<img src="http://www.vcuramnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ECUVCU.jpg" alt="ECUVCU" title="ECUVCU" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2833" />
VCU vs East Carolina
Tonight, 7:30pm
Great article by Tim Perrell from the Richmond Times Dispatch today on former Highland Spring High School teammates, Brandon Rozzell and Jamar Abrams turned VCU Ram/ECU Pirate (respectively).
Tonight's game will be an opportunity for the Rams to get revenge on a close loss (93-90 OT) last year in Greenville, NC. Rozzell is averaging 8.4 points this season and Abrams is averaging 9.8 points a game.
ECU is currently at 5-7 coming off an overtime loss to the George Washington Colonials and VCU is currently 7-2 coming off a win against the Green Wave of Tulane.
<blockquote>Virginia Commonwealth guard Brandon Rozzell and East Carolina guard/forward Jamar Abrams had a few days off from basketball last week.
They spent part of their Christmas break hanging out at Abrams' house, watching reruns of their games at Highland Springs High and their 2007 state championship.
"We were laughing at each other," Rozzell said, "looking at how each of us has grown."
Rozzell and Abrams have been best friends since they were 5, when they became teammates on a youth-league basketball team.
"Our families are real close," Rozzell said. "My dad was the coach, and (Abrams') mom was the team mom.
"If you go through the photo album, there's a picture for every age. We've always been on the same team, in AAU, middle school and high school."
Tonight, though, the former Springers will be on opposite sides for the second time during their careers. Rozzell will be trying to help VCU (7-2) beat ECU (5-7), and Abrams will be trying to accomplish the reverse, in a 7:30 game at the Siegel Center that marks the return of Pirates coach Mack McCarthy, who coached the Rams from 1998-2002.
Rozzell and Abrams played against each other last year, when East Carolina beat VCU 93-90 in overtime in Greenville, N.C. Both described that experience as "weird."
"On the court you try to block it out and focus on the game," Abrams said. "You try to look at it as just another opponent. But it's kind of hard since he's my best friend."
Abrams and Rozzell live about five minutes apart. When Abrams returns during the summer, they always play on the same pickup team...</blockquote>
Read the full article <a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/college/college_basketball/article/VCUU29_20091228-222804/314120/">here</a>
VCU vs East Carolina
Tonight, 7:30pm
Great article by Tim Perrell from the Richmond Times Dispatch today on former Highland Spring High School teammates, Brandon Rozzell and Jamar Abrams turned VCU Ram/ECU Pirate (respectively).
Tonight's game will be an opportunity for the Rams to get revenge on a close loss (93-90 OT) last year in Greenville, NC. Rozzell is averaging 8.4 points this season and Abrams is averaging 9.8 points a game.
ECU is currently at 5-7 coming off an overtime loss to the George Washington Colonials and VCU is currently 7-2 coming off a win against the Green Wave of Tulane.
<blockquote>Virginia Commonwealth guard Brandon Rozzell and East Carolina guard/forward Jamar Abrams had a few days off from basketball last week.
They spent part of their Christmas break hanging out at Abrams' house, watching reruns of their games at Highland Springs High and their 2007 state championship.
"We were laughing at each other," Rozzell said, "looking at how each of us has grown."
Rozzell and Abrams have been best friends since they were 5, when they became teammates on a youth-league basketball team.
"Our families are real close," Rozzell said. "My dad was the coach, and (Abrams') mom was the team mom.
"If you go through the photo album, there's a picture for every age. We've always been on the same team, in AAU, middle school and high school."
Tonight, though, the former Springers will be on opposite sides for the second time during their careers. Rozzell will be trying to help VCU (7-2) beat ECU (5-7), and Abrams will be trying to accomplish the reverse, in a 7:30 game at the Siegel Center that marks the return of Pirates coach Mack McCarthy, who coached the Rams from 1998-2002.
Rozzell and Abrams played against each other last year, when East Carolina beat VCU 93-90 in overtime in Greenville, N.C. Both described that experience as "weird."
"On the court you try to block it out and focus on the game," Abrams said. "You try to look at it as just another opponent. But it's kind of hard since he's my best friend."
Abrams and Rozzell live about five minutes apart. When Abrams returns during the summer, they always play on the same pickup team...</blockquote>
Read the full article <a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/college/college_basketball/article/VCUU29_20091228-222804/314120/">here</a>
