Rams to face Ohio State in NCAA tourney

Alonzo Small
Sports Editor

The Rams now have a partner for the big dance: the NCAA tournament.

On Sunday, March 15, the NCAA selection committee announced the VCU’s men’s basketball team will travel to Portland, Oregon on March 19 to battle Ohio State University in the NCAA tournament.

The Rams earned an automatic tournament spot by winning the Atlantic 10 championship, defeating the University of Dayton, 71-65, on Sunday, March 15.

With a 26-9 record, VCU enters the tournament as a No. 7 seed in the West region. Ohio State University was named the No. 13 seed at 23-10. OSU was selected after suffering a loss in the Big Ten conference quarterfinals, 76-67 to Michigan State.

University of Wisconsin was named the region’s top seed.

VCU found out just a few hours after winning their first A-10 championship who they would be face to continue their postseason run.

This year head coach Shaka Smart looks to build on the victory after losing two straight conference championships.

“Last year when we lost, it’s a tricky situation, because it’s Sunday, you’re about to find out who you’re going to play,” said Smart on his team’s demeanor after the A-10 title game last year.

“You have to turn the page quickly and you can’t be down about the loss for too long because you have to move on to the NCAA Tournament. This year we won and we are extremely excited about the win. You want to cherish championships, and we are so happy about that.”

With a win in the second round, VCU will face the winner of second-seeded Arizona and Texas Southern University.