We all know it's not how you start but how you finish. That certainly applies to a college hoops season. But that point aside, I think we also need to occasionally take a second to appreciate the present, appreciate the journey, step back and understand how rare certain accomplishments are.
At VCU we've become accustomed to success. The Rams have been nationally ranked frequently over the past six seasons, have been an NCAA tournament staple and have basically just made a habit out of winning in the post-Final 4 era of black and gold basketball.
[caption id="attachment_19227" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/warren-color-dunk-lbsu-low-res.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-19227" src="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/warren-color-dunk-lbsu-low-res.jpg" alt="Kendrick Warren started his senior season with the Rams in 1993." width="300" height="392" /></a> Kendrick Warren started his senior season with the Rams in 1993.[/caption]
But 6-1, as crazy as it may seem, is a very rare thing around here. It's so rare in fact that the last time it happened was all the way back in 1993.
1993, one of my favorite years. Seriously. I was 13, Will Wade was 11 and no doubt we were both probably wearing ill-fitting pants with too many pockets and zippers while experimenting with early-90s bad haircuts (Wade has curly hair like myself, so we might've both failed on bowl cut attempts).
VCU's 1993-94 season ultimately ended in disappointment, a 13-loss season that concluded with a final L to then-conference rival Virginia Tech back in the now-defunct Metro Conference (fun fact: Louisville was a conference then. How wild is that?). Kendrick Warren was our star player. He now has a jersey hanging in the rafters at the Siegel Center.
The Rams six wins then were over JMU, Radford, Liberty, Buffalo, Siena and George Mason with VCU's only loss coming to that team across town that wears the red and blue.
This year's Ws include victories over the likes of LSU and St. John's, wins fans like myself undervalue due to those teams current (and expected) RPIs, but wins over programs from legit conferences, teams with histories that include players like Shaquille O'Neil, "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Chris Mullins (who coincidentally now coaches the St. John's team we just beat).
I think it's important to sometimes step back and appreciate that wins over those types of programs weren't always so expected. We've come a long way.
But on to the important stuff, the things that made us all love 1993.
It was the end of Czechoslovakia and the beginning of Monday Night Raw. Bill Clinton was inaugurated as President and during a middle school trip to DC for that, I spent every penny my parents had given me for food on a slick pair of roller blades.
MY TOP-10 MOVIES OF 1993 (In no particular order)[/HEADING=3]
At VCU we've become accustomed to success. The Rams have been nationally ranked frequently over the past six seasons, have been an NCAA tournament staple and have basically just made a habit out of winning in the post-Final 4 era of black and gold basketball.
[caption id="attachment_19227" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/warren-color-dunk-lbsu-low-res.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-19227" src="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/warren-color-dunk-lbsu-low-res.jpg" alt="Kendrick Warren started his senior season with the Rams in 1993." width="300" height="392" /></a> Kendrick Warren started his senior season with the Rams in 1993.[/caption]
But 6-1, as crazy as it may seem, is a very rare thing around here. It's so rare in fact that the last time it happened was all the way back in 1993.
1993, one of my favorite years. Seriously. I was 13, Will Wade was 11 and no doubt we were both probably wearing ill-fitting pants with too many pockets and zippers while experimenting with early-90s bad haircuts (Wade has curly hair like myself, so we might've both failed on bowl cut attempts).
VCU's 1993-94 season ultimately ended in disappointment, a 13-loss season that concluded with a final L to then-conference rival Virginia Tech back in the now-defunct Metro Conference (fun fact: Louisville was a conference then. How wild is that?). Kendrick Warren was our star player. He now has a jersey hanging in the rafters at the Siegel Center.
The Rams six wins then were over JMU, Radford, Liberty, Buffalo, Siena and George Mason with VCU's only loss coming to that team across town that wears the red and blue.
This year's Ws include victories over the likes of LSU and St. John's, wins fans like myself undervalue due to those teams current (and expected) RPIs, but wins over programs from legit conferences, teams with histories that include players like Shaquille O'Neil, "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Chris Mullins (who coincidentally now coaches the St. John's team we just beat).
I think it's important to sometimes step back and appreciate that wins over those types of programs weren't always so expected. We've come a long way.
But on to the important stuff, the things that made us all love 1993.
It was the end of Czechoslovakia and the beginning of Monday Night Raw. Bill Clinton was inaugurated as President and during a middle school trip to DC for that, I spent every penny my parents had given me for food on a slick pair of roller blades.
MY TOP-10 MOVIES OF 1993 (In no particular order)[/HEADING=3]
Jurassic Park
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Fugitive
Menace II Society
Dazed and Confused
Rudy
Mrs. Doubtfire
Waynes World 2
The Sandlot
Groundhog Day
(Sorry Schindler's List and Surf Ninjas...you just missed my cut)
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MY TOP-10 SONGS OF 1993 that cracked Billboard 100 (again, no particular order)[/HEADING=3]
Digable Planets "Rebirth Of Slick"
Arrested Development "Mr. Wendall"
Onyx "Slam"
4 Non Blondes "What's Up"
Positive K "I Got A Man"
Ice Cube "It Was A Good Day"
Tag Team "Whoomp! (There It Is)"
UB40 "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Shai "If I Ever Fall In Love"
Dr. Dre "Nothing But A G Thang"
Honorable mention: Wreckx-n-Effect "Rump Shaker"
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SOME POP CULTURE EVENTS OF INTEREST OF '93[/HEADING=3]
[caption id="attachment_19226" align="alignright" width="331"]<a href="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/rolling-stone-janet-jackson-cover.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-19226" src="https://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/rolling-stone-janet-jackson-cover.jpg" alt="Janet Jackson gets bra assist in controversial '93 Rolling Stones cover." width="331" height="400" /></a> Janet Jackson gets bra assist in controversial '93 Rolling Stones cover.[/caption]
-Saved By The Bell cast graduates from Bayside High
-Mega-babe Lisa Bonet wises up and splits with Lenny Kravitz (but still won't respond to my emails)
-Janet Jackson wears inventive man-hands bra on the cover of Rolling Stone
-Cheers season finale airs
-John Paxson's 3-pointer seals Bulls third-consecutive championship and earns white playground ballers nickname of "Paxson" all around the country (was previously just "Bird")
-Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuts
-DOOM becomes a smash PC computer game success
-Treveon Graham, Melvin Johnson, Mo Alie-Cox and Jordan Burgess are born
Digable Planets "Rebirth Of Slick"
Arrested Development "Mr. Wendall"
Onyx "Slam"
4 Non Blondes "What's Up"
Positive K "I Got A Man"
Ice Cube "It Was A Good Day"
Tag Team "Whoomp! (There It Is)"
UB40 "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Shai "If I Ever Fall In Love"
Dr. Dre "Nothing But A G Thang"
Honorable mention: Wreckx-n-Effect "Rump Shaker"
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