Anthony Gruppuso-USA Today Sports
The VCU Rams once made a magical Final Four run that captivated the nation. As a Virginian? I loved it almost as much as the George Mason Final Four run. It was a ton of fun to watch
They will not get past the third round of the tournament this year and it is for a surprising reason. They play too aggressively on defense. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, and it probably should. Their head coach though is well aware of how his team will need to adjust when it gets to tournament time.
“We’ve got to adjust to the officials,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “With our style of play, a lot of times we’re going to be smaller and quicker than the other team. All you ask as a coach is if they’re going to call certain fouls out on the floor (perimeter), they give you certain fouls around the basket if a team has more size. But that’s beyond our control.”
Smart’s team plays with a mean streak that is quite admirable and I will be rooting for the Rams on Thursday, but I just don’t know how far they can actually make it in the tournament. They will give it their best shot, there is no doubt about that. Best of luck to Smart and the Rams.
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