In a game that has the looks of an instant classic, Virginia will have to cut off Purdue’s lifelines to have a shot at the Final Four.
The Cavaliers (32-3) emerged from the Sweet Sixteen victorious for the second time under Coach Tony Bennett after getting a gritty four-point win over the Ducks (25-13) late Thursday night.
Dustin Jones and Rob Elder, hosts of the “Guys in Ties” Virginia sports podcast, emulate what being a Wahoo is all about.
When most people envisioned Virginia’s road to redemption in the NCAA Tournament this season, their minds likely flashed to the team’s Big Three willing the Cavaliers to victory game after game.
The Cavaliers will have to get past a red-hot Oregon team. If they win that one, they will have to face the winner of Purdue and Tennessee — two great teams with great players in Edwards and Williams.
Junior forward Mamadi Diakite got it done on both ends of the floor. He had a game-high 14 points and tied for a game-high with 9 rebounds.
After last year’s “shocker of all shockers” – No. 16 UMBC taking down No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA Tournament – the Cavaliers came out and showed history wouldn’t be repeated as they defeated Gardner-Webb in the opening round.
Standing in Virginia’s way to getting through to the next weekend are its 16-seed opponent Friday, Gardner-Webb, and two at-large teams from Power Five conferences — No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 8 Ole Miss.
With so many early exits in past seasons, I think Virginia has the ultimate chip on their shoulder. They know they have come up short and have not reached their potential.
Bennett has created a winning program in Charlottesville that doesn’t just contain NBA talent, but develops it.
Hunter has stepped up as a leader this year, and he has met the challenge, despite obstacles.
This is a good draw for the Cavaliers. If they can dictate the pace and establish offensive rhythm, the sky’s the limit for Virginia in March.
As March Madness approaches, the Cavalier Daily sports staff takes a look at some superlatives for the Virginia men’s basketball team in the Big Dance.
It’s March and your friends want you to fill out a March Madness bracket. You have no idea what you’re doing.
With a chance to play in the ACC Tournament final on the line, No. 2 Virginia fell to No. 12 Florida State. The 10-point win for the Seminoles (27-6) spoiled the Cavaliers’ (29-3) hopes of repeating as regular season and tournament champions in the ACC.
In the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament, top-seeded Virginia picked up a 76-56 win over NC State to advance to the semifinals.
Sophomore forward De’Andre Hunter and junior guard Kyle Guy were All-ACC First Team selections, while junior guard Ty Jerome was named to the All-ACC Second Team.
Sophomore forward De’Andre Hunter became the fourth Virginia player in the last five years to be named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
As the No. 1 seed, the Cavaliers received the double bye and will not play until Thursday afternoon. They come into the tournament as one of the favorites, but their path will be anything but easy in a loaded ACC field.
Virginia Coach Tony Bennett was named ACC Coach of the Year Monday. It was his second consecutive year winning the award, and the fourth time in six years.
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