Are Rams destined for CAA glory?

POINT: Why the men’s basketball team can win the CAA

by Weston Reeves

There is a reason the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons are always discussed when people talk about championship-caliber teams – they embody talent and experience.

Throughout his college career, junior guard B.A. Walker (Onancock/ Nandua High School) has never had to sit and watch the Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game. Fellow junior Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond/ George Wythe High School) has never missed a showdown with a NCAA Tournament bid on the line. Senior forward Nick George (Manchester, England) is more familiar with hitting tough shots in the finals than watching other teams have their time to shine.

The men’s basketball team has the talent, and more importantly the experience, to with the CAA Championship Game. In fact, all three of the aforementioned basketball players were members of the 2004 CAA championship team.

I’m tired of hearing people write off the Rams because they didn’t earn a first-round bye. So what if they play an extra game? VCU will square off against William & Mary in the first round, a team they haven’t lost against since Jan. 22, 2003, when George was a freshman. If they win, they move on to Hofstra, a team they defeated this year.

Once they get through the first two rounds, the Rams will need to prove their mettle. I’ll concede the Rams have been hot and cold this season, but they proved they could step up when on a national stage when they beat Old Dominion at home when it was broadcast on ESPN 2.

The tournament may provide the Rams a similar stage. Fans will travel from up and down the eastern seaboard to the Richmond Coliseum, but the Rams will benefit from a relative home advantage.

Coach Jeff Capel knows how to play in tournament settings. He was a four-year starting point guard for Duke, so he knows how to manage a team in high-pressure situations. As he has for the past two seasons, Capel will have his players ready to do what it takes to win.

These players can win this tournament. It’s up to them if they will.

Seeded sixth, Rams have a long way to go

by Philip bogenberger

A lot of Virginia Commonwealth fans on campus are crowing about how the Rams will storm through the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament to earn a berth in the “Big Dance.”

Those fans that believe in a fool’s reality, however, will probably have their school spirit broken by the tournament’s conclusion.

The Rams should get by William and Mary, which they defeated handily in the teams’ most recent meeting in Williamsburg – a 77-59 decision on Sunday. But do not discount the Tribe because they have nothing to lose.

The Rams have a solid shot at defeating Hofstra, which they sent home from the Siegel Center with an 87-64 loss and a little less “Pride.”

Richmond is once again the host city of the CAA Tournament, and the Rams have only lost two games at home, but the Richmond Coliseum is the venue and not the Siegel Center.

Plus, the Pride does have the conference’s top-scoring offense and the teams’ only meeting of the regular season was played nearly three months ago.

If the Rams push their way into the semifinals their opponent will be George Mason, barring an upset. The Patriots swept the Rams, including a 17-point rally in the final 15 minutes at the Sigel Center less than a month ago.

Should the Rams pull off three victories in three days, their opponent will likely be either top-seeded UNC Wilmington or defending champion Old Dominion.

The Seahawks also swept the Rams and claimed the other come-from-behind win at the Siegel Center after trailing by double digits in the second half.

The Monarchs, who won last year’s championship against the Rams, are not prepared to give up the crown without a fight either.

The odds just are not in the Rams’ favor. There are too many opponents that have proven the Rams are vulnerable to late-game rallies, and the Rams have not played well against the top teams in the conference.

When the tournament champion is crowned I hope I will be eating crow, but the fans that are thinking with their hearts are going to be disappointed about not getting invited to the dance.