By Marlen Garcia, USA TODAY
CHICAGO ? Three games in five nights can be viewed as an exercise in exhaustion.
By Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
VCU's Bradford Burgess boxes out Purdue's JaJuan Johnson during VCU's third-round upset victory in Chicago.
By Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
VCU's Bradford Burgess boxes out Purdue's JaJuan Johnson during VCU's third-round upset victory in Chicago.
Yet for thrill-seeking teenagers and young 20-somethings intent on making school history, it's a breeze.
At least that's how it seemed for the 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth men's basketball team, which advanced to the school's first Sweet 16 by eliminating No. 3 seed Purdue 94-76 in the third round of the NCAA tournament Sunday at United Center.
VCU (26-11) will play in a Southwest Regional semifinal Friday in San Antonio against Notre Dame or Florida State, teams that played here late Sunday.
The Rams knocked out Southern California in the first round in Dayton on Wednesday and took a charter flight to Chicago, where they eliminated Georgetown on Friday.
For anyone keeping score, VCU has eliminated teams from the Pacific-10, Big East and Big Ten conferences, none by slim margins. Not bad for a school from the Colonial Athletic Association. In the final minute, VCU fans chanted C-A-A as a shout-out for the league.
"I think we found a high level of defensive energy these last several games, and that's what has allowed us to advance," VCU coach Shaka Smart said Sunday.
VCU is a tough matchup "for anybody," Purdue coach Matt Painter said Friday as he watched the Rams take down Georgetown 74-56.
This was true for Purdue (26-8), even though the Boilermakers had an All-American in 6-10 senior JaJuan Johnson and a 2,000-point scorer in senior guard E'Twaun Moore. The two led Purdue to the Sweet 16 in 2010 and 2009. Johnson scored 25 points to go with 14 rebounds and Moore scored 10 on 5-for-15 shooting.
The Rams are winning with players who until last week were unknown nationally. Senior point guard Joey Rodriguez, listed at 5-10 (perhaps generously), has a motor that never stops.
Rodriguez, of Merritt Island, Fla., left the team two years ago, homesick and upset over the departure of former coach Anthony Grant, who had left for Alabama.
A few months later, Rodriguez returned and is now the school's all-time leader in games played with 139.
He was one of six players in double figures for VCU. Bradford Burgess led with 25. Rodriguez scored 12 to go with 10 assists and no turnovers. VCU had four; Purdue committed seven.
VCU has built its success this season with three-pointers, which was evident against Georgetown when the Rams shot 48%. Yet VCU showed against Purdue that it can play inside-out. Whether D.J. Haley was dunking on Johnson or Rodriguez was shooting an NBA three-pointer, the Rams showed no fear.
In the last few years, VCU has produced two NBA first-round draft picks: Larry Sanders last year and Eric Maynor in 2009.
Now the Rams have a rising coach in Smart, one of the season's biggest success stories. Smart, who will turn 34 on April 8, got the job, his first as a head coach, after Grant departed.
The Rams ended a bittersweet season for Purdue. For the second year in a row, the Boilermakers were without senior forward Robbie Hummel in the postseason. Hummel injured his right knee in season-opening practice and missed the season.
Last season, he missed the final weeks after having surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Hummel plans to return for a fifth season.
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