VCU, a Wednesday evening play in winner, will tackle a bigger challenge tonight as it faces the six in the Southwest Region, Georgetown. The two teams are scheduled to take the court at the United Center in Chicago at 9:50pm ET; the game will be broadcast live on TNT. The latest College Basketball Lines have the Hoyas listed as a -5.5 against the spread NCAA basketball picks favorite and the Over/Under set at 134.5.
Virginia Commonwealth went into its first round clash with USC as a 4.5 point dog, but the Rams were the far superior team
in the second half on Wednesday as they fought their way to a 59-46 victory.
Only one VCU player scored in double figures (Jamie Skeen – 16 points), but it outrebounded the Trojans 35 to 29 and forced them into 15 turnovers.
The win, the Rams third in their last three games, was just the school's second NCAA Tournament victory since 1996 (six games). With it out of the way, VCU can now focus on doing something it has never done in five attempts, win a second round game.
The Rams reached the second round in 2007 after beating Duke 79-77, but they lost to Pittsburgh 79-84.
Georgetown, like its Big East cohort Villanova, enters the Big Dance with absolutely zero momentum. The Hoyas, which finished eighth in the conference standings at 21-10 overall and 10-8 in league play, have lost four games in a row.
Georgetown fell to Cincinnati twice and Syracuse in its three final regular season outings before being promptly dismissed in the first round of the Big East Tournament by Connecticut (62-79). The Hoyas committed 16 turnovers and 24 personal fouls in the loss to the Huskies, ruining great nights from Austin Freeman and Jason Clark, who combined for 43 points.
Georgetown's first round loss last year marked just its second opening round exit in the school's last 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Virginia Commonwealth vs Georgetown 2011 NCAA Bracket Picks:
Virginia Commonwealth Rams +5.5 (-110), Over 134.5 (-110), +200 (Moneyline)
Georgetown Hoyas -5.5 (-110), Under 134.5 (-110), -235 (Moneyline)
