When the players arrived at John Paul Jones Arena at 10 a.m. March 6 before the 1:30 tip-off of Virginia's regular season finale, they were informed that a season that could not have gone further south had indeed plummeted to a deeper, darker cellar: Second Team All-ACC selection Sylven Landesberg had been suspended for the rest of the season.
Not by Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, nor by University student-athlete watchdogs. It was coach Tony Bennett, citing Landesberg's failure to meet his own academic obligations.
Then, 39 minutes into a one-point game against then-No. 22 Maryland, Bennett flashed a sign of human nature heretofore unseen by the Virginia faithful: anger. Tearing off his jacket in disgust after a blocking foul called on senior forward Jerome Meyinsse, the first-year coach was called for a questionable technical foul that eliminated the possibility of a comeback. But his frustration demonstrated an itch to taste victory after a month of losing and, more importantly, that winning does not take a backseat to academics. For Bennett, the two go hand in hand.
And I don't think it's a coincidence that the Cavaliers played their three best games in more than a month without their undisputed star. It's one of the most overused and misguided clich
Read More
Virginia falls to No. 10 SMU in straight sets, extending losing streak to five
By Cierra Lyles | 4 hours agoWhether it was the long travel day or the change in time zones, it was a rough one for Virginia from the start.
Without Chandler Morris, Virginia’s offense lacks answers in first conference loss
By Theo Moll | 13 hours agoBut as he hit the ground, Morris took head-level hits from two Wake Forest defenders. The quarterback did not immediately get up.
Boards and blocks carry Virginia past NC Central
By Aimee Crosbie | Yesterday“It was one thing to see [Virginia] on tape, but another thing to kind of experience that in person,” Eagles Coach Levelle Moton said.
