The darlings of last year's tournament were back at it again on Thursday evening knocking off No. 5 seed Wichita State 72-69. In probably the most intense game of the first day of the tournament, VCU's press was too much for the Shockers to handle.
IU will take its turn at that press on Saturday at 7:10 EST, in shooting for its first Sweet Sixteen since 2002.
Here are some brief notes on the Rams:
-They are 21-1 when shooting 40% or better
-They have held 11 of their last 19 opponents under 60 points.
-The Rams have won 17 of their last 18 games
-The Rams 29 victories on the season are a school record
-VCU has the ninth-youngest team in the country and returns just 39% of its scoring from last season.
-VCU returns five of the 10 players that saw action against Butler last season in the Final Four. Of those five, only Bradford Burgess played more than 15 minutes.
-Heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Rams lead the nation in steals per game (10.7) and opponent turnover rate (27.4 %)
