Wait until they win a "real" national title in men's hoops. Yes, I know they lost to a 16 seed last year, but this year's team is at minimum a final four team, and really have been the best team in the country all year- consistently. I see them winning the title this year. Unfortunately
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Turned a tough game last night into a rout. Easily a Final 4 team and very hard not to pick them to go all the way in your brackets.
Oi! This ain't the forum for that logic. Get that shit outta here.
Won't be hard for me to not pick them at all.
Everyone said that last year too. Not saying it will happen again, but how do some of you guys sleep at night knowing you picked UVA to go farther than they did? Just imagine how well rested and upbeat your life would be today had you just gone with your heart and not with reason. There is a little wahoo hate in all of us, let him out!
Dude. Let the tournament play out. Relax man.
FTFY.
say what you want, 18-25 from beyond the arc is impressive. They scored more from behind the arc than Syracuse did from anywhere.
Which is fucking insane.
Syracuse fell apart. Their D was trash and got worse. LOL ran the same play for a wide open three, alternating with a layup, like 8 plays in a row. Wait for the double team at the top, when it happens back side wing comes off pick to the middle as the pass goes to the other guard up front, with a quick pass to the middle. Both bigs went to the basket, both guards spotted up for three, and the 'Cuse sent three guys after the ball in the middle. After sinking about 10 3's LOL just got so hot they could not miss, while the 'Cuse were throwing up guarded 3's from 4' behind the line and hoping for a rebound. To beat LOL you need ball pressure on D, enough lane penetration to draw help without trying to go through the help, and to make shots.
counterpoint: we abused LOLUVa's defense insofar as getting open threes...en route to going 3-28 from beyond the arc.
If only a few more of those are made, we win. If we had the same percentage (roughly) as their threes against Syracuse, we beat them by 40 points.
18/25=72%, 20/28=71%
Imagine 51 more points.
They'll never shoot 72% from the three-point in an actual tournament game. Yeah, it's impressive, but I'll be impressed when they don't completely fall apart in late March.
They do have an Achilles heal. If and it is a big IF, can shoot 70% from the 3 point line, like they did last night, and hold them to under 45% shooting, then you have a chance to win. You also have to get up on them early and not turn the ball over. So basically, you to play a near perfect game, like UMBC did.
Florida dusted them in march a couple years ago by running them up and down the floor. The issue is that they don't turn the ball over. Izzo has been willing to get in a street fight with them over the years to some success. It's going to take a great game by a great team- like Duke or Kentucky loaded with NBA players to beat them. I think they would crush Gonzaga and UNC in a tourney type game. We'll see.
Duke already has two wins over them, we took them to the wire without 5, NCSt took a real shot. They're definitely good, but they have some of the same weaknesses that Bennett's teams have had the last couple years. Which means that can pretty easily beat anybody, but that anyone with a hot shooter can have a shot on any given night. Which has proven to be an issue come tourney time. I don't see anything about this team that makes me think they're head and shoulders better than they were last year. Last year's team should have made a run, this year's team can. But I don't think they're any scarier this year than the past few.
like, "Overall #1 Seed" kind of good?
They were a "final four team" last year. It's also a given that they will be more unbearable if they win the tournament but the NCAA tournament hasn't started yet. Shit the ACC tournament hasn't even started. Not sure the point of this "topic."
One day I will learn not to open these threads
The point of the topic was to have a discussion.
No it wasn't. Don't even try to spin it that way.
Seems like it was. What do you think the point of this was? This dude has trolled hard in the past, and I wouldn't have named the thread this, but if anyone else had posted the same content with the title "UVA's chances this year," no one would have batted an eye. I was confused when I opened it and saw it had gotten downvoted for some reason.
But that's the point he didn't post with that title, he purposely chose this one.
What do you think my "ulterior" motive is with this post about UVA? Seriously?
Honestly no idea what your point for a lot of your posts are.
Well that is different than insulating I was playing some theme or game with this post. Which is what you did. If you don't think my post has a point, just ignore it.
DC stop being so damn logical jesus.
Seriously how hard is it to NOT comment on a post. "OH dc's post didn't appease me better make a whole sub discussion on it"
I downvoted it because it doesn't create a discussion. I thought when I opened it that it would be a recent personal story about a uva fan being unbearable but instead the whole point of the thread is: "UVA very good, they will be jerks if they hypothetically win the NCAA tournament." I'm not getting sucked in by DC so this is the last time I will be on this thread.
*Whispers* There actually is discussion happening. This is the one meta sub-thread surrounded by actual discussions of UVA basketball.
Seriously people. Yes the OP trolls quite often, but you can't just downvote everything he posts. This is a legitimate conversation that is happening and he is making valid points. Give it a rest people.
Speak that dam truth brother!
So I normally appreciate what OP brings. It's at the very least something to chew on during a convo, but this thread does seem to violate some community guidelines:
His title wasn't really clear, there was barely more to the body (and the way the title started off was very TSL like) and there was barely any original thoughts outside of them playing consistently all season. So, giving some more information on what would be different from last year's epic loss to #16 UMBC or something else, this thread really doesn't seem to do much beyond what I listed above.
