Utes Trounce Rams, 74-to-54

Final Score: Utah 74, VCU 54
Location: Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
Updated Records: Utah 22-14, VCU 24-14.

In a nutshell: VCU's march through the 2024 NIT bracket halted in Salt Lake City. The quarterfinal game opened with an 18-to-2 run by the Utes. The Rams fought back and briefly closed the gap to three points, but Utah led 36-26 at halftime.

After the break, as the Rams fell further and further behind, it became abundantly clear that it just wasn't VCU's night. Moreover, the Utes were just too good.

From the VCU scorebook: Bairstow led VCU's scoring with 13 points and added four boards. Fermin contributed eight points and nine rebounds. Shulga, Jackson and Billups each scored six points. 

Read 'em and weep: VCU made good on just 33 percent of its shots from the field; Utah shot 44 percent. The Rams sank 19 percent (five of 26) of its 3-point attempts; the Utes hit 39 percent (13 of 33) of theirs. VCU lost the battle of the boards, 43-to-35. Utah dished for 21 assists; VCU recorded eight assists. 

This one-sided game really wasn't as close as the final score might indicate. If Utah can bottle their performance and pour it out in the NIT's semifinal and final games, the Runnin' Utes will be hard to beat.   

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• VCU fell behind 18-2 in the game, but whittled the Utah lead to 23-20 on a free throw by Zeb Jackson with 5:57 left in the first half. 
• Then Madsen and Carlson buried back-to-back 3-pointers off VCU turnovers to push the Utah lead back to nine. 
• After the halftime break the Utes removed all doubt with an 11-0 run, sparked by two Madsen treys, to take a 47-28 lead with 16:13 left in the game. 
• Utah owned a 43-35 rebounding advantage and scored 20 points off 13 VCU turnovers. 
• Smith recorded a triple double with 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to lead Utah. Madsen buried 6-of-12 from beyond the 3-point arc and added 18 points to for the Utes. 
• Behind first-year Head Coach Ryan Odom, the Rams, led by eight newcomers, recorded the program’s 24th consecutive winning season. 

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: The 2024/25 season. Hopefully, Odom returns for a second year at VCU. It will be interesting to see how his recruiting goes with a whole offseason in which to do it. 

-- 30 --

The Believers

"We must make America pray again," says Donald J. Trump, now a Bible salesman. The Trump Bibles are available only online for $59.99.

Gadzooks! Can you believe America's most celebrated grifter has now taken to hawking Bibles via a video commercial? It's reminiscent of those old Ron Popeil TV ads for an array of gadgets. 

That said, maybe soon Trump should try marketing a golden vegetable slicer called the "Trump-o-Matic."    

Speaking of "believing," for many of Trump's dupes believing his showboating patter pulled them steadily toward thinking that he imbues his followers with the permission they need to turn their backs on reality and reason. Released from those bonds, Trump wants them to see that power creates a malleable truth that can be shaped to be what they most enjoy believing. 

For instance: They can believe that in 2017 in Charlottesville there were "good people on both sides." Overall, they can even believe in "alternate facts."  

Some of the craziest among Trump's faithful legions have taken the golden leap to "believe" that He is the Second Coming. Which, I suppose, gives the new Jesus permission to mock a handicapped journalist. And, it's fine for Him to heap bogus praise on the January 6th jailbirds that He affectionately calls, "hostages." 

Hey, once a fully fledged cult member views Trump as a deity, it's a snap to see all of Trump's pesky legal problems as having been invented out of thin air by His woke, prevaricating, election-stealing political opponents. 

Now, Trump -- the New Savior -- seems to have chosen to project an updated, election year image for Himself. An image that's an unprecedented a mashup of convicted televangelist Jim Bakker and executed dictator Benito Mussolini. 

Then again, putting Trump's newfound religiosity aside, a good many of His most loyal MAGA cultists still couldn't care less about the Second Coming. That goes for the First Coming, too. 

Instead, they appear to be delighted with the prospect of having an unabashed fascist, a new Mussolini, to rule the nation. And, I think they see Christians mostly as useful. But I don't really have much of an idea what sort of precepts are motivating that fascist faction. Who the hell knows what they actually believe? 

