Virginia used a 15-0 run over a 10 minute stretch in the second half to retake the lead over North Carolina State. It was Virginia basketball at its finest for 10 golden minutes, with suffocating defense and smart offense. In the end though, the scoreboard read NC State 55, UVA 53. Yes, there were good signs for the future, Casey Morsell’s 9 points chief among them. But at some point, it needs to be about results and moving forward towards an NCAA Tournament bid, rather than signs that the team is building.
Make no mistake about it, this team is playing much better basketball now than it did a week ago. The Hoos are finally able to knock down some outside shots, and are not turning the ball over as much. Mamadi Diakite, Jay Huff, and Braxton Key are playing well, combining for 24 points and 19 rebounds against the Wolfpack. Meanwhile, Tomas Woldetensae is coming into his own as a three point shooter.
On Selection Sunday, none of that matters. The committee doesn’t see a team playing good basketball, they see a team that’s lost four out of five games to (mostly) weak opposition. That team needs to take care of business against the lesser teams in the ACC, and seize the opportunity against the better ones.