29 year old coach takes VCU to NCAA's "Big Dance"

[underpants]

My headline.

Wooohoooo Virginia Commonwealth beat George Mason U 55-54 last night to win the Colonial Athletic Association Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031774176475&path=!sports&s=1045855934844

Pandemonium. Trophy presentation. Net-snipping. The whole, wild, wonderful shebang.

Lingering in the background till he was beckoned to step forward, clutch a mike and thank everyone in VCU's family this side of the founding fathers, Capel drank in the swirl. He's 29. He's in his second season as da boss. He still looks a little like the point guard next door.

Capel was a junior on a lackluster Duke squad in 1996, when VCU last made the NCAA field with a roster of junior-college Hessians who'd been imported for Metro Conference grappling and ran roughshod over the CAA during the school's debut in the league. He'd gone to a Final Four with the Blue Devils two years earlier. He suggested last night was a bigger deal.

[YNGW]

1. Congrats!

I missed the game. So, what number do you think they'll be seeded?

[underpants]

2. The omnipresent Digger Phelps said 14

It was a pretty ugly game truth be told. No one scored in the first 3 minutes or so. Lots of turnovers (VCU averages 16 a game) and when the top guy on your team only shoots 80% from the line you know that isn't a strong suit. We'll take the win.