Are you praying, yet?

-- 30 --

NIT Second Round: Rams Win and Advance

Final score: VCU 70, South Florida 65.
Location: Yuengling Center in Tampa.
Up to date records: VCU 24-13, South Florida 25-8.

In a nutshell: Although the score was close much of the way, the Rams played this game with a confidence that showed. VCU led for 26:10 of the tilt's 40 minutes, while South Florida led for 9:07.

With Ryan Odom's 24th win it now seems appropriate to note that once again VCU has hired a pretty good head coach. While I can't say anything about his behavior during practices, his calm and focused demeanor throughout the games has been a plus. 

Furthermore, watching Odom's team, gathered from hither and yon, improve over the 2023/24 season has been fun. In particular, he has been consistently getting a lot of production from his bench. Not only has that factor helped win some games, it also has to be good for the team's morale. 

Who knows? Maybe that morale angle will end up keeping some of his developing players from transferring to other programs. 

From the VCU scorebook: Jackson 14 pts., 4 boards, 4 assists 2 assists. Bairstow 13 pts., 6 boards, 4 assists. Lawal 10 points, 5 boards. Fermin 10 pts., 4 boards. 

VCU went 10-for-26 in 3-pointers. South Florida went 4-for-20 in 3-pointers. The Rams blocked five shots. The Bulls blocked 0 shots.

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Zeb Jackson knocked down 5-of-9 attempt from the floor, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Graduate wing Sean Bairstow and sophomore forward Tobi Lawal both made clutch plays down the stretch.
• Chris Youngblood buried a three on the first possession of the second half to give the Bulls a 33-32 lead. Although Youngblood would wind up leading all players in scoring with 28 points, when Jackson answered Youngblood's trey with his own 3-pointer, on the ensuing play, the Rams never trailed again. 
• The Rams would lead by as many as nine points, following a three by redshirt freshman guard Fats Billups III that made it 56-47 with 9:21 left.
• The Bulls pulled to within 62-61 on a pair of Youngblood free throws with 3:24 left. But Lawal answered a short time later, finishing through contact in the paint for an And-1 bucket with 2:15 remaining. 
• VCU senior guard Joe Bamisile scooped up an offensive rebound and laid the ball in to give the Rams some breathing room, at 66-61, with 1:26 on the clock. 
• The Bulls would again trim the lead to one on back-to-back scores by Youngblood and Selton Miguel. But Bairstow and Lawal knocked down four free throws and VCU’s defense forced a contested three by Youngblood with five seconds left. It missed. 
• VCU improves to 27-12 all-time against South Florida, its former Sun Belt and Metro Conference rival.

BOXSCORE

NEXT UP: The Rams advance to the NIT Quarterfinals for the first time since 1988. VCU will face Utah  on Wednesday, March 27. Tipoff at 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

NIT First Round: VCU 70, Villanova 61

Final Score: VCU 70, Villanova 61
Location: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pa.
Updated Records: VCU 23-13. Villanova 18-16.

In a nutshell: With 5:35 left in the contest, Villanova led by one point (57-56). That was the Wildcats' last lead. After the score had been tied 10 times and there were 17 lead changes, VCU managed to pull away with a timely 12-3 run over the game's final 4:40. 

From VCU's scorebook: Bamisile 17 pts., 4 boards. Shulga 10 pts., 3 boards, 6 assists. Lawal 8 pts., 10 boards, 2 steals. Billups 9 pts., 2 steals. Jackson 8 pts., 4 boards, 4 assists. The Rams’ bench outscored the Wildcats’ bench by 30 points, 42-to-12.

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Lawal hit a pair of free throws at the 4:40 mark to give the Rams a 60-58 lead. Moments later, following two VCU defensive stops, Shulga splashed a 3-pointer from just right of the top of the arc to push VCU in front 64-58 with 2:56 remaining. Shulga added a pair of free throws, and the Rams broke the Wildcats’ full-court press for breakaway dunks by Bamisile and Lawal in the waning moments to cement the win. 
• VCU knocked down 11-of-30 from long range, while Villanova shot 6-of-23 from 3-point range. Eric Dixon led all players with 21 points and 13 rebounds for Villanova. 
• VCU won the rebounding battle 34-32. 
• Wednesday’s win sends VCU to the second round of the NIT for the third time in program history.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: The NIT's Second Round: VCU will face South Florida in Tampa on Sunday, March 24. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU.