Is that what this is about?
I see very little discussion of that.
LOL, really?
I mean yeah but the occasional bash LOLUVA thread isn't going to discourage me.
So we aren't allowed to have a conversation about a teams chance of doing well in the NCAA tournament because it hasn't started yet? Okay. Guess we better not talk about spring football yet because it hasn't started. Having conversations about predictions and sports is the opposite of what we want on this site... /s
Honestly people.
This conversation is the equivalent of "I see New England winning the Super Bowl next year. Please discuss."
No facts were presented, no information provided, and no support for the OPs position was indicated other than gut feel. There is still some basketball to be played, even before the tournament, so it's a little premature. But there wasn't any support for the opinion presented, other than "UVA is having a great season and is highly regarded".
A thread like that depends on someone else to do the heavy lifting and make the conversation substantive. There is really nothing here to discuss, unless someone else brings something in, is there?
I believe that's why the discussion is more about the discussion than anything else.
1 it's not really, because we are days away from March Madness beginning, and 2 it has more content than what you describe in the OP. No it doesn't have high quality analytics but does every post have to have one? No.
There are posts outside of this sub-thread discussing how Cuse's zone may not be a good measuring stick for UVA's success, a post about Bennett's highest win being against a 4 seed, and other relevant posts as to why/why not UVA won't win the title.
The reason this particular sub thread exists isn't a lack of discussion opportunities, it's the fact that DC could say the sky is blue and people would riot and some people feel the need to police every single forum post if it isn't what they want to read. *cough
cough*
EDIT: Since it wasn't clear what I was trying to say I've added your quotes in for context. So yes, clearly I read your post.
Did you read my post?
I believe if you actually read it, you'll have a different response. Disregard the first sentence, as you've already responded to that part, and it wasn't really so important to the meaning of the post.
Edit: Still no indication that you read and understood my post. Just more complaining about how DC is misunderstood. Also, I notice that your EDIT section doesn't include most of your edit, which is why it's customary to actually respond to comments, not to change comments you already made.
Do you realize that the fact that you had to bring up someone else's insertion of facts into the discussion actually supports my point? The point was that someone else would need to bring in something worthy of discussion.
So on a free message board in the first week of march, any post needs to include stats, screen shots, video, hard numbers to be worthy of basketball discussion? Our most heated rival likely being the #1 seed overall with a real chance to win a natty in a sport that matters doesn't make your cut? If you were the board host, you would have deleted my post?
No, but if you want the discussion to be meaningful, and not about you, bringing some basic facts are part of the deal.
I am fully aware of what you are saying. The OP wasn't chock full of analytics or deep stats, just "gut feeling." MY point is that the thread CAN lead to direct discussion of UVA basketball/the tournament and HAS. Saying that we can't talk about the tournament because it hasn't started it asinine. If you don't like the OP, you don't have to open this thread again my friend, have a leg! :)
I didn't say that.
What I said was that the OP just supplied a title, and is depending on someone else to provide the discussion, which is at least part of why he became the topic.
I disagree that he provided nothing in regards to a discussion starter. Was it the most data filled analysis? No. But he did provide his opinion and why he has it.
Exactly, which is what I've been arguing with him to no avail. It doesn't fit the narrative of every forum topic must be top quality, so therefore we must police it.
I don't know what to tell you.
I just pointed out why there was push back. I wouldn't fall on a sword over it either way. You did say you understood what I said, but you're still trying to argue it, though there is nothing to argue about.
Except it's more like
Before spinning off into a short rant about how their recent beatdown of the Bills shows that they're the best team, and Tom Brady is going to win the NFL MVP award before leaving them to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately.
good lord man don't speak this abominable idea into existence
Dealing with my boss whos a UVA fan (no relation to the school other than his hate for VT) has made me hope and pray they never do I can hardly deal with the smugness as it is right now. That said nothing pisses him off more than to just say UMBC every time he starts to ramble about how good they are, he thinks thats unfair lol.
He hit me with the, the only reason VT are good this year is cause theyre copying UVA hahahahahaha
So basically UVA invented defense to him
"If you thought UVA fans were unbearable before, you won't believe what happens next!"
I fixed your thread title for you...
I don't know that Syracuse is a good measuring stick. Their zone invites the three point shot - and right now their talent doesn't allow them to defend that shot adequately. If there is a team built to beat SU, its UVA. Just like we have played well against the zone - a perimeter team will make the zone pay. The game has shifted to more 3 point shooting, and Syracuse's defense hasn't made the adjustment against good shooting teams.
We also beat the crap put of syracuse
They're NOT gonna win the title, NOR are they even gonna make it to the Final 4. You (and everybody) can take that to the bank.
For the longest time in the 2000s, Duke never beat a team seeded equally or higher than them in the NCAA Tournament. Even when they won titles, they never faced a 1 seed en route.
I looked up all of UVA's Tournament appearances under Tony Bennett and found that not only have they never beaten a team seeded equally or higher as them, but the best team that they have beaten in the tournament is a 4 seed.
