George Washington University

March 15, 2010

CBI Game Notes | GameTracker | CBI Bracket

VCU (22-9, 11-7 CAA) at George Washington (16-14, 6-10 A-10)
Game 31 • College Basketball Invitational • First Round
Date: Tuesday, Mar. 16, 2010 • Time: 7:00 pm (EST)
Location: Charles E. Smith Center (4,338) • Washington, DC
Radio: 1050 AM, www.FederalNewsRadio.com (Byron Kerr)
Internet: live stats on GameTracker at GWsports.com
TV: HDNet (Rich Cellini, Craig Ehlo)
Series: VCU leads, 1-0 (first meeting at Smith Center)

GW COACH: Karl Hobbs (Connecticut `85)
Record at GW: 148-114 (.567) 9th season
Atlantic 10 Record: 74-70 (.514) 9th season
Career Record: 148-114 (.567) 9th season
Hobbs' Record vs. VCU: 0-0

VCU COACH: Shaka Smart (Kenyon `99)
Record at VCU: 22-9 (.709) 1st season
CAA Record: 11-7 (.611) 1st season
Career Record: 22-9 (.709) 1st season
Smart's Record vs. GW: 0-0

Tuesday's First-Round Game: GW (16-14, 6-10 A-10) hosts Virginia Commonwealth (22-9, 11-7 CAA) in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational First Round. In the teams' only other meeting, VCU defeated GW, 74-64, in the 1978-79 season opener at the Virginia Tipoff Tournament at Charlottesville, VA.

• Tuesday's contest marks both teams' first appearance in the CBI, now in its third year.

• Tuesday's game is GW's first in the postseason in nearly three years after playing in the 2007 NCAA Tournament first round against Vanderbilt at Sacramento's ARCO Arena.

• Tuesday's game marks the second meeting between the teams.

• GW is coming off a 70-60 loss to Dayton (20-11) Mar. 9 at UD Arena. Senior Damian Hollis was the lone Colonial in double figures with a game-high 19 points while Tony Taylor and Aaron Ware added seven points each.

• Winners of five of its last seven games, VCU has been idle for nine days following a 73-69 overtime loss to Old Dominion on Mar. 7 in the semifinal round of the CAA Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum. Ed Nixon scored a team-high 14 points, one of five Rams in double figures against ODU.

• The Rams are 5-7 on the road this season while GW is 8-6 at home.

A Closer Look at VCU: The Rams enter the CBI Tournament with a 22-9 overall, 11-7 in the CAA, under first-year head coach Shaka Smart. VCU is led by Larry Sanders' 14.6 ppg and 9.0 rebounds (75 blocks) and Joey Rodriguez's 12.2 points and 5.8 assists per game. Brandon Rozzell has converted 53 three-pointers at a 43 percent clip. For the season, VCU is shooting 46 percent from the field, averages 75.4 points a game, has a +2.1 turnover margin and is outrebounding opponents by nearly three caroms a game. VCU is 5-7 on the road this season including a win at Tulane, a one-point loss at William & Mary and a three-point loss at Old Dominion.

Next Game: If GW wins tonight's game, it will face the winner of the Eastern Kentucky-Charleston game in the quarterfinal round of the CBI on Monday, Mar. 22. That game will be broadcast live on 1500 AM and 820 AM and online at www.FederalNewsRadio.com.