Duquesne's Defense Smothers Rams

Final Score: Duquesne 57, VCU 51.
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Updated Records: (#6) Duquesne 24-11. (#5) VCU 22-13. 

In a nutshell: Hot-shooting Duquesne ran up an 18-point lead in the first half. It landed like a sucker-punch to the jaw. The Dukes sank seven of 14 three-pointers attempted in the opening stanza. 

Battling the Dukes' dogged defense VCU spent the rest of the game working to incrementally recover from that daunting deficit. Late in the second half action, the determined Rams closed the gap to one point, 49-to-48, but their spirited comeback fell short.

Coming off the Rams' bench, Bamisile contributed 20 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished for two assists and blocked three shots. But he went zero-for-eight from beyond the arc . 

Jackson scored 11 points, pulled down five rebounds and made two steals. Kuany with six points and three blocks). Lawal scored four points and corralled nine rebounds. However, the Duke's smothering defense held Shulga to five points (1-for-5 in treys) and Bairstow to just three points. 

NOTES: (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• VCU went just 5-of-24 (21 percent) from 3-point range, while Duquesne shot 8-of-25. Duquesne had a 41-32 advantage in rebounds. 
• The Dukes went 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half and shot 42.9 percent to build a 36-22 halftime lead.
• VCU’s defense held Duquesne scoreless for an 8:32 second-half stretch. After Duquesne built its lead back to 49-41 with 4:35 remaining, the Rams made another run -- VCU used a 7-0 burst to get within one point. 
• Then, down 51-48, the Rams missed shots on back-to-back possessions and the Dukes pulled away with a 6-0 run. 
• Shulga and Bamisile were named to the All-Atlantic 10 Championship Team. 

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: A first round NIT game with Villanova (18-15) Wed., Mar. 20, in Philadelphia. Tipoff at 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

-- 30 --

A-10 Semifinal: Hawks Fall to Rams

Final Score: VCU 66, St. Joe’s 60
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Up-to-date records: #5 VCU 22-12, #9 St. Joe’s 21-13

In a Nutshell: Too much Shulga!

Nineteen of Shulga's game-high 25 points came in the second half. The sharpshooting A-10 Conference's first-team guard had himself quite a game. 

Shulga connected on 10 of his 11 attempts from the field. While he was at it, he hit three of his four shots from 3-point distance. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished for three assists. And, on defense, he made three steals. Truth be told, Shulga delivered a postseason conference tournament semifinal performance that Rams fans will surely talk about for a long time.

Other Rams who responded well to the challenge to beat a good St. Joe's team were: Jackson with 12 points and eight boards; Bairstow with 13 points and two boards; Lawal with seven points and six boards.

In all, it was a well played game by both teams. The ref's allowed a lot of contact, which is in keeping with tradition in postseason play. Which is OK by me. Let 'em play! 

The Rams led the score for 27:42. The Hawks led for 5:12. The score was tied 12 times. 

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• The Rams built a 21-12 lead in the first half with 4:24 to go on a Shulga stepback jumper. The Hawks rallied with a 13-2 run and took a 25-23 lead into the half.
• VCU opened the second half on a 10-4 run and a Jackson layup gave the Rams a 33-29 lead with 16:35 left in the contest.
• The score was tied 55-55 with 3:43 remaining before a Bamisile jumper and layups from Bairstow and Jackson pushed VCU ahead 61-57 with 1:35 left.
• The Hawks cut the lead to 61-60 on the next possession but Joe Bamisile answered with a baseline dunk to pushed the lead to 63-60 with 42 seconds left. 
• The Rams got a defensive stop on the other end and sealed the game at the free throw line. 
• There were eight ties and three lead changes in the second half, but VCU never trailed in the final 12:38 of game action.
• VCU shot 51 percent (29-of-57) from the field while the Hawks shot 44 percent (24-of-55).
• VCU forced 14 St. Joe’s turnovers while committing just eight, leading 13-8 in points off turnovers.
• The Rams’ efficient scoring came by way of outscoring the Hawks 42-26 in points in the paint.
• St. Joe’s was led by Erik Reynolds who scored 18 points.
• VCU has now reached the A-10 Championship game in eight of 11 seasons in the league since joining in 2012-13. The Rams are 8-0 all-time in A-10 Semifinal contests.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: The Rams are now aiming to capture back-to-back A-10 tournament championships and go dancing, again. Tomorrow's tilt will pit (#5) VCU (22-12) against (#6) Duquesne (23-11). Tipoff at 1 pm. TV: CBS.

