Virginia’s regular season was defined by ups and downs, landing the Cavaliers (19-11, 11-7 ACC) a No. 8 seed in the ACC Tournament. But their conference tournament run ended almost as quickly as it began, with a second-round defeat to No. 9-seed Clemson March 5 in Duluth, Ga.
After opening ACC play with a 5-0 record for the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Cavaliers faltered due to late-game lapses and slow starts. They struggled to stop the bleeding in their final two regular season games — first, against the red-hot No. 21 Tar Heels and then, falling short by one point in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash against Virginia Tech. This lack of successful late-game execution was a trend that resurfaced against Clemson in the ACC Tournament.
Despite the abrupt exit from the tournament, the squad notched some signature wins through the regular season against Notre Dame and then-No. 8 Louisville. Those games demonstrated that when the Cavaliers can deflect in passing lanes and get out in transition, they can get downhill efficiently and establish a rhythm.
The Cavaliers sit firmly on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, but Virginia’s postseason fate remains in question after a short-lived ACC Tournament run. Three beat writers discussed Virginia’s regular season and postseason outlook as the Cavaliers await the selection committee’s decision on Selection Sunday, March 15.
What mistakes held Virginia back in its ACC Tournament loss to Clemson?
Sofie Keppler, Senior Associate: Virginia’s perimeter defense against Clemson was abysmal despite a formidable interior defense. The Tigers shot the lights out from deep — drilling 10 three-pointers at a 50 percent clip. Though Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton emphasized the team’s need to “take care of the three-point line” prior to the rematch, the exterior defensive execution was sorely lacking — Virginia repeatedly lost open shooters on closeouts. Though Clemson only shot 29 percent in the first half, the Tigers’ balanced scoring attack and persistent intensity kept the Cavaliers on their heels. By the second half, the defensive breakdowns on the perimeter proved decisive, as Virginia failed to contain Clemson’s shooting and lost the game.
Xander Tilock, Senior Writer: The same old story reared its ugly head once again — remarkably inefficient team offense sank Virginia. Three starters in senior forward Tabitha Amanze, junior forward Sa’Myah Smith and graduate guard Romi Levy combined to score just 12 points, whereas all of them scored in double figures in the first game against Clemson, Jan. 1. Meanwhile, junior guard Kymora Johnson scored 12 points of her own on an inefficient 18 shot attempts. A team that averages 75 points per game cannot score 50 in a postseason basketball game and expect to win. Virginia has the talent to field a consistent offense, but poor passing, rushed shot selection and cold shooting streaks have doomed the Cavaliers.
Jordan Zimm, Staff Writer: Virginia’s inability to shoot the ball consistently from downtown, a hallmark of its scoring droughts this year, was the reason the Cavaliers fell short in the ACC Tournament. On the season, Virginia shot 32 percent from the three-point line — not terrible on paper, but also not extraordinarily effective, as the All-ACC Johnson shot over 40 percent of the team’s three-pointers at a 36-percent clip. Against Clemson on the biggest stage of the year, the Cavaliers shot 4-for-19 from behind the arc compared to the Tigers’ 10-for-20. Going into one of the most difficult postseason conference tournaments with such poor perimeter shooting was never going to get the job done.
Looking back, which games exposed Virginia’s weaknesses the most this season?
SK: Both matchups against Virginia Tech exposed the Cavaliers’ most persistent weaknesses. In the first meeting in Blacksburg Feb. 1, Virginia trailed by just five points heading into the final quarter but lost by 12 after recording a perplexing season-low of five assists alongside a season-high of 28 personal fouls. Virginia’s rematch with the Hokies was similarly frustrating. The Cavaliers erased a 23-point first-half deficit but fell by one point in the end. In both second halves, winnable games felt insurmountable because of the Cavaliers’ lack of late-game synergy and careless decision-making. Rather than consistently moving the ball to find open shooters and prevent turnovers, Virginia often drove into clogged lanes hoping to draw fouls.
XT: In slim overtime wins against Florida State and Wake Forest, the Cavaliers barely scraped by against ACC bottom-feeders. In Virginia’s victory over Florida State, a common theme occurred — Johnson and senior guard Paris Clark carried most of the scoring load while a talented supporting cast disappeared. That win at Wake Forest was a shining example of how Virginia’s offense can vanish. The Cavaliers held an 18-point lead in regulation but ended up playing three overtime periods to dispatch one of the ACC’s poorest teams. Agugua-Hamilton said her team “should have closed it out,” yet they struggled immensely to do so. “Should have” sums up the 2025-26 season well.
JZ: The unforgettable matchup with UMBC, Virginia’s third game of the season, was the first to expose the season-long problems that have continued to manifest since Virginia’s first loss of the season. The Cavaliers didn’t make a single three-point shot in that game. The Cavaliers lost six of eight ACC matchups in which they made four or fewer three-point shots. Johnson, the team’s top scorer and the ACC’s second leading scorer, only notched four points on 1-for-16 from the field. While sophomore forward Breona Hurd dropped a career-high 22 points, the Cavaliers’ missed layups, lack of balanced scoring and defensive lapses proved too costly to overcome.
How does Virginia’s quick exit shape the narrative around its NCAA Tournament case?
SK: After a rough stretch to end their season, the ACC Tournament presented an opportunity for Virginia to define its identity heading deeper into March. The selection committee undoubtedly looks for teams that translate their potential into consistent, high-level performances on any stage, so a strong conference tournament showcase could have crystallized what Virginia basketball is all about at its most sustainable level. Instead, the abrupt exit leaves the selection committee to toggle with a resume that still lacks a clear throughline — a team capable of impressive highs, but one whose formula for winning feels nearly impossible to predict because those flashes are too often blurred by uneven execution down the stretch.
XT: A win over Clemson would have entrenched Virginia on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. The loss, however, might mean that the Cavaliers are eliminated from NCAA Tournament contention. Virginia is 11-10 against Power Four competition and has just one ranked win on its resume, plus a slew of nasty losses. The Cavaliers are also 7-6 on the road. That does not have the makings of a postseason basketball team, as they would not be playing inside the friendly confines of John Paul Jones Arena. As for the rest of the bubble, Virginia is fighting for one of the final four spots with Nebraska, Arizona State, BYU, Texas A&M, Stanford, Richmond and Utah. If the Cavaliers do make the NCAA Tournament, they will do so as one of the very last teams to make it.
JZ: The second-round exit was the worst possible scenario for the Cavaliers, given their spot according to bracketologists. ESPN’s Charlie Creme has Virginia as one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament, a 12-seed forced to play its way into the Big Dance with a matchup against fellow projected 12-seed Arizona State. The Cavaliers had their season written out for them after defeating Louisville — control your own destiny by winning a game or two in the ACC Tournament and be a tournament lock. However, the Cavaliers’ inability to execute in key moments leaves the season with a lingering question mark`. If Creme’s prediction holds, Virginia must fix these season-long issues to play into the 64-team bracket.
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