SB Nation Los Angeles - 2011 NCAA Tournament: USC Eliminated By VCU In NCAA Tournament, 59-46https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2011-03-16T21:10:00-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18157162011-03-16T21:10:00-07:002011-03-16T21:10:00-07:002011 NCAA Tournament: USC Struggles On Offense, Loses To VCU 59-46
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<p>Coming off a 67-62 loss to No. 15 Arizona to be eliminated from the Pac-10 tournament, <span class="caps">USC</span> looked to turn it around in the <span class="caps">NCAA</span> tournament by winning against the Virgina Commonwealth Rams in the first-four matchup to enter a first round duel against No. 8 seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/georgetown-hoyas">Georgetown Hoyas</a>.</p>
<p>However, <span class="caps">USC</span> will not advance in the first round as the Rams defeat the Trojans in Dayton by a score of 59-46 in an ugly game all around for the Trojans.</p>
<p><span class="caps">USC</span> was out rebounded by the Rams, 36-29, and out shot on 3-pointers, 9-1. It wasn’t pretty for both teams on the free throw line either, but the Trojans got the worst end of the stick with 15-25 shooting, which is 60 percent.</p>
<p><span class="caps">USC</span> also turned the ball over 16 times today and fouled the Rams 20 times, compared to the Rams’ 24. This resulted in early exits for guards Marcus Simmons and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52265/jio-fontan">Jio Fontan</a>, as well as Forward Nikola Vucevic, who only shot the ball five times in the game.</p>
<p>Fontan led the Trojans in scoring with 14 points, two behind the leading scorer in the game by Jaime Skeen of <span class="caps">VCU</span>.</p>
<p>The Trojans end their season with a record of 19-15.</p>
<p><i>For more <span class="caps">USC</span> Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on <span class="caps">VCU</span>, be sure to read <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full <span class="caps">NCAA</span> tournament bracket, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2055539/2011-ncaa-tournament-usc-struggles-on-offense-loses-to-vcu-59-46-kevin-oneill-jio-fontanJulio Nievas2011-03-16T19:46:21-07:002011-03-16T19:46:21-07:002011 NCAA Tournament, USC Vs. VCU: Trojans, Rams Tied 22-22 At Halftime
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<p>USC head coach Kevin O'Neill wanted a low-scoring, slow-paced game, and so far tonight he has it. In a First Four NCAA Tournament matchup from Dayton, Ohio, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">Va. Commonwealth Rams</a> are tied 22-22 at halftime. The two teams are battling for the right to face No. 6 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/georgetown-hoyas">Georgetown Hoyas</a> on Friday night in Chicago.</p>
<p>The first half was a mixture of poor shooting and solid defense. Frankly, USC is lucky to be tied. They have been outrebounded 22-17, and the Trojans are shooting just 40% in the first half, and have hit no three-pointers. However, they have also held VCU to 28.1% shooting (just 9-for-32 from the field). Forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/25720/jamie-skeen">Jamie Skeen</a> leads the Rams with eight points and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Senior forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/25622/alex-stepheson">Alex Stepheson</a> had four points and eight rebounds in the first half, but he missed several point-blank opportunities, with a few traveling calls and 1-for-4 shooting (not to mention, 2-for-6 from the foul line). <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53703/nikola-vucevic">Nikola Vucevic</a> has six rebounds himself, but just four points. The Trojans need those two, especially Vucevic, if they are to win this game in the second half. USC is 13-0 this season when they hold opponents to under 60 points.</p>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2055381/2011-ncaa-tournament-usc-vs-vcu-halftime-game-scoreEric Stephen2011-03-16T07:06:19-07:002011-03-16T07:06:19-07:002011 NCAA Tournament: Defense, Consistency Key For USC To Advance Past First Four
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a> open their 2011 NCAA Tournament, the 16th tourney appearance in school history, tonight in Dayton, Ohio, facing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">Virginia Commonwealth Rams</a>. A win for USC (19-14) would give them a 20th win for the 18th time in school history. But they have their work cut out for them if they want to advance past the First Four.</p>
<p>Head coach Kevin O'Neill at yesterday's media session said VCU wants to play at a fast pace, per Jordan Moore of <a target="_blank" href="http://usctrojans.cstv.com/blog/2011/03/3--points-vcu-first-four-prep.html">USCTrojans.com</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"We know that we'll have to play our tempo, which isn't crawling," O'Neill compared the Rams to Washington. "We have a formula for winning. We have to impose our will on them." As for the formula, it revolves around defense, rebounding and getting the ball inside offensively.</p>
