Is it frustrating to watch Virginia flush its NCAA Tournament dreams down the toilet with its 1-5 ACC start? Absolutely.
Is it even more deflating when the team continues to put itself in position to win in the second half time and again, only to collapse in the final minutes? Of course.
The most difficult part of this rough start by the Cavaliers, however, is watching senior Sean Singletary leave his heart on the floor game-in and game-out while playing through a hip pointer and seeing no results. Last night's 85-75 loss to Maryland was no different.
Type in the phrase "hip pointer," on Wikipedia, WebMD and a number of other sources, and the phrase "painful injury," seems to be the catch phrase for every site.
If you have to qualify an injury with the word "painful," then you know it's a tough injury to play through.
"When it gets touched, it's very sensitive," Singletary said. "There's a lot of swelling right now."
The only treatment? Several weeks of rest.
Singletary's treatment, however, is 34-plus minutes per game, twice a week.
And yet, he continues to perform. Last night, he put up 23 points and didn't turn the ball over a single time.
Maybe the hip is feeling better, I thought as I entered the Virginia locker room. But when I asked him, he sighed, chuckled and flatly said no. It turns out that he wasn't even planning on playing last night until right before tip-off.
"It just kills right now," he said.
This is the third straight game Singletary has been laboring through this hip pointer, and the third straight game that he's been the best player on the floor.
Sure, he didn't put up the same numbers in the last two games against Georgia Tech and Florida State, and this newspaper and others have been quick to point out Singletary's previous two 11-point nights.
But, scoring isn't everything, and the fact of the matter is that even when the scoring element is missing, he's still the best player on the floor for the Cavaliers every night. He is spoonfeeding shots to his teammates, averaging 6.7 assists per game and handling the ball for the majority of most possessions. All of this while being double and triple-teamed, trapped, denied and shadowed.
And, by the way, he spends a good deal of time guarding some of the most talented point guards in the country, effectively utilizing his quick hands to pick the pockets of the most savvy of opposing ball-handlers.
"He continues to amaze me," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "I can't come close to naming somebody that I've ever been around that has the kind of heart he does."
Yet, Singletary or no Singletary, heart or no heart, Virginia continues to disappoint. And let's be realistic. For the Cavs to make the tournament, a .500 ACC record would almost certainly be enough to get them in, and even a 7-9 finish might do it.
But, Virginia is 1-5 in the ACC, and is facing the most grueling part of its schedule in the next few weeks. Of the next six games, four of them are on the road, and the two home games are against Clemson and No. 4 North Carolina. What are the chances of making the tournament? Slim.
But don't blame it on Sean.
Blame it on injuries. As Leitao pointed out after the Georgia Tech loss, the Cavs are missing Tunji Soroye and Lars Mikalauskas from their frontcourt and only recently got back Will Harris. In lieu of these two, the team is forced to start an undersized freshman in Mike Scott at center and Adrian Joseph at power forward when he really ought to be playing small forward.
Or, blame the defense. No matter how many points Singletary or anyone else puts up, the Cavs can't win too many more games when they give up 51.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Or, just blame the way the ball has bounced. After all, the Cavs are in every game. A few rolls here, a few calls there, and maybe Virginia is 4-2 instead of 1-5.
But Singletary is not the guy to pin it on. As hard as it is to remain loyal to a losing team, he needs the support of fans now more than ever. As much as the fans are frustrated by this string of crushing losses, you can bet that Singletary is doubly heartbroken.
"You don't want to throw your season in the trash even though we're struggling," he said. "But it's not over. We still can put some things together."
Singletary's not quitting on Virginia. The fans shouldn't quit on him either.
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