VCU Creating Havoc Early in the College Basketball Season

Shaka Smart and his coaching staff have this year's version of the VCU Rams creating "havoc" already. (Mark Gormus)

On March 15, 2007, Virginia Commonwealth University's men's basketball team burst into the national spotlight. Crafty guard Eric Maynor made a 14-foot game-winner jumper to propel the Rams to a 79-77 upset of traditional power Duke. In 2011, head coach Shaka Smart had his team continue to unleash their "havoc" style of play as they made a magical run to the Final Four.

VCU's "havoc" style of play is an up-tempo, pressure intense system that leaves the opposition frustrated and prone to make mistakes. The more Smart's players play in it, the better it works and is executed. The Rams will benefit this season from losing only one senior, even though Bradford Burgess was a major leader and contributor last season.

VCU's season did get off to a bit of a bumpy start with a surprisingly two-point loss at home to Wichita State. "That's fine," Smart said. "We like being written off." The Rams looked at the Battle 4 Atlantis as an opportunity to show that they are a force to be reckoned with again this year. They got their first shot on Thursday night when they faced #19 Memphis.

VCU took the lead to start the game and never looked back. They were up by 14 at the half and ended up pulling off the upset in convincing style by 13. The Rams "havoc" defense forced 22 Memphis turnovers, including seven out of junior point guard Joe Jackson. Offensively, they shot an incredible 13-for-22 from beyond the arc. Sophomore Treveon Graham led the team with 26 points. Junior Rob Brandenberg came off the bench to shoot a perfect five-for-five from three for 15 points.

The Rams have shown that they can shoot the ball well, play tenacious defense and pull off the big upset. They will to do the latter again tomorrow night when the face fifth-ranked Duke for the first time since their NCAA tournament upset in 2007. Even though the Blue Devils are a physical team, I except VCU to give them a run for their money. This team will be well-prepared by its experienced leaders. There are still five players on this team who played a significant role in the team that made it to the Final Four two years ago.

"They could win the whole national championship if they make shots like that," said Memphis head coach Josh Pastner following Thursday night's game. While this may appear to be a bit extreme, anything is possible, especially considering how open of a field this year's NCAA tournament is expected to be. What is for certain is that VCU won't be a team anyone wants to stand in the way of come March.

Weekend Special: Who Should be on Upset Alert?

Saturday's Games to Watch

West Virginia @ #4 Syracuse - 1:00PM, ESPNU

The key matchup here will be how Syracuse handles West Virginia star Kevin Jones inside. The Orange are without Fab Melo once again, so they will need their other big men to step up defensively and on the glass. Jones as been an absolute force in Big East play this season. If the Mountaineers have a shot at the upset, they will need Jones to be that stellar again.

Texas @ #7 Baylor - 1:00PM, CBS

Texas is an improving young team that is fully capable of pulling an upset. However, they will play an angry Baylor team that is coming off its first two losses of the season. If they Bears exploit their advantage inside, they should get the win.

#16 Mississippi State @ #13 Florida - 1:30PM, ESPN3

Mississippi State has the size and strength inside to possibly give Florida some trouble. The Gators guards have been playing great and their team defense has stepped up in a big way as of late. This game should give us a better picture of both teams chances in March.

#5 Kansas @ Iowa State - 2:00PM, ESPN

This is a popular upset pick among the experts. Iowa State has an edge on the perimeter with their great guard play. They also have a big man in Royce White, who is capable of holding Kansas stud Thomas Robinson in check. The Hilton Coliseum should be on a full tilt, so Kansas is going to have to play very well in order to exit as the victors.

Middle Tennessee @ Vanderbilt - 2:00PM

This is a statement game for Middle Tennessee. They have a 20-2 record overall and are 9-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. However, this is there last chance to get a signature non-conference win. Vanderbilt has had their ups and downs all season. It will be interesting to see how they play against an amped up Blue Raiders team.

