The 2006-07 Virginia men's basketball team will take the court at 7 p.m. this Sunday in the brand new John Paul Jones Arena to face perhaps their toughest season-opening opponent ever. The Arizona Wildcats, who won the NCAA championship in 1997, come into Sunday's game ranked 10th in the preseason ESPN poll.
Traditionally, the Cavaliers play weaker opponents in their first games. Their last five opening opponents have been Liberty, Robert Morris, Mount St. Mary's, Long Island University and Wagner. Next to the traditional college basketball powerhouse of Arizona, these programs pale in comparison. Virginia will certainly face a formidable opponent in the Wildcats, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year before losing to Villanova.
With this tougher first opponent, Virginia is practicing at a more intense level than usual.
"We don't have another two, three weeks to kind of test it out against a team we know we can be better than," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "We're playing a team next week where if you don't do it, you're going to be in deep trouble. We're trying to play with a sense of urgency that we haven't locked ourselves into yet."
Besides Arizona, the Cavaliers also face tough non-conference opponents this season in Purdue, Gonzaga and Stanford.
"I definitely am excited about playing those teams," junior Sean Singletary said. "I am definitely excited that we are playing at home, we're a great home team. We'll get experience and get better on the road, but you can't ask anything more for us. The table has been set for us. Coach has done a great job with scheduling. It's right there for us."
Singletary should be excited about playing three of those four big non-conference games at home (Arizona, Gonzaga and Stanford). The Cavaliers were 12-3 at home but only 2-10 on the road last year. Plus, one would expect the home-court advantage to be bigger for the Cavaliers this season for the sole reason that the new arena seats nearly twice as many people as University Hall does.
Virginia travels to Purdue Nov. 29 to play in the eighth annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Cavaliers defeated the Boilermakers in their last matchup in Charlottesville in 2000, 98-79. Purdue is coming off a pair of abnormally bad seasons but is usually a quality opponent. The program is looking to improve after a noticeable decline in the final years of the Gene Keady era. Given Virginia's history on the road, the game should not be overlooked.
The Cavaliers welcome Gonzaga to Charlottesville Jan. 3. The Bulldogs have become a powerhouse in recent years, though they will take a hit this year with the graduation of current NBA player Adam Morrison. Virginia has lost both of their meetings to Gonzaga -- last year on the road 80-69 and in the 2001 NCAA Tournament 86-85. The Bulldogs advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament last season before losing to UCLA 73-71.
Stanford visits Virginia Jan. 7. The Cardinal actually ended the Cavaliers' season last year, defeating them 65-49 in the first round of the NIT. Stanford lost in the next round to Missouri State 76-67.
Despite the tough schedule, Virginia hopes to make a run at the NCAA Tournament.
"I want it bad," senior J. R. Reynolds said. "I've been wanting NCAAs since I got here. It's the last chance that I get at it. So I better make it a good one and do whatever it takes"
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