A-10 Tournament: Rams Overwhelm the Minutemen

Final score: VCU 73, UMass 59.
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Current records: (#5) VCU 21-12. (#4) UMass 20-11.

In a nutshell: VCU beat a pretty good team today. This season UMass has earned the reputation of being a physically tough team, especially in its rebounding. But today, during its quarterfinal matchup with the VCU Rams, the Minutemen weren't the tougher, more determined team on the court. And, the Rams won the battle of the boards, 37-to-26.

In my view, I have to doubt that UMass showed up fully prepared for how kickass good VCU's rebounding execution would turn out to be. Furthermore, the non-stop intensity of the Rams' half court defense throughout the contest had to have been somewhat surprising, too.

After the Rams ran roughshod (42-to-25) over the Minutemen in the first stanza, in the second half, every time UMass began to rally, VCU stiff-armed the gap-closing momentum. 

Following two games in two days, Coach Ryan Odom's team may really appreciate tomorrow's day off from playing. Or, maybe they feel so good about themselves, right now, the Rams would be happy to play St. Joe's Hawks tonight.

From the Rams' scorebook: Jackson 17 pts., 4 rebounds, 5 assists. Bamisile 18 pts., 1 rebound, 1 assist. Bairstow 9 pts., 4 rebounds, 2 assists. Lawal 7 pts., 6 rebounds. Belle 7 pts., 6 rebounds. Fermin 7 pts., 3 rebounds.

VCU's bench outscored the UMass bench by a whopping 34-to-4. In addition to the significant contributions of bench players, Bamisile and Lawal, Belle's energetic play was also a big plus.

NOTES: (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• VCU shot 50 percent (22-of-44) from the field and 23-of-30 from the free throw line. The Rams held the Minutemen to just 35 percent (19-of-54) shooting from the floor and 29 percent (7-of-24) from deep. 
• VCU led 20-16 with 7:45 left in the first half before going on a 18-5 run capped off by a Lawal dunk. The Rams took a 42-25 lead into the break. The Rams held the Minutemen to 7-of-28 shooting in the first half, including 1-of-9 from three. 
• UMass was 14-of-19 from the free throw line. 
• VCU had a 15-7 advantage in points off turnovers, efficiently capitalizing on just nine Minutemen turnovers. 
• The Rams had their lead cut to 65-59 with 4:24 left in the game before clamping down on defense. VCU ended the game on an 8-0 scoring run sparked by a Bamisile layup to end the game. 
• UMass outscored VCU 19-8 to begin the second half behind Diggins’ scoring outburst to cut the Ram’s lead to 54-47 with 9:46 remaining. 
• UMass would only get as close as six points for the remainder of the game.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: On Saturday afternoon (#5) VCU will face (#9) St. Joe's in a semifinal game. Tipoff at 1 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. The Hawks earned their semifinal appearance by upsetting (#1) Richmond. 

A-10 Tournament: VCU Prevails in Battle of the Rams

Final score: VCU 69, Fordham 62.
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Current records: VCU 20-12, Fordham 13-20.

In a nutshell: It was a tight game most of the way. Both Rams teams gave it their all. Fordham's largest lead was five points, early in the second half. VCU's largest lead was seven points, at the end of the contest. The score was tied 11 times. VCU won the game, for the most part, by outplaying Fordham in the last four minutes. 

In this case, "outplaying" means VCU's entire effort. The offense. The half-court defense. The overall rebounding. The free-throw shooting when it counted most. And, as the seconds ticked down, the coaching that kept VCU focused and executing, with plenty of hustle and enough confidence to get the job done. 