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<p>USC held opponents this season to 62.8 points per game, the best in the Pac-10, allowing foes to shoot 41.2% from the field. USC is 13-0 when holding opponents to under 60 points. VCU averaged 71.5 points per contest this season, and scored 60 points in 28 of their 34 games. Joey Kaufman of the SB Nation blog Conquest Chronicles cautions that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2011/3/15/2053116/usc-basketball-as-usual-is-tough-to-predict">USC has been an up and down team this season</a>:</p>
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<p>As we've seen many times this season, 'SC has had difficulties against, well, bad teams. This past season, they had nine losses against sub-76 teams and three sub-200 losses. And even most irritating, they finished with just a 1-[3] mark against the Oregon schools in conference.</p>
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<blockquote>If USC has any sort of personality, it's that its a Jekyll & Hyde team of sorts: beating Arizona and Texas on one night and losing to a team such as Rider or TCU the next. Stringing together successive wins, in other words consistency, has escaped the Trojans in 2011. And yes, that's hard with seven guys.
<p> </p>
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<p>Tonight's 6:10 p.m. PST tip-off will be televised on truTV. Gus Johnson and Len Elmore will broadcast the game.</p>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2053935/2011-ncaa-tournament-defense-consistency-usc-vcu-first-fourEric Stephen2011-03-16T06:47:23-07:002011-03-16T06:47:23-07:002011 NCAA Bracket Prediction: NY Times Gives USC 3.8% Chance To Reach Sweet 16
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<p>The 2011 NCAA Tournament has arrived for the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a></span>, as they battle the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">Va. Commonwealth Rams</a> for the right to be the No. 11 seed in the Southwest Region. The two schools play in Dayton, Ohio tonight at 6:10 p.m. PST on truTV, with the winner advancing in the bracket to face Georgetown on Friday at 6:50 p.m. PST in Chicago. USC is between a four-and-a-half and five-point favorite over VCU tonight, <a target="_blank" href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaab/virginia-commonwealth-usc-odds-march-16-2011">per our friends in Las Vegas</a>.</p>
<p>At the <a target="_blank" href="http://ncaabracket.nytimes.com/2011/bracket/men/fivethirtyeight-forecast">New York Times</a>, Nate Silver, the former Baseball Prospectus writer who rose to fame with his "political calculus" Five Thirty Eight election predictions, has projected the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He gives the Trojans a 52.8% chance to beat VCU tonight, a 17.4% chance to advance past Georgetown, and a 3.8% chance to get to the Sweet 16. Not to look too far ahead, but if the Trojans were to beat both VCU and Georgetown, their likely opponent would be No. 3 seed Purdue, who faces St. Peter's in the first round.</p>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2053901/2011-ncaa-bracket-prediction-ny-times-usc-sweet-16Eric Stephen2011-03-16T06:31:53-07:002011-03-16T06:31:53-07:002011 NCAA Tournament: USC Vs. VCU Preview, Game Time, Starting Lineups, Etc
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a> kick off their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance tonight, as they battle the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">Virginia Commonwealth Rams</a>. The two schools play in Dayton, Ohio, tonight at 6:10 p.m. PST on truTV, with the winner advancing in the bracket to face Georgetown on Friday at 6:50 p.m. PST in Chicago.This is the first ever meeting between USC and VCU.</p>
<p>Much like the Trojans with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53703/nikola-vucevic">Nikola Vucevic</a>, the Rams are led by their power forward. Senior forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/25720/jamie-skeen">Jamie Skeen</a> averages 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game to lead VCU this season. Junior guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52918/bradford-burgess">Bradford Burgess</a> averages 14.0 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Rams. VCU likely punched their ticket to March Madness with a 79-63 win over top seed George Mason in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Conference.</p>
<p>USC is 6-2 in its last eight games, since making Maurice Jones the sixth man. VCU is 3-5 in their last eight games. Here are the probable starting lineups:</p>
