After Gonzaga torched Virginia by 23, you wondered if the Hoos would contend in the ACC. They reeled off 7 straight wins. Then they lost by 14 at Virginia, and you thought maybe they aren’t even the best team from the state of Virginia in the ACC. They won 4 games in row.
Then facing the team many felt was the ACC’s best in Florida State, Virginia got run out of Tallahassee 81-60. Virginia went on to lose two more games a tough 1 point loss at Duke then a stunning 68-61 defeat at the hands of NC State. Certainly now we could move on from Virginia and ACC regular season title contention for the 2020-2021 season.
Florida State was just too good. You could argue teams like Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Louisville were playing better at the end of the year. It just wasn’t Virginia’s year.
Tony Bennett had coaxed them back to the NCAAs, and they would have a double BYE in the ACC tournament. It was a nice season.
Bennett and Virginia had other ideas.
With an assist from North Carolina and Notre Dame, the Noles picked a terrible time to play their worst basketball of the year. FSU lost 2 of their last 3 opening the door for Virginia take the ACC regular season title.
That’s all the Hoos needed. They defeated Miami, and then headed to Louisville to face a rested Cardinal team with POY candidate Carlik Jones.
It’s March, and Tony Bennett and Virginia have winning in their DNA now. Virginia left Louisville with a 68-58 win playing vintage suffocating Cavalier defense. It was a masterful coaching job by Bennett who sat Sam Hauser and Jay Huff for the better part of the last 10 minutes of the game.
Where was the scoring going to come from? It seemed like a risky unnecessary move, but you don’t doubt Tony Bennett the premier coach in the ACC.
Virginia locked down on Louisville and are celebrating another ACC regular season title. It was a year many doubted Virginia.
Here they are again for the 3rd time in 4 years as your ACC regular season champs. They are kings of the ACC yet again.