From the VCU scorebook: Shulga's stats: 14 pts., 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Lawal's stats: 13 pts. and 6 rebounds. Jackson's stats: 10 pts., 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Bairstow's stats: 9 pts., 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Kuany's stats: 9 pts., 2 rebounds. 

As Fordham played and won an overtime game yesterday, in fairness, fatigue may have been a factor in those last four crucial minutes. VCU enjoyed a bye past yesterday's first round action. Fordham's Rose led all scorers with 19 pts.

By the way, at VCU's expense the refs were consistently awful. Sometimes that happens. And, that's all I choose to say about that aspect of what was a pretty good game, anyway. 

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• VCU went 17-of-23 from the free throw line in the second half, while Fordham was just 7-of-10.
• VCU’s defense held Fordham without a field goal for the final 6:26 of game action and allowed just six points. 
• The Black and Gold scored 15 points at the free throw line during that stretch despite not hitting a field goal for the final 8:41.
• VCU tried to pull away in the first half, taking a 31-24 lead on a pair of Lawal free throws with 4:53 left in the half. Fordham responded with a 14-3 run to lead 38-34 with 49 seconds left, but a Joe Bamisile 3-pointer got VCU within 38-37 at the break.
• VCU trailed 54-50 with 9:35 remaining, but retook the lead with 4:44 left and never trailed again.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, (#5) VCU (20-12) will face (#4) UMass (20-10). Tipoff at approximately 2 p.m. TV: USA Network. 

-- 30 --

Where's the MAGA Kryptonite?

On Feb. 6, 2024, a D.C. Circuit Court's three-judge panel ruled unanimously that Trump does not have a blank check for immunity. Maybe those three judges still agree with those of us who believe that nobody has ever had such an anti-rule-of-law thing in the USA. Of course, since he lost (again), Trump appealed (again).

However, on Feb. 28, 2024, instead of stating the obvious -- that the appellate court panel's ruling was spot on, so there's no need to hear the case again -- the Supreme Court announced the date it had selected to begin to hear pro-and-con oral arguments on Trump's immunity claim issue.

Coast-to-coast, wishful thinking Democrats and anti-Trumplicans of every stripe groaned. Looking back on that sad day, it seems too many of us had jumped to the conclusion that the D.C. appellate court's ruling was tantamount to MAGA Kryptonite.

Phooey!

Thus, on April 22, the Supremes will have to sit and listen to Trump's legal team explain why the hell the Insurrectionist in Chief should never have to face the music spawned by 91 felonies. At least why he should definitely not have his free speech stifled by having to take time away from his political circus road show, to endure trials for having done stuff that is only alleged to be criminal by non-believers.

Ha! That's it. Trump's last resort defense will be that if He, the Second Coming does it, in this Christian nation it simply cannot be criminal.

Where's that damn MAGA Kryptonite?

-- 30 --

VCU's Spirited Effort Falls Short in Dayton

Final Score: Dayton 91, VCU 86 (OT)
Location: UD Arena
Current Records: Dayton 24-6, 14-4 in A-10. VCU 19-12, 11-7 A-10.

In a nutshell: By the 10:08 mark of the first half, VCU had jumped out to a shocking 17-point lead. In all, the Rams led for over 37 minutes of the contest. Thus, some VCU fans will surely think the Rams should have won this game to cap off the regular season. Yet, in spite of what was a spirited effort, this time VCU just couldn't finish the deal against the AP Poll's No. 25th ranked team.

While Zeb Jackson scored a career-high 26 points, VCU was unable to stave off Dayton's late rally in regulation time. Then, in the five-minute overtime period, with their confidence soaring, the Flyers pulled away; Elvis scored 10 of his 15 points in OT. 

So it was that the always tough Dayton Flyers, coached by Anthony Grant, finished the season undefeated on their home court (15-0). And, that's how VCU finished off the regular season with its third consecutive loss, to fall to fifth place in the conference standings.

