I've never written a eulogy before, but Saturday was the last Virginia basketball game of my college career, so I've decided to take it as an opportunity to do so.
For me, Virginia's 73-63 loss to Villanova marked an end of an era. For the Virginia basketball program, however, it marked the end of another season with questionable results. It all depends on how you look at it.
At most funerals, the person giving the eulogy focuses on the positive, and there was plenty of positive to focus on after Saturday's loss. The Cavaliers fought back from a 15-point deficit in the second half to cut the Villanova lead to four with just under two minutes remaining. Whereas Virginia teams of the past simply folded under similar circumstances, this team never stopped fighting.
Additionally, Virginia got a tremendous boost from its freshmen. Swingman Gary Forbes led the Cavaliers with 19 points on 8-11 shooting. J.R. Reynolds and Donte Minter both had eight points apiece and kept Virginia close during much of the first half. During one stretch, Minter befuddled the taller Wildcat defenders, scoring six points in four minutes. If Saturday's contest is any indication, the greatness of this team is in its future.
Regardless of the positive spin someone can put on a eulogy, there comes a time when the mourners reach their ultimate conclusion: the deceased, no matter how well-regarded, is gone; and there must be some cause of death. For the Cavaliers, the season came to an end because of the same flaws the team has demonstrated for years.
Virginia looked lifeless for the first 30 minutes Saturday, mimicking a plethora of road losses I've watched over the last four years. In the last 10 minutes of play, the Cavaliers scored only 37 points. Virginia shot only 38 percent from the floor and hit only one three-pointer the entire game. To Villanova's credit, the Wildcats played great defense and challenged almost every shot. But I still have a hard time accepting one for 10 from a team that went 13 for 26 from three-point land against George Washington.
Even more frustrating is the fact that Virginia allowed Villanova to completely dictate the game. The Wildcats wanted a low-scoring affair, and the Cavaliers were happy to oblige. After starting out in a box-and-one, Virginia quickly dug down in a two-three zone, and the trench war began. For four years, I've watched Virginia play to the level of its opponent. Whether playing Duke at Cameron to a standstill for most of the game, or winning a squeaker against a sub-.500 Clemson team, the Cavaliers have always seemed to rise, or stoop, to the occasion.
I'd give anything if, for once, Virginia would go into so-and-so's gym and just absolutely kick the living tar out of them. Whether it's Duke, Clemson or Quinnipiac, just go in there and jump on them from the outset and blow them out. I remember the last time Virginia did that against a team not named VMI: on Jan. 27, 2001, Virginia won 104-76 at Clemson. That Virginia squad dictated the game and ran the Tigers out of their own gym. It's a sight that I've sorely missed.
Ironically, Virginia's final loss proved to be a microcosm of the entire season. Down 15 points with 10 minutes remaining, the boys in blue were left for dead. My colleague Jon Evans and I were already talking about where to stop for dinner on the way home. But, just like they did in the regular season, the Cavaliers had a late surge of brilliance. For a while, it looked like they were going to pull off another fantastic finish.
Unfortunately, just like the regular season, the Cavaliers finished just short. One more bucket, like one more win, and who knows where Virginia would be right now. For four years, I've watched that last bucket elude the Cavaliers on the road. I hoped beyond hope that they'd find it yesterday, but something inside me knew it would escape them once again.
So now, with the season over, everyone involved with the Virginia basketball program will move on to the next step. The seniors will graduate, and the underclassmen will get stronger and work toward next season. The future of the coaching staff remains uncertain, and Saturday's game provided all the reasons for and against keeping them around. Their kids played hard, but it was too little, too late.
Like Pete Gillen, I don't know where I'll be next year. I haven't received a vote of confidence that anyone will want my services once I graduate. But I do know that starting next November, I'll once again foster hope about the upcoming season, waiting to see if it will be the year the Cavaliers finally get that one final bucket.
Read More
Virginia baseball falters, drops series to NC State
By Jacob Tisdale | YesterdayVirginia dropped a crucial ACC series, endangering a top seed in the conference tournament.
Women’s lacrosse upset in season-ending defeat against Florida
By Matthew Ryeom | YesterdayThe Cavaliers kept it close until the fourth quarter, where they ultimately came up short.
No. 6 men’s lacrosse trumps Saint Joseph’s 17-11 as Cormier breaks NCAA scoring record
By Ben Istvan | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers snapped their four-game losing streak with a comfortable win over the Hawks.