<h3>USC</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52265/jio-fontan">Jio Fontan</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53707/donte-smith">Donte Smith</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: Marcus Simmons</li>
<li>
<b>Forward</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/25622/alex-stepheson">Alex Stepheson</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>Forward</b>: Nikola Vucevic</li>
</ul>
<h3>VCU</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26995/joey-rodriguez">Joey Rodriguez</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: Bradford Burgess</li>
<li>
<b>Guard</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/27003/ed-nixon">Ed Nixon</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>Forward</b>: Jamie Skeen<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Center</b>: D.J. Haley<br>
</li>
</ul>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2053847/2011-ncaa-tournament-usc-vs-vcu-preview-game-time-starting-lineups-trutvEric Stephen2011-03-16T06:15:20-07:002011-03-16T06:15:20-07:00NCAA Tournament History: USC Vs. VCU
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<p>The 2011 NCAA Tournament has arrived for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a>, as they battle the Virginia Commonwealth Rams for the right to be the No. 11 seed in the Southwest Region. The two schools play in Dayton, Ohio tonight at 6:10 p.m. PST on truTV, with the winner advancing in the bracket to face Georgetown on Friday at 6:50 p.m. PST in Chicago. This is the 16th NCAA Tournament appearance for the Trojans, and the 10th appearance for the Rams. Here is a history of each school in March Madness.</p>
<h3>USC (12-17 in NCAA Tournament)</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>2009</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>2008</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>2007</b>: made Sweet 16</li>
<li>
<b>2002</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>2001</b>: made Elite 8</li>
<li>
<b>1997</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1992</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1991</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1985</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1982</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1979</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1961</b>: made Sweet 16</li>
<li>
<b>1960</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1954</b>: made Final Four</li>
<li>
<b>1940</b>: made Final Four<br>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>VCU (5-9 in NCAA Tournament)</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>2009</b>: lost first round<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>2007</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>2004</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1996</b>: lost first round</li>
<li>
<b>1985</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1984</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1983</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1981</b>: made second round</li>
<li>
<b>1980</b>: lost first round<br>
</li>
</ul>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="../../../ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2011/3/16/2053856/ncaa-tournament-history-usc-vs-vcuEric Stephen2011-03-15T05:46:55-07:002011-03-15T05:46:55-07:002011 NCAA Tournament: USC Vs. VCU Preview
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<p>The 2011 NCAA Tournament is upon us and the standard tournament begins on Thursday, but for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a> 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.</p>
<p><b>Combatants</b>: 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.</p>
<p><b>Date & Time</b>: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 6:10 p.m. PST</p>
<p><b>Location</b>: Dayton Arena, not surprisingly in Dayton, Ohio</p>
<p><b>TV</b>: truTV; Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, and Marty Snider are on the call</p>
<p><b>What's at Stake</b>: the right for the No. 11 seed in the Southwest Region, to play the No. 6 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/georgetown-hoyas">Georgetown Hoyas</a> at 6:50 p.m. on Friday night in Chicago, Illinois</p>
<p><b>Common Opponents</b>:</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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, <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/usc-trojans/2010/12/21/1890692/usc-tennessee-maurice-jones-tobias-harris-alex-stephenson-college-basketball">beating Tennessee 65-64</a>.</p>
<p><i>For more USC Trojans hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com">Conquest Chronicles</a>. For more information on VCU, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">click here</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2011/3/15/2331593/2011-ncaa-tournament-usc-vs-vcu-previewEric Stephen