NOTES (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Jackson knocked down 10-of-22 attempts from the field, including a career-best 6-of-14 from 3-point range. He also supplied five rebounds and three assists. Shulga added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Rams.
• Bamisile and Bairstow also poured in 13 points each for the Rams. Bairstow made three steals.
• Back-to-back buckets by Dayton’s Cheeks and Brea tied the game at 70-70 with 1:35 left in regulation. Although both teams had a pair of looks in the final 90 seconds, neither could convert.
• Jackson canned a 3-pointer from the wing to give VCU an 80-77 lead with 1:21 remaining in overtime, but Dayton’s Elvis answered with back-to-back triples over a dizzying 26-second sequence to put the Flyers in front 83-80 with 43 seconds left.
• VCU misfired on a 3-pointer on its next trip and four straight free throws extended the Flyers lead to 87-80 with 15 seconds on the clock. VCU staged one last-ditch effort when 3-pointers by Jackson and Shulga cut the deficit to 88-86 with four seconds left, but the Rams could get no closer.
• Dayton was led by Holmes, who recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds, as well as Santos, who chipped in 21 points and eight boards. 
• Dayton shot 54 percent (30-of-56) from the field in the game, including 55 percent (12-of-22) from 3-point range.
• The Flyers made 25 trips to the free throw line and connected on 19 of those free throws. VCU was sent to the line six times in the game, converting on 4-of-6.
• VCU leads the all-time series with Dayton 18-10.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: The Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. awaits. It will be held March 12-17. After a first-round bye, VCU will play the winner of the #12 vs. #13 game on Wed., Mar.13. Tipoff will be at approximately 2 p.m. The game will be televised on the USA network.

About 'Goodnight Irene'

 

When I was growing up my grandmother use to enjoy recounting a story about my affection for The Weavers recording of the song in the video above. Their version of "Goodnight Irene" became popular when I was two years old. So I may have first heard it on the radio.

According to my grandmother, the scene that follows played out in a restaurant she and my grandfather frequented. It had a big, lit up jukebox that fascinated me. It seems I was crazy about "Goodnight Irene" and would play it over and over.

As the song played, she said I would sway with the music and hug the jukebox. A three-year-old's dance, of a sort, I suppose. 

Apparently, I also liked the feel of the sound's vibrations. But I don't remember that part. However, I do remember that place's jukebox, itself. It was mostly green. I also vaguely remember pretending it was a rocker ship and I was driving it.

"Goodnight Irene" was the first of several popular songs I fell in love with, as a kid. This flashback is one of my earliest memories about anything.

As a small child I lived in a big old stucco house with my maternal grandparents, who were both fine musicians ... but they had regular day jobs. My grandmother was a nurse and an excellent pianist. My grandfather was a professional barbershop quartet bass, as well as a backup singer for recording sessions, mostly done in D.C. By day, he was an architect/draftsman for the C&O Railway. 

My exposure to their music and that of their friends who came over to party and rehearse, standing around the piano, left quite a mark on me. In particular, in that same time -- early 1950s -- I was a fan of the doowop style, maybe because it sounded something like the harmony of the barbershop quartet style. 

Of course, ever since then -- 70-some years ago -- whenever I hear that recording of "Goodnight Irene," it always takes me back to my rocket ship driving era.

-- 30 --

About Rachel Maddow's 'Ultra'

About "Ultra":

Listening to this series of nine excellent podcasts can be encouraging. That's because Rachel Maddow's "Ultra" tells us that we, the people, have faced the threat fascism poses to our way of life before. Moreover, our democracy dealt with the threat and survived. But, of course, the threat is back...

From the Ultra web page: "Sitting members of Congress aiding and abetting a plot to overthrow the government. Insurrectionists criminally charged with plotting to end American democracy for good..."

This well-researched, timely series documents a piece of history that well-informed good citizens need to know about and understand. And, get this: the parallels to what the power-hungry Trumplicans are trying to do to the USA today are chilling.

Maddow's nine "Ultra" podcast episodes also provide some background to help a listener better understand the hatred of President Franklin D. Roosevelt by extremists on the right during the Depression era and WWII years. Radical priest/radio commentator Charles E. Coughlin (widely known as Father Coughlin) and the Nazi-supporting American First movement/cult provided some of the leadership for anti-liberal/anti-FDR thinking in the USA.

