to have taken hold. Two of these myths are that the tournament is dominated by stunning upsets, which shatter brackets with regularity, and that underdogs rule.

SAINT LOUIS interim coach Jim Crews won't say the Billikens won the Atlantic 10 championship for the late Rick Majerus. Some things are bigger than basketball, and Crews' respect for Majerus is one of them. Still, he sees his predecessor's imprints on all the little things his veteran players did right in beating VCU in the A-10 title game. Their hard-nosed style that left the Rams in foul trouble. Their disciplined defense. Their poise when momentum and a hostile crowd went against them.

Kwamain Mitchell, whose senior season started 11 games late because of foot surgery, scored 19 points including a clutch three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, and No. 16 St. Louis (27-6, 13-3) topped No. 25 Virginia Commonwealth, 62-56, in Brooklyn's Barclays Center for the Atlantic 10 tournament title. St. Louis interim coach Jim Crews wouldn't say the Billikens won this championship for the late Rick Majerus. Some things are bigger than basketball. Still, he sees his predecessor's imprints on all the little things his veteran players did right in beating VCU. Their hard-nosed style that left the Rams in foul trouble.