To me, it was the ultimate win-win situation. I got to see some of the finest athletes in the country play while turning my sports obsession into something productive.
The Virginia men’s basketball team announced in a release Monday that sophomore point guard Teven Jones would transfer from the program to seek playing time elsewhere. “Teven informed me today that he is leaving the Virginia basketball program and will be looking for another school where he will have a better opportunity for playing time,” coach Tony Bennett said in a statement.
NEW YORK — At some point, the Virginia men’s basketball team’s luck had to run out. They had won an ACC regular season title, an ACC Tournament championship and had made it to the Sweet Sixteen, extending one of the most successful seasons in the program’s recent history. Friday night at Madison Square Garden, the Cavaliers’ stunning run came to an end as they lost 61-59 to Michigan State, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 1 seed Virginia men’s basketball team just scraped by in their opening round game of the NCAA tournament, beating No.
Whatever coach Tony Bennett said during halftime, the Cavaliers came out the break a changed team, quickly closing the gap and taking the lead, and Virginia would hold on for a 70-59 win to advance to Sunday’s game against No. 8 seed Memphis.
The Virginia men’s basketball team won an ACC regular season title, an ACC Tournament title and locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament Sunday. With all these achievements behind them, the Cavaliers have a little time to rest on their laurels — right? Senior forward Akil Mitchell summed up the reality in five words: “You don’t know Coach Bennett.”
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tony Bennett had been asked so frequently by the media about Wally Walker that it had become a running joke. The Virginia coach was well aware that it had been nearly 40 years — 38, to be exact — since Walker’s Cavaliers had won the ACC Tournament, and his team had the first opportunity to match the 1976 team’s feat in 20 years.
Up 51-48 with nine second left to play in their ACC semifinal game against Pittsburgh, the Virginia men’s basketball team’s lead was not looking particularly safe.
Joe Harris said going into the postseason that he wanted to be more aggressive on offense. If Friday’s debut game in the ACC Tournament was any indication, the senior guard meant it.
For a team coached by the unflappable Tony Bennett, it was just another win — its 13th straight win — but there was still more work to do.
