How VCU became a dominant team

Earlier this month I wondered if, in terms of at-large selection, the single most important game of the college basketball season may have been the Virginia Commonwealth Rams' surprisingly decisive 79-63 win over George Mason in the CAA tournament semifinals. I now realize this is clearly incorrect. Before they made it that far, the Rams had to win in the quarterfinals -- and Shaka Smart's team very nearly lost. If not for VCU's 62-60 win over Drexel on March 5, we wouldn't be talking about this team now.

That's a pretty amazing thought now that we've seen what the Rams can do, up to and including dismantling a very good Purdue team by the score of 94-76. Could a team this good really have been sent to the NIT? You bet. The margin between the Sweet 16 and not even getting into the tournament can be very thin indeed.

To read how John Gasaway believes VCU became one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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John Gasaway

ESPN Insider

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• ESPN Insider college basketball contributor
• First began covering college hoops in 2004
• Has written for Basketball Prospectus and the Wall Street Journal