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.
Then FSU’s Harrison Prieto launched a baseball pass downcourt. Then Matthew Cleveland caught it. Then Cleveland turned and released a circus shot at the buzzer. Then it fell. Then Virginia’s hopes of an NCAA Tournament at-large bid fragmented like a dilapidated wall struck by a wrecking ball.
To the neutral, the final sequence was a thrilling reminder of the glories of March. To the Wahoo, it was a punch in the gut, a heart-rending notice that Virginia will not be part of those future glories.
Things looked promising just a moment before. Armaan Franklin had embarked on a rapid coast-to-coast trip, ending in a floater that put Virginia ahead by two. But the Hoos had been fading hard since charging to a 9-point lead with 2:21 remaining, and although they stuck their noses in front with Franklin’s floater, Florida State flew across the finish line first to snatch victory.
The Seminoles, losers of eight of their previous nine, were never expected to pose a threat. But although the Virginia lead ballooned to as many as 11 points, the Hoos were never able to flip the kill switch on Florida State.
Here are three takeaways.
Bennett screwed up
Fact A: Florida State is the tallest team in the nation, according to KenPom, with an average height of about 6’6”.
Fact B: Francisco Caffaro, Virginia’s only seven-footer, at 7’1”, played a grand total of 18 minutes. Kadin Shedrick, two inches shorter at 6’11”, played 10. And Caffaro, after dominating the boards for 7 rebounds in 14 first-half minutes, only saw 4 minutes in the second period.
Fact A doesn’t jibe with Fact B. The only chance Florida State had to win this game was to exploit its length advantage. By relegating Caffaro and Shedrick to the bench in favor of a small lineup, all Bennett did was remove the thin armor covering Virginia’s Achilles heel.
That had a doubly detrimental effect. It allowed FSU to feast on the offensive glass and get easy buckets at the rim. It also hobbled Virginia’s attempts to get short-range looks on offense, with Florida State amassing 6 blocks in the second half alone.
Virginia’s smaller defenders, forced to make do without their taller counterparts, had no choice but to foul. Any sane ACC voter is going to choose Reece Beekman as defensive player of the year, but even he had to resort to fouling without protection from taller defenders. Beekman fouled out of the game as Bennett’s confounding lineup decisions plowed a route to Seminole victory.
Poor individual play
Bennett was not the only one at fault.
Kihei Clark, three days removed from a stupendous performance against Duke, looked lost. He tried to do too much and failed to effectively facilitate the offense. The stat sheet only holds him accountable for 1 turnover; that’s generous. Kihei ended the game 3-16 from the field (19%), though he did manage 6 assists.
Beekman didn’t look much better despite a jaw-dropping tomahawk slam. Kody Stattman hit an early three and promptly disappeared. Even Jayden Gardner, who continues to make his case for All-ACC (and looks like he’ll be returning next season after not participating in Senior Day festivities), went a mere 2-8 from the field in the second half after scoring 14 in the first.
Armaan Franklin was solid, but that was little consolation as the rest of the team crumbled around him.
ACC Championship or bust
The silver lining is that Virginia may have needed an ACC Championship to make the NCAA Tournament anyway; this way, time needn’t be wasted poring over projected brackets. Virginia will either win the ACC Tournament or play in its first NIT since the 2012-13 season.
Virginia won’t have a double bye aiding its trophy pursuit. No team has captured the title without a double bye since it became a thing in 2014. No team has won as lower than a #4 seed since Maryland won as a #6 seed in 2004.
History is not in Virginia’s favor.
But this team might stand to benefit from the ACC Tournament win-or-go-home mentality. The Hoos will enter Brooklyn unburdened; any expectations placed on them by Virginia fans disappeared when Cleveland’s shot dropped. If Virginia pieces together a Cinderella run, great; if not, no further harm done.
Virginia is back in action on Saturday. The Hoos will conclude the regular season with a trip to Louisville. The game will tip at 12 pm EST and air on ESPN2.
Image – Virginia Athletics