If you penciled USC as an 11-seed into your 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket, I hope you saved the eraser. Virginia Commonwealth used smothering pressure and sharp shooting from beyond the arc to vanquish the slow-footed and turnover prone Trojans. The reward for the Rams is Big East heavyweight Georgetown Hoyas at 9:50 p.m. ET Friday, televised on TNT. Check your NCAA Tournament schedule here for all of the games.
NCAA Bracket Preview, Predictions: Georgetown Vs. Virginia Commonwealth
Star Watch: The return of Georgetown’s star guard Chris Wright can’t come at a better time if you ask John Thompson, III. Virginia Commonwealth loves to pressure the basketball and force turnovers, and Wright’s return means the Hoyas can now deploy three solid ballhandlers against that pressure when you add Jason Clark and Austin Freeman to the mix. Wright’s return is also great news for Hoya shooting guard Austin Freeman. With Wright taking over the ball handling duties, Freeman can do what he does best--run through screens and find catch and shoot opportunities. In fact, the entire Hoya squad should look forward to the five dimes per game Wright was dishing out before his injury.
VCU will continue to look to the little floor general Joey Rodriguez for creativity, leadership, and the occasional big shot. The Rams hope shooting guard Brandon Rozzell can stay sizzling from beyond the arc while forward Jaime Skeen does the dirty work on the inside. The key for the Rams is forcing turnovers for easy buckets, however, because they’re not a real efficient team in the half court.
Prediction: After an extended layoff, It’s tough to come into the pressure cooker of an NCAA tournament game rust free and run the show without making mistakes. It’s doubtful that Hoya point guard Chris Wright is the exception to that rule especially against VCU’s extended pressure. This isn’t the ideal situation or team for a guard to come in and get his feet wet. I like VCU to force double digit Hoya turnovers for easy buckets on their way to another upset win. Call it 65 to 63 Virginia Commonwealth.
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