The 2011 NCAA Tournament is upon us and the standard tournament begins on Thursday, but for the USC Trojans their bracket starts Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio. USC is one of eight teams playing a play-in game -- oops, sorry, the NCAA wants everyone to call this the "first round" -- for the right to join the final 64 teams in March Madness. USC plays the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, and here are all the details you need to know about the game.
Combatants: USC (19-14, 10-8, fourth in the Pac-10 Conference); VCU (23-11, 12-6 fourth in the Colonial Athletic Conference); this is the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 6:10 p.m. PST
Location: Dayton Arena, not surprisingly in Dayton, Ohio
TV: truTV; Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, and Marty Snider are on the call
What's at Stake: the right for the No. 11 seed in the Southwest Region, to play the No. 6 Georgetown Hoyas at 6:50 p.m. on Friday night in Chicago, Illinois
Common Opponents:
VCU beat UCLA 89-85 in the NIT Preseason Tip-Off on November 26; USC split their season series with the Bruins, with each team winning at home.
VCU lost in Knoxville to Tennessee on November 24, 77-72. USC got one of their two big road wins of the season on December 21, beating Tennessee 65-64.
For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Conquest Chronicles. For more information on VCU, be sure to read SB Nation DC. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, click here.