Basketball

Over seven consecutive years of NCAA Tournament participation, most Virginia fans have come to regard the NIT with a mixture of derision and indifference. Sunday night, the Hoos were officially notified they’d be playing in it.

The only logical conclusion to be drawn from the first 11 minutes of the game was that somebody had drugged Virginia’s pregame meal. Either that, or invisible lids had been discreetly placed on the rim. 

Another crazy college basketball season has arrived at the place where Cinderellas go to be crowned, title favorites struck down and bubbles punctured: Champ Week, the final stop before the NCAA’s flagship event kicks off.

Tony Bennett leaned forward from his spot standing on the sideline. Hands on bent knees, Bennett looked like a predator poised to strike. A moment later, Virginia forced a Louisville turnover. Bennett punched the air excitedly with his fist and clapped vigorously.

The last 15 seconds or so of Virginia’s most recent game made for wild viewing. The scoreboard’s inexorable countdown brought with it a tangle of searing emotions—jubilation, shock, confusion, anger—all rolled into one when the final play unfolded. The buzzer signifying the end of the game also announced the end of Virginia’s chances of earning an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.

A sputtering Virginia team was running on fumes by the time it entered the final second of its game against Florida State. But the Hoos appeared to have escaped as FSU prepared to inbound the ball with a single tick remaining on the clock. 

As far as ACC games go this season, Wednesday night’s Virginia-Duke matchup was epic. The final scheduled meeting between Mike Krzyzewski and Tony Bennett was as much a boxing match as it was a chess match.

Francisco Caffaro sat on the bench, towel covering his head, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. His face was hidden by the towel and the big hands covering his face, but it was clear that tears were seeping from his eyes. Teammates tried to console him, but Caffaro kept his head down.

About two weeks ago, Virginia played Miami and Duke back-to-back. The Hoos won both games and got themselves back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. Now, they’re halfway through another two-game series against the Hurricanes and the Blue Devils. They won the first leg, using a second-half rally to beat Miami 74-71. A win over Duke would be tantamount to climbing through the bubble and onto the (projected) bracket.