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VCU Dismisses speculation of conference realignment

The VCU athletics department dismissed speculation that the school might leave the Colonial Athletic Association to join the Atlantic-10 in a statement Monday.

Rumors emerged after CBSSports.com released a report stating VCU, George Mason and Butler were in talks with the A-10 to join the league in the 2013-2014 season.

“VCU is a proud member of the CAA,” VCU athletic director Norwoord Teague said in the statement. “There have been no discussions with any other conferences concerning changing out affiliation. Contrary to media reports, the VCU Board of Visitors has not met about nor discussed conference realignment.”

This comes just under a month after the VCU men’s basketball team won its fourth CAA Championship since 2004.

Burgess to take part in Final Four festivities 

Bradford Burgess will don his VCU jersey one last time as the senior from Midlothian has been invited to take part in a pair of activities going on at the Final Four in New Orleans this week. Burgess will participate in the ESPN College Three-Point Championships Thursday evening before joining the West squad in the NABC Reese’s All-Star Game Friday afternoon.

“I’m excited to get another opportunity to put on the VCU uniform again and hopefully have some fun down there,” Burgess said. “Being a part of Final Four week is always special, and to get this opportunity two years in a row is something that not a lot of players get a chance to do. I’m really appreciative of getting an invitation to both of these events.”

The ESPN Three-Point Championships will be at the Fogelman Arena on the campus of Tulane University and will air on ESPN from 9 to 11 p.m. Thursday. The All-Star game will take place at the New Orleans SuperDome Friday at 4:35 p.m.

Burgess takes place in these events one year after helping guide VCU to its first ever Final Four. He sits fourth in career points at VCU, finished second in three-pointers made (231) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.397).

Christian leaves VCU for head coaching job at Mount St. Mary’s

Mount St. Mary’s University officially named former VCU assistant Jamion Christian its new head coach.

Christian spent one year with VCU, helping guide the Rams to a CAA Championship and a trip to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Before joining the Rams, Christian spent three years at William & Mary where he helped build what was named one of the best mid-major recruiting classes by ESPN.com and Scouts, Inc.

Christian replaced former VCU assistant Mike Rhoades who left to become head coach at Radford after the Rams journey to the Final Four in 2011. A graduate and former athlete at Mount St. Mary’s, Christian was a three-year captain on the school’s basketball team.

”I am both thrilled and humbled to be returning to the Mount,” said Christian. “I look forward to bringing energy and enthusiasm back to our historic program one passionate day at a time.”

— Jim Swing