Athletic Director Craig Littlepage before Virginia's home game against Wake Forest Feb. 6: "We're gonna win the regular season in the ACC."
Was it an outrageous jingoistic plea for support from the student body? Maybe. Was it a justified remark, considering Virginia then was tied for first place in the ACC with - guess who, Duke - with a 5-2 conference record? Perhaps.
But I don't need to remind you that since the Curse of Littlepage, the Cavaliers have proceeded to lose seven straight games. I think the best explanation for this slide off the mountain top was provided 91 years ago by W.B. Yeats in "The Second Coming."
Turning and turning in the widening gyre\nThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;\nThings fall apart; the centre cannot hold;\nMere anarchy is loosed upon the world ...
Did rising expectations, as evidenced by Littlepage's pre-game speech, affect the team's psyche and precipitate anarchy in Charlottesville?
"I would hope not - that's the disappointing part, we got off to a good start," coach Tony Bennett said. "We played some teams at home - we were playing better - and then now that it has slipped, that's the hard thing."
To his credit, Bennett has tried to keep his team on an even-keel throughout the season.
At Virginia's preseason Media Day, Bennett was asked if he thought the program was in a 'transition year.' Here's what he had to say:
"Do I wanna win? Absolutely. Our focus first [is] on qualitative versus quantitative - we have to be so geared on doing things the right way and building, have a vision for the long haul - that's what I want. So if there's short term success, great ... But I'm realistic - there's some ground to cover, and we got work to do."
At 5-2, Bennett did not declare himself leader of the Free World or pronounce Virginia as ACC champions. He understood his team's limitations and vulnerabilities, always sure to mention its microscopic margin of error.
"The kids have responded, still very early, but the fact that they've responded and bounced back from a tough loss, both times - and just have battled - it's good, it's a good place to be in," Bennett said after the Feb. 3 59-47 victory against N.C. State that, for many people, was a sign of a potential NCAA tournament berth. "But by no means does that mean we've arrived. I just want them to keep improving."
That last part hasn't quite panned out. But the point is that you were misguided if you thought Bennett was the Messiah, that Virginia would stay atop the ACC standings forever or that it would inevitably reach the Big Dance. So though few would have predicted a seven-game losing streak following Virginia's season sweep of the second-worst team in the conference, you also would have been na
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