SAN ANTONIO — Move more than, Butler. Virginia Commonwealth is deafening the Final Four.
Two weeks past, the 11th-seeded Rams so doubted they would catch a NCAA game invite with the intention of they watched Cartoon Network and went outdated in support of burgers as a substitute of watching the selection cabaret. Now, all of America will be watching them in the Final Four.
The 11th-seeded Rams are course to Houston, and final No. 1 seed Kansas is course homespun later than the biggest protest upset in years.
VCU stunned the Jayhawks 71-61 on Sunday, in keeping lately the third 11th seed to present the Final Four. The Jayhawks had been the final top seed continuance, but I beg your pardon? Looked like an stress-free path to the final weekend ended in a stunning collapse.
Eighth-seeded Butler, you're promoted to a favorite then week. VCU is the trendy underdog pick this time.
"Once again we felt like insignificant person really notions we may possibly win up for grabs into this game," thought VCU coach Shaka Smart, the nascent star of the game. "Our guys boast ready a unique job of putting all the doubters aside, all the persons with the intention of didn't believe in us, and up for grabs outdated to see to their job."
VCU guard Joey Rodriguez counted single of Kansas' vaunted Morris twins – Marcus or Markieff – as single of persons many doubters. During a pregame captains engagement with officials, Rodriguez thought single of the brothers accessible him selected parting terms: "The run locks of hair at this point."
"We'll grasp," Rodriguez shot back.
The Jayhawks axiom all rectify.
VCU players, hoisting their Southwest regional champion trophy, poured into the temporary bleachers everywhere VCU's widely outnumbered fans sat in an Alamodome with the intention of was otherwise tinted in Kansas blue and white.
VCU had sold outdated its share of 1,000 tickets in San Antonio later than advancing farther than in the least Rams team in educate history. The weekend more willingly than in Chicago, VCU had so many odds and ends with the intention of Purdue fans scooped them up.
Jamie Skeen led VCU with 26 points, and as the final seconds ticked down, heaved the globe from the at no cost confuse line into the stands behind the opposite backboard. His teammates on the bench, who spent the final minutes with sheltered arms to hem in both other back, irrevocably spilled outdated on the encourage, grinning ear to ear.
Kansas players walked bit by bit inedible the encourage. Several, with Markieff Morris, cried.
"Probably the superlative game they played increasingly," Markieff thought. "Probably the superlative game increasingly as a educate tonight. We permit them. We permit them beat us."
Smart was guided from single interview to a further wearing the cut-down lattice around his roll neck. The cheers in support of VCU were single interrupted in support of guard Brandon Rozzell, who stood by the side of midcourt as the crown serenaded him with an spur-of-the-moment "Happy Birthday."
The celebration even conceded to other arenas. Happening Newark, N.J., everywhere Kentucky was before a live audience North Carolina, the crowd erupted whilst the communal dispatch anchor broadcast the final mark from Texas.
"Anything is viable," he told the arena.
It's George Mason all more than again, and VCU had an even tougher Final Four path than their tiny seminar brethren in 2006.
The Rams looked-for five wins to die from First Four to Final Four. Along the way, they toppled the Pac-10's Southern California, the Big East's Georgetown, the Big 10's Purdue, the ACC's Florida State and straight away the Big 12's Kansas.
They'll pick on someone their own size then: Butler.
The Jayhawks? All they did was bully slighter teams to catch this far. Kansas in no way apologized in support of coasting through a favorable bracket with the intention of served up schools seeded 16th (Boston University), ninth (Illinois) and 12th (Richmond).
None of persons games tested the Jayhawks, who had been ranked No. 1 this season and had won 11 in row. Then VCU came outdated and showed it wasn't lately a further softy.
The Jayhawks spent the elementary semi not knowing I beg your pardon? Crash into them.
Kansas (36-3) hadn't trailed by more than two points the intact game. With five minutes gone in the elementary semi, the Jayhawks trailed by 17.
Marcus Morris had 20 points and 16 rebounds, and his brother had 13 and 12. They played in disbelief as VCU, which ousted Florida State on 3-pointers on Friday night, used the long globe to conceal the Jayhawks in advance this count.
The Rams crash into 9 of their 12 3-pointers in the elementary semi. Kansas trailed 41-27 by the side of halftime and clogged the control to 46-44 with 13:11 gone, but a 10-2 VCU run leave the Jayhawks rectify back everywhere they on track.
Smart, the 33-year-old whose unfathomable personality has made him a breakout star, was so animated shuffling in front of his bench with the intention of officials shooed him back. Another officer soon served Smart his elementary technical all season.
Smart thought he used with the intention of second as a motivator – though he had to clean up his language elementary.
"It was basically put behind you the refs, put behind you Kansas, this is all with reference to us," Smart thought. "We got to see to I beg your pardon? We got to see to."
VCU (28-11) is the third 11th seed to crack the Final Four. The final was George Mason in 2006, whilst with the intention of Colonial Athletic Association educate stunned Connecticut in its regional final. LSU made it in 1986.
The Rams' upset guaranteed a Final Four devoid of a No. 1 seed.
Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Duke didn't even final to the regional finals. Two traditional basketball powers, Arizona and Kentucky, and defending runner-up Butler took be bothered of with the intention of.
On Saturday, Smart quoted a line from "Dumb and Dumber" to explain how he felt with reference to his team: "So you're proverb we've got a possibility?" A era soon, he leaned on a further old comedy to sum up the Ram's suspect run.
"Ever seen the film 'Major League?'" Skeen told reporters. "I can't say exactly I beg your pardon? The guy says. But they catch in selected situations, and there's single single factor gone to see to.
"Win the totality space factor."
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AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron contributed to this arrive.
