Hoopstown USA: VCU joins UR in NCAA Sweet 16

The next George Mason?

It may be a little too early to start talking about the phrase that has come to symbolize mid-major darlings in the NCAA tournament, but Virginia Commonwealth may be auditioning for the part.

The Rams blew out their third high-profile opponent in the Southwest Region, dominating No. 13 Purdue 94-76 at the United Center behind another free-wheeling offensive show.

The victory met a longtime goal that hangs in the Rams’ Siegel Center locker room: the Sweet 16.

The 11th-seeded Rams (26-11) will make their first appearance against No. 10 Florida State in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday at 9:57 p.m.

With Richmond advancing in the same region, it’s the first time two teams from the same city have reached the Sweet 16 since 2007, when USC and UCLA did it. They also did it in 2001.

“These guys are hungry. Joey’s nuts,” VCU coach Shaka Smart said, referring to senior point guard Joey Rodriguez. “He wants to win the whole thing, I guarantee you.”

Why not dream big?

The Rams are well aware of the famous run to the Final Four fellow Colonial Athletic Association member George Mason made in 2006.

“It’s fine [if we get tagged the next George Mason],” forward Jamie Skeen said. “They’ve tagged us with everything else. They said we weren’t supposed to be here. Look at us now.”

This is a different team than the one that skidded into the CAA tournament, then reached the final and waited nervously to see if it had done enough to get a bid.

The Rams are loose, confident, fearless, playing lights out and ultra-motivated by TV critics who said they weren’t worthy of an at-large selection.

“We hope they keep talking with every game,” said Bradford Burgess said. “It gives us continuous motivation.

“It’s extremely focused VCU basketball. We’re playing with a high motor, high intensity. It just shows with every possession on the court.”

After beating Southern California by 13 and No. 22 Georgetown by 18, VCU shredded third-seeded Purdue’s defense while piling up its second-highest output of the season.

“We see these guys on TV all year, and we were like, ‘Man, we can play with these guys,’’ Rodriguez said. “We’re getting the opportunity now and we’re proving it.

“I hope people enjoyed it. It’s fun to play, and I know it’s fun to watch.”

Burgess and Rodriguez were terrific. Burgess had 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting and eight rebounds. Rodriguez had 12 points and racked up 11 assists – passing Rolando Lamb for the third most in school history (557) – by consistently giving teammates passes inside for inside baskets.

The Rams had 26 assists and a season-low four turnovers. They shot 56.9 percent, 65.5 percent in the second half, and kept Purdue’s heralded tandem of JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore from doing major damage.

Johnson had 25 points. Moore scored 10 points but was 5 of 15 from the field.

Skeen finished with 13 points. Ed Nixon added 11 to his defensive shadowing of Moore, and Brandon Rozzell had 10. Freshman Juvonte Reddic had 12 points – his second highest total of the season – and combined with fellow rookie D.J. Haley to go 8 of 10 and score 18 points.

The Rams took a 10-point halftime lead and turned the game into a rout by scoring on eight of their first nine second-half possessions. The lead reached 20 with 5:17 left.

“If you watched VCU during a certain time of the season, you wouldn’t have seen what you just watched out there,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose team finished 26-8. “And then during another part of the season, you watch them in a four- or five-game stretch, and you literally think they can beat anybody in the country. . . . I was hoping that team didn’t show up, but that team for VCU did show up.

“They’re a championship-caliber team. I know it’s tough maybe for some people to understand that, but I think you just saw a glimpse of a team that can make an even deeper run in the NCAA tournament.”

Smart removed some of his starters in the final minute, and Rodriguez said the first thing he thought was, “Geez, a week ago, we thought we were done. Now we’re here in the Sweet 16. Anything can happen.”

Then he added, “We’re going after the whole thing.”