Maybe you thought the Virginia men’s basketball team doesn’t deserve its No. 21 national ranking or that the Cavaliers’ impressive 3-0 start with wins over mediocre teams was just a fluke.
And I admit, I too was skeptical. I was an unbeliever. I thought the Cavs wouldn’t come away with a win in last night’s matchup with Purdue, the same well-coached team that beat then-No. 1 Arizona over the weekend.
Sure, we saw the Cavaliers defeat Long Island, Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech by an average of 33.6 points, but was Virginia really a top 25 team? Could they play in the ranks of Duke and Maryland come early March?
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After all, despite pocketing wins against big teams like Maryland and North Carolina last year, Virginia fell short in the big games at the end of the season. The Cavs lost to North Carolina State and Georgetown in the first rounds of the ACC and NIT tournaments.
So when the Boilermakers came to University Hall for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to give the Cavs their first real test of the season, I expected another big-game letdown.
But when Virginia defeated Purdue 98-79, they proved me, along with you other cynics, wrong.
The team, however, was much more secure about their chances.
“We have a lot of confidence in ourselves,” sophomore guard Roger Mason Jr. said. “We know the kind of potential there is on our team and what we’re capable of. And with this win, I’m glad that we’re finally able to show everyone out there that Virginia is really a good team.”
And the Cavaliers did just that. The victory over Purdue wasn’t just a regular win and was far from being down-to-the-wire. With a 19-point victory margin, the win was huge.
The Cavs came out strong and controlled the tempo right from the start. A 13-0 run early in the first half put Virginia up by double digits, and the margin continued to widen. By the end of the first half, the Cavaliers had an 18-point advantage.
The Cavaliers “got off to a very good start, and they came after us,” Purdue coach Gene Keady said. “We weren’t patient, and the game was over in the first half.”
If the Cavaliers can play defense, rebound, force turnovers and spread the ball around like they did last night against the likes of ACC foes Duke and Maryland, Virginia could be a contender for the ACC title in March and still be playing in April.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, the Cavaliers’ problems last season were at the end of the year, when the pressure starts to build. Right now, it’s only four games into the season. At least Virginia has opened the eyes of a national television audience to the resurgence of its program.
Who knows? With a few more wins under its belt, you might even believe that Virginia can beat good, widely respected teams. Like Purdue.
Photo by Cavalier Daily Staff Photographer, Cavalier Daily Photo Staff
Forward Chris Williams (far right) drove Virginia past Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with 24 and nine points, respectively. The Cavs dominated every significant statistical category in the rout.