WSU VERSUS VCU REMATCH

[tropicalshox]

About what I figured, Shockers open up as 6.5 favorites. I expect it to get a little closer as bettors remember what VCU did last year. That was last year.

[Shock Top]

I think with everyone hyping this as a tough matchup, it make me all the more confident it will fuel this team to step up and flatline VCU's hopes, and many others, this year.

Wheatshockers - 87
Inferior Mascot - 62

[GoShockers89]

About what I figured, Shockers open up as 6.5 favorites. I expect it to get a little closer as bettors remember what VCU did last year. That was last year.

The one that really surprised me was Georgetown at just -3.5 against Belmont. Might be the narrowest 3-14 spread in history.

[Rlh04d]

Not sure if srs

Nobody ever decommitts to a college program. Not after they say they are going somewhere. Just never happens.

People always do what they say in college recruiting.

[EverRespect]

ODU fan here. This is a much different VCU team from last year. Offensively, they are not as good. Defensively, they are much better. They still run some havok, or 40 minutes of hell, whatever you want to call it, but they are also strong in the half court defense. Be prepared for a low scoring rock fight, not an 87-62 type game. If they are hitting their shots, they are very difficult to beat. They are probably not as good as last year, but they aren't a 12 seed eaither.

[Jwetzel]

especially when there are articles saying:


VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart Reportedly Leaning Towards Accepting Illinois Job

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1097724-vcu-head-coach-shaka-smart-reportedly-leaning-towards-accepting-illinois-job

Illinois should make Smart choice


http://espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/story...rsity-illinois

There has been talk, but many of us feel pretty confident that Shaka isn't going anywhere quite yet. He has said all the right coach speak, of course. He also has the support of the university administration. His base salary just got bumped to $1.2 million, which is only $300k down from what Weber was making. That is not a chase the money move. We have fan support (18 consecutive sellouts dating to before the FF run), new luxury seats in the Stu, and a new $9M dedicated practice facility on the way. VCU is a pretty good job to have now, at least this fan feels pretty confident that Shaka isn't going anywhere, at least not Illinois. (When UCLA comes open in a year or two, that is a whole different question.)

[SHOXAAC]

On the other hand, if you give so much pressure that a foul is called (I don't think that we fouled), then you put them on the line anyway. I think that the instructions were to apply pressure but don't foul. A difficult assignment. That's why I don't think that we can second guess and know what happened.

I will take my chances with pressure designed not to get in a players grill, but to apply some resistance so in 4.6 seconds Rodriguez doesn't get to the basket. Again, don't hate on me like some others for being critical of "one" strategy that went wrong. I wan't Marshall to be our coach long-term...he just missed that one...that's all.

[Kung Wu]

ODU fan here. This is a much different VCU team from last year. Offensively, they are not as good. Defensively, they are much better. They still run some havok, or 40 minutes of hell, whatever you want to call it, but they are also strong in the half court defense. Be prepared for a low scoring rock fight, not an 87-62 type game. If they are hitting their shots, they are very difficult to beat. They are probably not as good as last year, but they aren't a 12 seed eaither.

So we are basically playing the pre-Lowery SIU teams? Should be a good matchup.

[wavevcu]

carl hall

sorry for stirring up stuff regarding Carl Hall. I was just repeating what i had heard from somone who posted that on our message board a while back. Its something that VCU fans have discussed at times throughout his recruitment and the pre-season. I dont know anything other than what i have seen other people post and talk about. i apologize for bringing it up.

[ABC]

Nothing new there.

Link to their message board?

[Jwetzel]

Link to their message board?

http://www.vcuramnation.com/

[SubGod22]

We've played teams that want to slow it down before, and we've been able to get out quick and run over them. Just because they want to slow it down, doesn't guarantee that they'll get to dictate the pace. We don't suck in the half court either, but if we kill them on the boards like everyone seems to expect, we have a lot of opportunities to push the ball and score in transition and make them play faster than they want. Either way, we win by 10+

[Jwetzel]

We've played teams that want to slow it down before, and we've been able to get out quick and run over them. Just because they want to slow it down, doesn't guarantee that they'll get to dictate the pace. We don't suck in the half court either, but if we kill them on the boards like everyone seems to expect, we have a lot of opportunities to push the ball and score in transition and make them play faster than they want. Either way, we win by 10+

We don't really play at a slow pace, we press and press and stay in your face and often force teams to jack up shots near the end of the shot clock. We force turn overs over a lot (average has been around 26% of opponents possessions) and score a lot in transition, but have tended to be more deliberate in the half court offense this year.

[_kai_]

Official message: ShockerNet will not put up with members on this site, either from another team, or fans of the Shockers who post up inflammatory rumors, especially ones with such implication.

The original message has been removed, and I've cleaned up the thread where anyone mentioned, or quoted the initial message. No one is in trouble who quoted the message or replied, I understand the need to respond to something so inflammatory in nature, but I don't want that kind of stuff ever posted on our site. To the original poster from VCU, please keep rumors off this site. Thanks.

[EverRespect]

We've played teams that want to slow it down before, and we've been able to get out quick and run over them. Just because they want to slow it down, doesn't guarantee that they'll get to dictate the pace. We don't suck in the half court either, but if we kill them on the boards like everyone seems to expect, we have a lot of opportunities to push the ball and score in transition and make them play faster than they want. Either way, we win by 10+

I would be shocked (no pun intended) if you won by 10+. Nobody has beaten them by 10+ since November and they have the 9th youngest team in the country. You guys can win, I just don't see a blowout in the cards.