The night after the national title game, Shaka Smart opted not to take up an offer from NC State and instead chose to stay at Virginia Commonwealth.

“A lot of people have asked me why didn’t I leave,” Smart said last week, the day before VCU continued its post-Final Four season with an intra-city rivalry win over Richmond. “And my simple answer is: why not? Why not stay? It’s a great place to be.

“People talk about a window of opportunity being there last year, and what if that window closes? Well, it’s not like a window that’s in a burning building. I’m in a really good place.”

VCU players were always of the belief that Smart would return to the Rams.

“One thing he said (last season) was, after all we did, he wouldn’t get a chance to see us finish up, to see the vindication of last year and of all our successes, if he left to go to another program,” said senior swingman Bradford Burgess, the only returning starter from the Final Four team. “And after he said that, we weren’t worried about him.”

Issiah Grayson is Cal State Bakersfield's leader in scoring (12.7 points per game) and assists (3.8).

Head coach Rod Barnes recruited Grayson during his time at Georgia State, but the point guard chose Virginia Commonwealth.

Grayson spent one season at VCU and one at Idaho Community College before uniting with Barnes.

"Before I got the job here, I called his coach and said if I get the job, I want him to go with me," Barnes said.

When Grayson spent his senior season at Findlay, he was a top-100 recruit.

"He was a kid we recruited who we really liked, who I really felt close to," Barnes said. There was disappointment when Grayson chose VCU.

"When we played them at the end of that season, he gave me an earful," Grayson said.

"It was facetious," Barnes said. "He was still coming around (the following summer) and played with our guys. I didn't realize he took it serious until he got here."