By the way, there's a straight line leading from that America First movement directly to today's American First supporters of Trump. Back in the 1940s that group's activities provided a model for today's hate-driven MAGA cultists who -- in plain sight -- are pursuing an agenda to establish a cruel American autocracy.

For more background info here's a link to a NPR story about Maddow's "Ultra" podcast series. From my standpoint, "Ultra" is quite well produced and reasonably entertaining. It's about some crazy damn history that unfolded only 70-some-to-80-some years ago.

In those mid-century hard times, fortunately America's society was up to confronting the threat posed to its institutions by homegrown fascism. Click here to listen to "Ultra" and learn.

-- 30 --

Dukes Outplay Rams, 69-to-59

Final Score: Duquesne 69, VCU 59.
Location: Siegel Center.
Records: Duquesne 19-11, 9-8 in A-10. VCU 19-11, 11-6 A-10.

In a nutshell: Although Bamisile led VCU with 18 points and three boards, Duquesne made sure it wasn't enough. In the closing minutes, the Dukes won the game pulling away from the Rams. Grant paced the visitors' effort with a hot hand, scoring with 26 points.

Due to a back injury, Shulga, VCU’s leading scorer, did not play. Unfortunately, in what was the Rams last home game of the regular season, Shulga's teammates were just not able to close ranks to make up for his sorely missed presence. Two exceptions to that observation were Jackson and Lawal. 

Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. Lawal added 11 points and five boards coming off the bench. Overall, he played with the same aggressiveness and growing confidence we've seen from him in recent games. 

Clearly, Shulga's steadiness late in the contest was missed; to add to the Rams' woes, during the game Billips twisted an ankle. Going forward the status of both players is uncertain. 

As this game served as VCU’s annual Senior Day, prior to the contest four graduates -- Bairstow, Jackson, Kuany and Shulga -- were honored on the court in the traditional way. 

NOTES: (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Duquesne put together a 31-27 halftime lead. Then VCU took a 41-38 lead on a thunderous fast break dunk by Bairstow at the 15:38 mark of the second half, but that proved to be the Rams’ last hurrah. 
• Duquesne promptly responded with a 15-2 run, punctuated by a dunk by Drame, to take a 53-44 lead with 9:45 remaining. The Rams could get no closer than a six-point difference the rest of the way.
• Duquesne shot 48 percent (13-of-27) from the field in the second half. That included 6-of-13 from 3-point range.
• The Dukes built a 33-to-31 rebounding advantage and knocked down 11-of-12 free throw attempts. VCU made good on nine of its 14 shots from the  charity stripe.
• VCU’s bench outscored Duquesne's bench, 34-to-20.
• VCU leads in the all-time series with Duquesne 8-3.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: On Fri., Mar. 8, VCU will visit Dayton for its regular season's last game. Tipoff at 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

Hot-Shooting Richmond Outscores VCU

Final Score: Richmond 79, VCU 76
Location: The Robins Center
Records: Richmond 22-7, 14-2 in A-10. VCU 19-10, 11-5 A-10. 

In a nutshell: It wasn't that VCU played all that bad. It was that Richmond played better and prevailed. 

More specifically, in spite of their commendable effort on defense, when it counted most, the Rams simply couldn't stop two Spiders sharpshooting guards, Jordan King (27 pts.) and Delonnie Hunt (16 pts.), from scoring. 

All five of the Spiders starters scored in double figures. The Rams also had five players score in double figures. Both teams grabbed 30 rebounds. VCU committed 10 turnovers, Richmond committed 11 turnovers. VCU blocked three shots, UR blocked four.

However, in the second half, shooting from the field, the visitors hit 57.1 percent. But the home team made good on 66.7 percent of its shots. Several of those Spiders baskets were made with the shooters being closely guarded. During one amazing spell of the second stanza, Richmond connected on 13 consecutive shots from the field.  

In two matchups during the 2023-24 season, since both teams won their home game, it appears the crosstown rivalry is alive and well.

NOTES: (Information provided by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.)

