Virginia Commonwealth University Rams men's basketball

Infobox CBB Team
name = Virginia Commonwealth University Rams

---

logo_size = 150px
university = Virginia Commonwealth University
conference = Colonial Athletic Association
conference_short = CAA
division =
city = Richmond
stateabb = VA
state = Virginia
coach = Anthony Grant
tenure = 2nd
arena = Stuart C. Siegel Center
capacity = 7,500
nickname = Rams
color1 = Black
color2 = Gold
hex1 = 000000
hex2 = F8B800
h_body=000000
h_pattern_b=_bb_trimnumbersonwhite
h_shorts=000000
h_pattern_s=_blanksides
h_title=Home
a_body=000000
a_pattern_b=_bb_whitetrimnumbers
a_shorts=000000
a_pattern_s=_yellowsides
a_title=Away
NCAAchampion =
NCAAfinalfour =
NCAAsecondround = 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2007
NCAAtourneys = 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 2004, 2007
conference_tournament = 1980, 1981, 1985 (Sun Belt)
1996, 2004, 2007
conference_season = 1981, 1983, 1985 (Sun Belt)
1996, 2004, 2007, 2008

The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams team is the basketball team that represent the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The school's team currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007. The Rams are currently coached by Anthony Grant.

NCAA Tournament Results

The Rams have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 5-8.

The VCU men's basketball team defeated George Mason to win the 2004 CAA championship and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Rams were seeded #13 in the East Rutherford Region and faced #4 Wake Forest in the first round in Raleigh, N.C. VCU led for much of the second half before the Demon Deacons prevailed 79-78. VCU was 19-13 in the 2005 season and finished second in the CAA with a 13-5 conference record and received a bid to the NIT where they lost to Davidson. In 2006, the Rams did not make a postseason appearance.

In 1985, VCU received an invitation to the NCAA men's basketball tournament as a #2 seed in its region, the highest seeding that the team has ever earned. However, it was upset in the second round of the tournament by #7 seed Alabama.

Until 2006 the team was coached by Jeff Capel, who at the time of his promotion to head coach in 2002 was the youngest coach in Division I NCAA basketball at 27 years old. During his time with VCU, Capel compiled a 79-41 record (.658), and in his first year earned VCU 18 wins, the most ever for a first-year coach at the school. In April 2006, Capel announced his decision to coach the University of Oklahoma basketball team. He was replaced by Anthony Grant, [1] formerly an assistant head coach with the 2006 NCAA champions, the University of Florida.

Regular season conference champs and first-seed VCU defeated sixth-seed George Mason in the CAA championship game on March 5, 2007 to receive an automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Rams defeated the Patriots in a close fought game 65-59 to set a school record for wins in a season, finishing 27-6. The Rams also set a mark for the most conference wins in the regular season by any team ever in the CAA, finishing their CAA campaign 16-2 in the regular season and 3-0 in the tournament. In the first round of the 2007 NCAA tourney the 11 seeded Rams upset 6 seeded Duke by Eric Maynor's game-winning buzzer-beater. VCU then lost in the second round to 3-seed Pitt in overtime.

This was Grant's first conference championship as a head coach and the VCU Rams third CAA title since joining the league. Prior to the tournament, Grant was also named CAA Coach of the Year for his first year efforts breaking school records for wins in a season, wins by a first year head coach and setting the conference mark for conference wins in a season. Other CAA honors included the naming of Eric Maynor to the first team All-CAA roster, B.A. Walker to the second team All-CAA roster, Jesse Pellot-Rosa to the third team All-CAA roster, T.J. Gwynn to the All-CAA Rookie roster, and Calvin Roland to the All-CAA Academic roster.

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.cgi?college=vcu Players who attended VCU]

ee also

*Virginia Commonwealth University
*Virginia Commonwealth University Rams

References

* [http://www.vcuathletics.com/ VCU Athletics]