Cincinnati @ Rutgers - 6:00PM, ESPN3

Cincinnati was cruising having won 10 out of 11 games. But then they dropped their last two prior to this one. Rutgers has had their moments this season and have shown signs of hope for the future. The Scarlet Knights would love to get another quality win under their belts. It will be interesting to see how the Bearcats bounce back. If they are going to be a serious contender, this is a must win game.

#20 St. Mary's @ BYU - 9:00PM, ESPNU

St. Mary's convincingly won the first matchup of these two teams. The Gaels are currently looking like the favorites to win the West Coast Conference. BYU is currently sitting square on the bubble. They have a solid record, but a lack of quality wins. If they were able to pull the upset here, this would be a big step in the right direction.

Marshall @ Memphis - 9:00PM, CSS

Both of these teams are near the top of what is a crowded Conference USA standings. Marshall had some solid wins early in the season and even competed well at the Carrier Dome with Syracuse. As of late, the Thundering Herd have stumbled a bit, losing three in a row. On the other hand, Memphis is playing some of its best basketball right now. The Tigers are winners of eight of their last nine. This is an intriguing matchup with clear conference implications.

Sunday's Games to Watch

Notre Dame @ #19 Connecticut - 12:00PM, ESPN3

Connecticut won the previous matchup in South Bend in convincing fashion, but much has changed since then. Notre Dame upset Syracuse handing them their first and only loss of the season so far. The Fighting Irish are playing with a lot of confidence right now. Conversely, Connecticut has lost four out of their last six. The Huskies are looking to return to form. This is another statement game for both of these teams.

#22 Michigan @ #3 Ohio State - 1:00PM, CBS

Everyone normally talks about this rivalry in reference to a football game, but this is matchup of two Top 25 teams among the top of the Big Ten. Michigan has had their ups and downs, but are 3-2 against Top 25 teams, including a big win over in-state rival Michigan State. Ohio State has looked dominant at times, but there has also been a couple of pitfalls in their schedule so far this season. The Buckeyes will look to Jared Sullinger to lead the way once again. He is coming off a big game in a win over Penn State.

ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon

While the college basketball season has already tipped off, ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon began just an hour ago. The marathon features 21 games, 21 conferences, 15 states, and 14 ranked teams. Here are my Top 5 Games to Watch from the marathon.

5. Northern Iowa @ Saint Mary's - 2 AM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

Two mid-major tournament regulars who frequently do some damage. This game will help to give an early expectation as to what to expect from these teams come March.

4. Belmont @ #10 Memphis - Noon EST, ESPN/ESPN3

Belmont is coming off a 30 win season last year. They nearly upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium (lost by one). Memphis is young and unproven. I think the Bruins finish off the upset this time.

3. #6 Duke vs. Michigan State - 7 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

The Blue Devils were definitely tested by Belmont. Michigan State played a tough game against UNC, but just weren't good enough. But will they be good enough to beat Duke? This game should tell us a lot about both teams.

2. #8 Florida vs. #3 Ohio State - 8PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Gators bring a deeply talented backcourt, but Ohio State might have the best big man in the country in sophomore Jared Sullinger. The slim-downed Sullinger should be a beast, but how good will the rest of the team be? This is their first true test.

1. #2 Kentucky vs. #11 Kansas - 9PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

Two of the winningest programs in the sports history faceoff on a big stage. Terrence Jones and yet another top rated freshman class lead Kentucky. Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor will run the show for the Jayhawks.

More complete preview of all of the games: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/page/Tipoff-game-by-game-preview-of-the-marathon/game-game-preview-college-hoops-tip-marathon

Andy Katz's blog posting previewing Belmont before the season began: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/7147784/belmont-bruins-chance-shine-early-duke-blue-devils-memphis-tigers

Detroit News article about Jared Sullinger and the Ohio State Buckeyes: http://www.detnews.com/article/20111109/SPORTS0203/111090312/Ohio-State-fit-for-Big-Ten-title-run-with-trimmer-Jared-Sullinger