March Madness has returned, reigniting the hopes of the Virginia Cavaliers for a successful journey in the tournament.
The Cavaliers, boasting a 25-7 overall record, managed to secure the No. 4 seed in the South region of the NCAA Tournament. On Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET, Virginia will go head-to-head with Furman, the No. 13 seed, who holds a strong 27-7 record.
Under the guidance of head coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers are making their ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, a remarkable achievement that speaks volumes about the program’s success. Virginia has experienced numerous triumphs in recent years, including a championship win in 2019. However, this journey to the top hasn’t been without its fair share of setbacks and challenges.
Take a glimpse into the world of Virginia basketball during March Madness.
Virginia earns first tourney berth 37 years after first NCAA Tournament in 1939
Virginia basketball didn’t always have the prestigious status it boasts today.
After Henry Lannigan’s departure, the program faced difficulties in finding a suitable candidate who could elevate it to greater heights, despite his remarkable achievement of winning 72.8% of games between 1906 and 1929.
Red Randall’s tenure only lasted for a single season. On the other hand, Gus Tebell managed to remain in his position for an impressive 20 years, although it is worth noting that nine of those seasons resulted in losing records.
After Tebell’s disappointing 8-14 record in 1951, the school decided to hire Evan “Bus” Male as the new coach. Unfortunately, Male only managed to win 43.2% of his games. In 1958, Billy McCann took over, but his record of 40-106 was far from ideal. Following McCann, Billy Gibson became the new coach but also had a mediocre winning percentage of 43.2% over his 11-year tenure.
Then came Terry Holland.
Terry Holland revived Virginia basketball
Prior to the hiring of Holland in 1974, Virginia had never secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, under his leadership, the team made it to the prestigious tournament a remarkable nine times.
In 1976, Holland guided the team to its inaugural tournament appearance. Nonetheless, the team experienced a drought in the subsequent four NCAA tournaments. However, everything transformed in 1981 as Virginia savored an exceptional period of basketball triumph over the course of four years.
Between 1981 and 1984, the Cavaliers had a remarkable streak of four consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournaments. Out of those four tournaments, two of them led the team to the prestigious Final Four. These squads boasted exceptional talents such as Ralph Sampson, Othell Wilson, and Rick Carlisle.
The Tony Bennett takeover
As the head coach of the Cavaliers, Tony Bennett proudly holds a remarkable all-time record of 341-124. This places him among the elite group of Virginia basketball coaches with a minimum of 250 wins, being one of just two to achieve such a milestone. Furthermore, Bennett’s extraordinary win percentage of 73.3% also stands as an unmatched school record.
In 2006, Bennett commenced his head coaching journey with Washington State before being appointed as the head coach for Virginia in 2009.
After Holland’s departure, the Cavaliers underwent a series of changes with three new head coaches. Under Jeff Jones’ leadership, the team achieved an impressive record of five tournament appearances within eight seasons. However, the team’s performance declined significantly after Jones’ departure in 1998, managing to secure only two NCAA tournament berths in the following ten years.
In 2014, shortly after assuming control, Bennett led the school to its first ACC Tournament Championship in 38 years. Simultaneously, Virginia made a remarkable achievement by reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 19 seasons during the same year.
Bennett has achieved a record of 16 victories and nine losses in the NCAA Tournament thus far. His Cavaliers program has made it to the Final Four once and proudly holds an NCAA championship. However, Bennett’s team made history as the first No. 1 seed for an unfortunate reason…
2018: The year of the 16-seed curse reverse
It was inevitable that it would happen at some point.
Until 2018, there had never been an instance where a No. 16-seeded team successfully defeated a No. 1-seeded team in the first round. Throughout history, the top-seeded teams had maintained an impeccable record of 135-0 in the opening round. However, in a groundbreaking turn of events, UMBC, a 16-seed, created history by defeating No. 1-seeded Virginia in 2018.
With high hopes, Virginia ventured into the 2018 tournament. Dominating their opponents with a remarkable 31-2 record, they emerged as the leading team as March approached. Boasting an impenetrable defense that restricted their adversaries to a mere 53 points per game, numerous specialists confidently predicted their triumph in the championship.
In the meantime, UMBC secured an automatic bid after winning the America East Tournament. The Retrievers entered the tournament with a respectable 24-10 record, although it was not as dominant as the Cavaliers’ impressive mark.
History made at the Cavaliers’ expense
Virginia, on paper, was expected to assert their dominance over UMBC. However, the game took an unexpected turn and resulted in a runaway victory for UMBC.
Virginia’s renowned defense proved too much for UMBC’s offense, resulting in a 74-54 victory for the Retrievers. Jairus Lyles delivered an exceptional performance, making 9 out of 11 shots, including 3 out of 4 3-pointers, to score a total of 28 points. Four out of the seven Retrievers who played for at least 10 minutes displayed impressive accuracy, hitting at least 50% of their shots. Overall, UMBC successfully converted 12 out of 24 attempts from 3-point range.
In contrast, Virginia had a poor performance from beyond the arc, making only 4 out of 22 three-point shots. Despite Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome each contributing 15 points, the Cavaliers faced difficulties in maintaining a steady offensive rhythm.
“After the game, Kyle Guy expressed that there isn’t much that can truly ready you for experiencing this kind of emotion.”
UMBC was considered a significant underdog by sportsbooks, with a 20.5-point disadvantage before the game. BetMGM reveals that the only greater upset was when Norfolk State (+21) defeated Missouri in 2012.
A fortunate gambler experienced a once-in-a-lifetime victory by earning a whopping $16,000 from an $800 wager on the UMBC moneyline. The Retreivers, with their 20-1 odds of emerging as winners, turned the bettor’s luck into a massive payout.
The most significant winner in the betting arena seems to be someone from @CGTechnology_ who placed an $800 bet on UMBC and ended up cashing out a staggering $16,000.
On March 17, 2018, a tweet was posted by Darren Rovell.
Virginia bounced back, winning 2019 NCAA championship
After experiencing a significant collapse the previous year, the Cavaliers were determined not to mess around in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
After its collapse in 2018, Virginia’s offense made a ferocious comeback and emerged as one of the top performers in adjusted offense efficiency, as per kenpom.com. Additionally, the team also secured an impressive fifth rank in adjusted defensive efficiency.
With an impressive record of 31-3, Virginia claimed the No. 1 seed in the South Region. Following a successful first-round victory against Gardner-Webb, the Cavaliers triumphed over Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue, and Auburn, ultimately securing their spot in the title game.
In an exhilarating overtime showdown, Virginia emerged victorious with an 85-77 triumph over Texas Tech, securing their maiden national championship title for the program.
During most of the game, the Cavalier offense functioned exceptionally well, with four out of the five starters shooting at least 50% from the field. De’Andre Hunter took the lead with an impressive 27 points and nine rebounds, closely followed by Guy who scored 24. Notably, both players contributed by making four 3-pointers each, sparking Virginia’s scoring onslaught.
Since then, things have unfortunately taken a turn for the worse. In the year 2021, Virginia, who were seeded No. 4, suffered a defeat to No. 13 Ohio in the first round. The previous year, the Cavaliers were unable to participate in March Madness and instead faced a loss to St. Bonaventure in the NIT quarterfinals.
Virginia, currently holding the No. 4 seed in the South, has an opportunity to rebound once more. However, the uncertainty lies in whether the upcoming 2025 March Madness will bring great success or disappointment for the Virginia Cavaliers.
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