Buddist worshippers who want to visit the Kukke Subramanya Temple in India must first cross the Kumaradhara River and take a holy dip in the river. The dip is not a baptism nor does it symbolize a cleansing of sins.

Instead, the dip is meant for the pilgrims to feel the currents of the water, to let those currents guide their minds into a place where they can meditate on what’s important that day once they enter the temple. The belief: outside forces can push you places you may not want to go. However those forces are relentless so you should accept them and work through them to get to your goals.

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We lead with the Farm Bureau Insurance Black & Blue Classic, where VCU put a 73-51 pounding on crosstown rival Richmond. Brad Burgess made one field goal but 11 free throws, scoring in double-figures for the eighth straight game and finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

But as we mentioned last week, it’s the defense that’s carrying VCU. In their past three games the Rams are allowing opponents 52.3ppg and giving up a stingy 0.847 points per possession.

“I’m really proud of the way our guys defended tonight,” said Shaka Smart. “We talked about the way we had to have a relentless effort on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes. I thought we did a really nice job defensively tonight holding a really good team to just 51 points.”

The game turned on a mid second half spree. From 11:03 to 3:35, a 20-4 run changed a 47-45 boxing match into a 67-49 fiesta. The sellout crowd was a raucous as I can remember a Siegel Center crowd, and the end-game chant was priceless for CAA fans: “Just Like Kan-sas…”

In fact, the VCU defense held Richmond without a field goal over the final 8:21 of the contest. That got me to thinking about “havoc” and how it plays out on the court. Most people think it’s all about press and steal, layup. Rinse. Repeat. Play games in the 80s and 90s. And while I’m certain Shaka Smart wouldn’t turn up his nose at easy points, it seems the reality of havoc is something different.

Havoc puts players in uncomfortable positions, forced to make plays they aren’t accustomed to making. Guards on the run with unfamiliar patterns and defenders in unpredictable places. Big men with the ball in their hands and being forced to make a pass off the dribble to that guard who is already running.

It frequently results in passes to cheerleaders and newspaper reporters. It isn’t a live ball turnover, but a turnover nonetheless. The goal is to get extra possessions with an opportunity to score; thus, the most important statistic to look at when evaluating the success of havoc is not necessarily steals, but rather turnover differential. On offense, fast doesn’t do VCU any good if the Rams players are out of control and make their own harried turnovers; or they are going so fast they cannot stop or make cuts.

Turnover differential in the Richmond game: VCU 7, Richmond 17. Individual eye-popper: Richmond big man Darius Garrett had seven turnovers on his own. Guard Cedric Lindsay (who is very good at basketball, BTW) had 17 points and one turnover in the first half, and five points and three turnovers in the second half.

Another wrinkle in this year’s havoc for Shaka Smart: constant ball pressure in the halfcourt. This is something that was lacking from last year’s team. Once the press has been broken and a VCU opponent sets up its offense, havoc continues with heavy pressure on the ballhandler, and bigs are closely guarded at the foul line.

Briante Weber is the chief pest, but Rob Brandenburg is overplaying wings and Darius Theus is playing an in-your-chest straight man. It causes continued stress. So VCU opponents end up making a choice: fight for 30 seconds in your offesnive set, or run up the court and find a quick shot–and speeding up plays right into the hands of the VCU approach.

It’s tiring mentally and physically.

That brought me to this theory on Saturday morning, which sent me scurrying to the boxscores. Lindsay’s poor second half HAD to be about more than Smart screaming at his team “somebody guard that guy!” My theory is that the most important facet of havoc is this:

The cumulative effect of havoc causes a second half run that gut-punches opponents.

It’s that VCU opponents have their stamina in the first half and can mostly make those kinds of plays. But along comes Dr. Fatigue and his shorts-tugging ways and those plays aren’t as easy. VCU goes 10-deep and ratchets up the pressure. Mentally, it’s draining to see Weber in your face all game. And keep this in mind–you can’t play this way successfully without skilled basketball players.

By the middle of the second half you get tired and make decisions without focus. Sharp passes in the first half start to look Ray Guy-ish. You’re mad as hell, and you’re not going to take it anymore. In basketball, being bullheaded is a bad idea in the open court.

Indeed at the 11 minute mark VCU went on the game-clinching 20-4 run against Richmond. George Washington held on loosely but eventually succumbed: from 5:27 to the end of the game, VCU went on a 13-4 ending kick that turned a 62-56 tight lead into a 75-60 victory.

