Back in January 2007, before I could grow more than a creepy strip of blond peach fuzz above my lip and when all I knew about the University was that its main building looked sort of like a brown Jefferson Memorial, I attended the New Orleans Saints’ 39-14 drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Bears at the NFC Championship game.
From the moment the Virginia basketball team learned its season would culminate not in its second straight NCAA berth but rather in the NIT, the team set its sights on making the trip to historic Madison Square Garden that had eluded them earlier in the year. Wednesday’s season-ending 75-64 loss to Iowa at John Paul Jones Arena once again snuffed out those hopes, but the result was far more painful this time around.
Two and a half weeks ago, Charlottesville bid farewell to its basketball team. After scrambling to erase a 17-point deficit and edge Maryland 61-58 in overtime March 10, Virginia left John Paul Jones Arena and a regular season-closing 17-game home win streak behind for the next weekend’s ACC Tournament — presumably before moving on to the NCAA Tournament.
Simply put, this game belonged to freshman forward Justin Anderson. And Anderson, though far from the perfect player, harbors a passion for basketball which epitomizes everything sports could and should be.
Led by another assertive effort by budding star freshman guard Justin Anderson, the Cavaliers (23-11, 11-7 ACC) coasted past St. Johns (17-16, 8-10 Big East) 68-50 for their 19th straight home victory, the fourth longest active streak in Division I men’s basketball.
Four months after losing to Delaware in the NIT Season Tip-off, Virginia finds itself two wins away from making amends for that disappointment by advancing to New York in the postseason NIT Tournament.
If the motto for March is “Survive and Advance,” the Virginia basketball team should have left John Paul Jones Tuesday night pleased with the result. But after beating overmatched Norfolk State in the first round of the NIT Tournament 67-56 in an all-around eyesore, the Cavaliers could hardly mask their disappointment.
It’s hard to believe the seismic shift in the fortunes of Virginia basketball from just more than two weeks ago.
Virginia returns to John Paul Jones Arena Tuesday night to battle Norfolk State in NIT First Round action.
The Virginia men’s basketball team was not selected for the NCAA Tournament during “Selection Sunday,” leaving the squad awaiting a consolation spot in the NIT Tournament. The Cavaliers lost three of their final four games including a blowout 75-56 loss to N.C.
Scott Wood hit seven 3-pointers—including four straight in a pivotal second-half stretch— for a game-high 23 points, and the Wolfpack dominated Virginia on the boards 39-28 to cruise to a 75-56 victory at the Greensboro Coliseum.
During the first half of the Virginia men’s basketball team’s Senior Night home tilt against conference rival Maryland Sunday night, many observers likely wondered whether the squad that had clawed its way to a winning conference record and at-large NCAA tournament consideration had departed Charlottesville—mentally, at least—with the rest of the student body for Spring Break. By the final buzzer, the “real” Cavaliers had returned—along with their still threadbare tournament hopes.
Florida State senior guard Michael Snaer converted an and-one lay-up with 4.4 seconds remaining to spoil a furious Cavalier comeback and put a wrench in the Virginia basketball team’s postseason aspirations.
Whatever the cause of the Cavaliers’ (20-9, 10-6 ACC) road setback, the team must regroup and recover against Florida State(15-14, 7-9 ACC) in its regular-season road finale Thursday in Tallahassee after falling to fourth in the ACC standings.
Joe Rahon’s deep 3-pointer with just under ten seconds left capped a game-ending 12-3 run for Boston College that propelled the Eagles to a 53-52 victory against Virginia Sunday afternoon at the Conte Forum.
In the classic biopic “Patton,” the titular general describes an ancient Roman tradition. Slaves, George C.
Led by a sublime career night by Harris, Virginia led wire-to-wire against the ACC powerhouse to snap an eight-game losing streak against the Blue Devils.
Fans stormed the court Thursday night as the Virginia men’s basketball team wins 16th-straight game at John Paul Jones Arena versus No.
When a weary Akil Mitchell saw freshman forward Mike Tobey putting on his practice uniform to take the court for the first time in weeks, the junior forward could not contain his elation.
Ask most fans and analysts what ACC college basketball venue features the most intimidating crowd atmosphere, and “Cameron Indoor Stadium” usually rolls off the tongue.