• Over the final 2:59 of the first half, King scored 10 points, including a go-ahead, step-back jumper, to spur Richmond to an 11-2 run and a 32-29 halftime lead. 
• Out of the break, Max Shulga hit a 3-pointer at the 13:32 mark of the second half to cap a 15-5 burst by VCU. Shulga led the Rams scoring with 19 points. He knocked down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and converted all seven of his free throws. He also supplied four rebounds and two assists. 
• Sean Bairstow added 13 points, five assists and three rebounds for the Rams. Tobi Lawal and Zeb Jackson also chipped in 13 each for VCU. Jackson provided six rebounds and four assists, while Lawal hauled in five boards. 
• King drilled a pair of 3-pointers to spark a 12-0 Richmond run midway through the second half that pushed the Spiders in front 52-47 with 10:43 left. King added a third triple, a contested fadeaway from the right wing, as the shot clock expired, to extend Richmond’s advantage to 57-50 at the 9:24 mark.
• Back-to-back steals and buckets by Jackson and Lawal capped a 9-2 VCU blitz that pulled the Rams within 65-63 with 4:47 remaining. The teams traded a pair of buckets before Isaiah Bigelow provided the Spiders with a 70-65 cushion with a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:58 on the clock. 
• The Rams drew within three once more, but could not get over the hump. A dunk by Dji Bailey and four free throws in the final minute kept VCU at bay.
• The Spiders shot 67 percent (16-of-24) overall from the field in the second period, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. 
• The Rams shot 46 percent (26-of-56) from the field in the game, including 42 percent (10-of-24) from long range.
• VCU now leads the all-time series with Richmond by a 60-to-33 margin.

BOX SCORE

NEXT UP: VCU will host Duquesne on Tues., Mar. 5. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. at the Siegel Center. That last home game of the regular season will serve as the Rams’ Senior Day; it will be televised by MASN and ESPN+. 

Winning 270 Electors is the Answer

We've all grown accustomed to hearing politicians on the stump making rather exaggerated claims. Routinely, such assertions are about various threats to our security and way of life the speechmaker wants us to believe are dangerous and growing. Naturally, the threats are blamed on the policies of their corrupt opponents in the other political party.

For many politicians, without such tiresome hyperbole they would have little or nothing to say. Which is certainly part of why so many people try to ignore campaigning candidates. 

However, it's not an exaggeration to say Donald Trump intends to continue running roughshod over democracy, itself, and the rule of law in the USA. Therefore, those of us who do follow politics know that Trump has been making no secret of his plotting to become America's first dictator -- an unbridled ketchup-slinger who answers to no one. NO ONE.  

Moreover, believing that a court might put the total kibosh on Trump's bandwagon to recapture the White House, has, at best, been a lot of wishful thinking. At least it has in my view. In spite of what MSNBC's regular pundits and selected experts have been singing together in close harmony, I think that's been true all along. 

Furthermore, I have little doubt that MSNBC's ratings, and thus it revenues, have benefitted from promulgating that partisan take on the Court's likely decision concerning if and when to take up the issue of Trump's immunity appeal.  

So, here's the truth as I now see it to be: The scary aforementioned threats being posed to our democracy and the rule of law are as real as it gets. Plus, the only good answers to those looming threats can be found by winning a landslide of elections, national and statewide, to be conducted on November 5th. 

While the series of trials Trump is facing -- eventually, maybe someday -- could still play a role in the outcomes of some elections, from here on betting on the Supreme Court to issue decisions that appear to directly boost any particular candidates is a bad bet. Not this year. The highest court in the land appears ready to let all of Trump's legal troubles be settled at some time after the election, probably after the next inauguration day. 

If that's true, a majority of the justices are apparently buying it that after all the crazy stuff we've seen since Trump's famous escalator ride in 2015, should the voters opt to return such a gangster to the White House, then so be it. This, from a Supreme Court unashamed of its key role in attempting to foster a fascist regime.

Likewise, if Trump's coattails are long enough and the sycophant Trumplicans capture control of the Senate and the House, then OK -- the voters of the United States of America will be getting what they want: a full blown autocracy. 

For Democrats and anti-Trumpists of all stripes in 2024, winning the election is THE answer that matters ... and that's no exaggeration.