Against South Florida, it was a 19-4 gallop from 16:58 to 9:33 that made a 34-31 game 53-35. (VCU extended the run for three more minutes, a 26-6 blitz for a 58-37 lead.). Western Kentucky? From 12:47 to 4:11, a 19-1 run made a 43-41 game 62-42.

Even Alabama struggled (but recovered). From 16:22 to 13:12, a 10-2 VCU run turned a 42-40 deficit into a 50-44 lead.

The point: the havoc train is coming. You’d better be ready to meet it head on, with tired legs.

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Georgia State simply continues to overwhelm its opposition. On Saturday, Rhode Island came calling and took the whipping, 96-64. Devonta White scored 20 points and Brandon McGee added 18 off the bench. That’s seven in a row for the Panthers, each game more impressive than the last. The Panthers are 7-3.

GSU has won as many as seven in a row five other times in its history, most recently twice during the 2003-04 season. The school record is an eight-game streak by the Panthers’ 2001 NCAA Tournament team, coached by a man with CAA ties–Lefty Driesell. The eighth is certainly winnable–the Panthers travel to play Utah Valley later this week, a team it handled last year by 13 points.

Eric Buckner contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, and James Fields added 15 points, nine assists, and three steals on Saturday. White also had five assists and three steals while keying Georgia State’s 75-possession attack that produced 32 fast break points with just nine turnovers.That’s a turnover rate of 12.0%. Comparative: the best team in the country taking care of the basketball, UCSB, has a 13.9% turnover rate, and that’s on 66 possessions per game.

Last week Ron Hunter called Fields his Tim Tebow–he may not be great at any one thing, but he’s a winner. The most interesting part of Georgia State’s season comes as you shake off New Year’s celebration. The Panthers start the full conference season by hosting Drexel on January 2, then travel at VCU and at Mason.

Speaking of Drexel, the Dragons outlasted Princeton on Saturday 64-60. Chris Fouch is doing his best Georgia State impression. He scored 23 points to lead the way. Damion Lee chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds, and Frantz Massenat played all 40 minutes and had 12 points, four assists, and only one turnover. Didn’t I read somewhere that guard play, not post play, was more critical for Drexel?

Side note: it’s worth pointing out that good guy and smart arse Gary Moore correctly points out that Drexel was averaging only 14 free throws per game, lowest in CAA. The Dragons were 20-24 from the line Saturday–critical to their victory. Psst, Gary: Fouch, Massenat, and Lee were 18-19 FT.

Importantly, Fouch played 19 second half minutes. Also, Derrick Thomas did not play due to an undisclosed illness but is expected back soon.

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The rollercoaster ride continues in Norfolk. ODU made just 17-57 FGs (29.8%) and dropped its roadie at Fairfield, 59-51. Kent Bazemore followed up his huge Northeastern game by posting a six-point, zero-assist, five-turnover dud. Old Dominion trailed 46-27 with 12 minutes to go but held Fairfield to one field goal and four free throws over the next 10:40. However the 17-6 run was too little, too late.

If you’re going to make a big comeback you have to get easy baskets, which hasn’t been the case for ODU this season. The Monarchs had no (zero) fast break points, and scored just nine second chance points.

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YouDee notched its first road victory of the season, heading down Route 1 to defeat Delaware State. Here’s all you need to know from that game: Jamelle Hagins had 21 points and 19 rebounds. I don’t care who you’re playing. To get 19 rebounds is to bring it. Delaware as a TEAM grabbed 37 rebounds. Hagins had more than half of those. For those who were concerned or being overly dramatic: Devon Saddler played 36 minutes.

Mason strolled by Radford, with Mike Morrison posting a 17/11 double double. Morrison also took the most shots (12) and free throws (8) of any Patriots player. Seven offensive rebounds has a lot to do with that number.

Much like its loss to Rhode Island, Hofstra started very slowly and couldn’t make up enough ground in its 68-59 loss to Manhattan. This was a 23-6 hole. Mike Moore needs to be more efficient for the Pride. Moore has scored 20 points and 15 points in Hofstra’s past two losses but is 9-31 from the field in those two games.

Towson lost probably its best viewpoint chance to win this season, dropping a 62-58 decision to UMBC. Want to know why? The Tigers made just 8-25 from the line, including 3-15 in the second half.