Second Place: Winning Bid for 2015 Road World Cycling Championships

Third Place: Filming of the Steven Spielberg “Lincoln” Film

OK, so it’s been more than a year now. But the dominoes from Virginia Commonwealth University’s trip to the Final Four in 2011 are still falling. After falling a basket short of advancing to the Sweet 16 in this year’s NCAA tournament, Coach Shaka Smart spurned the University of Illinois to remain in Richmond, and all but one player, senior Bradford Burgess, returns to a team that many national writers picked to crack the preseason Top 25. But it isn’t really about hoops, per se. It’s about a celebrity coach and his team who have re-energized Richmond. And with a move to the more prestigious Atlantic 10 conference in 2013, the Rams are just getting started.