[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9218-9219]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE VCU BASKETBALL TEAM'S ADVANCEMENT TO THE NCAA 
                   BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT'S FINAL FOUR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ERIC CANTOR

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2011

  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a historic 
accomplishment for the Richmond region. On March 27, 2011, the Virginia 
Commonwealth University's basketball team defeated the University of 
Kansas 71-61 and for the first time in history advanced to the NCAA 
Basketball Tournament's Final Four.
  Led by Coach Shaka Smart, the Rams had a terrific season and finished 
sixth in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, which is the highest 
finish in school and CAA history. The Rams ended the season by tying 
their record of 28 wins.
  The Rams set a number of new records for VCU and the CAA including 
total points scored with 2,864 and total three-pointers with 339, a 
mark which ranked second in the nation. The fourteen home games of the 
2010-11 season set a new average attendance record with 6,645 fans per 
game. The average attendance for all forty games was 8,742, which is 
also a school record.
  The team has brought the City of Richmond and the entire Commonwealth 
of Virginia much pride. Their strong teamwork and spirit were evident, 
and they brought an excitement to our community that has rarely been 
seen before. VCU pride was displayed in store fronts, restaurants, 
local businesses and in people's homes. We were all proud to share

[[Page 9219]]

the magic of VCU's Cinderella season with the country.
  I offer sincere congratulations to VCU President Michael Rao for his 
vision and outstanding leadership, Coach Smart for his contagious 
enthusiasm and tenacity, the Ram basketball team for their exceptional 
play and inspiring team spirit, and all of the students and fans that 
supported the team throughout the season.
  I commend the Rams on their successful season and ask you to join me 
in celebrating their historic run.

                          ____________________