Will Cinderella make it to the ball? The whole world will find out today as the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, the No. 11 seed in the Southwest Region, face the last remaining one seed in Kansas. This afternoon's game is scheduled to tip off at 2:20pm ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio; it will be broadcast live on CBS. College Basketball Lines have the Jayhawks listed as a -11.5 against the spread college basketball picks favorite and the Over/Under set at 146.
It has been smooth tournament sailing for the Kansas thus far as Bill Self's squad has taken out Boston University, Illinois, and 
Richmond by an average of 18.3 points per game. The Spiders served as the Jayhawks latest victim, falling to the offensive juggernaut 57-77 in Friday's regional semifinal.
Kansas, as expected, controlled the glass, recording a 41 to 33 rebounding edge, but it also shut down the sharp shooting Spiders from short and long range. Richmond shot just 33.8 percent for the game and it missed 22 of its 26 three point attempts.
The Jayhawks were not at their offensive best, shooting 47.6 percent for the night (51.2 percent season average), but they did more than enough to put a significant gap between themselves and the Spiders.
The Morris twins, who dominated Kansas' first two tournament opponents, were relatively quiet, combining for 18 points and 13 boards; however, Brady Morningstar and Josh Selby picked up the slack by nailing seven of their 12 three point attempts. Morningstar finished with a team high 18 points while Thomas Robinson recorded a 12 point, 14 rebound double double off the bench.
Virginia Commonwealth won its fourth tournament game (had won five all-time prior to this year's Big Dance) on Friday to advance to the school's first ever regional final. The Rams needed overtime, but they eventually got by a scrappy FSU team 72-71.
VCU had great success and the Seminoles tough-as-nails defense, connecting on 12-of-26 from beyond the arc. Point guard Joey Rodrguez had much to do with that as his penetration afforded teammates Bradford Burgess, who finished with a game high 26 points (6-of-7 from three point range), and Brandon Rozzell a number of open looks.
Rodriguez and Burgess will need to do more of the same today if they hope to make it to Houston, but their defensive effort may be even more important in bringing that to fruition. Unlike Florida State, which shot just 36.6 percent against VCU, Kansas is an offensive powerhouse. The Jayhawks have capable scorers all over the floor, a reality that makes defending them a true nightmare.
Virginia Commonwealth vs Kansas 2011 NCAA Bracket Picks:
Virginia Commonwealth Rams +11.5 (-110), Over 146 (-110), +650 (Moneyline)
Kansas Jayhawks -11.5 (-110), Under 146 (-110), -800 (Moneyline)