I still think that once they face stiff competition in the tournament they will cave like they have in the past. They won't make it past the Final Four at best.
Very interesting and great point
That's the real deal right there
Let's see if they can get past the first round of the NCAA Tournament and then revisit this topic
I mean if we shot even close to our average against them the 2nd game, we beat them. They are a great team but they are beatable. If they go cold 1 game, they can be in trouble
Duke beat UVA in both meetings this season. We would have beaten them had we not shot 11% from three.
They are a great team, but they are definitely vulnerable. The tournament is wide open this year, and I think we see a lot of upsets. I think they are one of the favorites to win it, as they should be, but I don't think it's cut and dried. They were a better team last year IMHO and got UMBCd, so yknow, Hoos gonna Hoo.
Not gonna happen.
Yeah i don't see how this year is any different than last. They've been really good for several years now and have yet to make it past the sweet 16 in any of them. And that's not to say that it can't or won't happen, but winning the NCAA Tournament is freaking hard. I won't lose sleep over what may or may not happen before the ACC tournament has even started. Who knows who could get hurt, what kind of draw they'll get in the tournament, or whether or not they'll lose to Radford in the first round.
Can't wait until the NCAA Tourney committee puts Michigan State in their regional and see all the UVA fans bitch about it... again LOL
Let em. A national championship caliber team doesn't need the way paved for them.
To be the man you gotta beat the man.
Well, that eliminates loluva then...
Reminds me of one of the dumbest things I have heard someone say before....
"If you're a vandal at night, you can
file a false robbery reportin the morning...No, wait, maybe that's not such a good idea."
---- Ryan Lochte
The WVU Pittsnogle final four team beat 12, 13, 14 IIRC to get to the final four
You're close, they beat the 15, 10, and 11 seeds to reach the Elite Eight.... where they had to beat 1-seed Kentucky to advance to the Final Four.
45 seconds of fact-checking is all it takes, sometimes.
That's doesn't support your point that WVU's path was 'paved for them'... Other higher seeds got knocked off. It's not like 15, 11, and 10 were already determined at their given round waiting for WVU to knock off. You play the bracket you're dealt, 1-16.
Two years in a row, University of Rhode Island had to face Duke in the second game.
Having a healthy Hunter makes a huge difference. I think everyone saying they don't see the difference between last year and this year is forgetting that Hunter got injured before the NCAA tournament. He's a top 12 pick in the draft and adds a great deal of versatility and athleticism to both sides of the floor.
I'm hoping we get 5 back fro the ACC tourney and get another shot at them.
Hunter is going to be a dude in the NBA.
In other news, the Hokies are currently 70-1 to win the tournament. #BuyLowSellHigh
I don't think UVA will lose in the first round again, but they'll face a team that puts together the perfect defensive game plan to force them to try tough 3's on a cold night and pounds it inside over and over again early in the clock. Don't worry, they'll continue to under-perform in the tournament - it's what they do best.
Sort of Random: I'd love to see UNC play UVA again in the ACC tournament. This is a bold statement, but I think they'd expose every flaw UVA has and beat them by 10-15 points with the way they're capable of playing right now and show every tourney team the formula on the chalk board.
I learned Saturday night that UVA fans think all Tech fans secretly root for UNC in basketball.
Even if I try to have a reasonable conversation with one of them, I come out of the convo even more convinced that there's legitimate student brainwashing that occurs in Charlottesville.
Well, when it comes to that, they're right as rain. I absolutely root for UNC, no secret about it, when they're playing UVA. Always have, always will. When I was a lot younger and the ACC was not even on VT's radar, I liked Carolina in the ACC precisely for that reason, they beat up on the hated 'hoos. I was no ACC fan, but I did appreciate the level of basketball. Of course, when we joined the ACC, my general approval of UNC basketball became situational to when they play the Cavs.
I'll root for UNC when they play UVA as well. But that's it. The insinuation was that VT fans don't root for the VT basketball team and instead all of us secretly root for UNC and own Carolina blue gym shorts. Worse argument than "we have higher SAT scores..."
Naw, man, I got your gist and knew what you were sayin'. When I first moved back to the NRV in '86, you saw Duke and UNC stuff all over town. Roanoke was worse than Blacksburg, but if you went to the NRV mall, you'd see more ACC duds than VT stuff every time. That changed big time as we got better in sports in general, but I do think a lot of modern day VT fans that didn't go to VT are converted from rooting for ACC teams because that was what was in the papers, on local TV, and all over the national sports news all the time. And hey, the bandwagon is never full enough to turn down the converted. I welcome them. But yeah, I got your drift.
We probably did have a fair amount of previously unaffiliated football only fans appear in the 1990s when the program blew up out of nowhere. Why would they automatically dump UNC basketball if they didn't go to VT? It's a winner.
Of course, that's how it works everywhere with college football and basketball. If they keep playing high level basketball they're going to end up with plenty of fans that are not alumni or students. Most of them will probably not commit themselves to UVA's middling little football program. Those types always have a 7th cousin who went to Alabama 30 years ago...so Roll Tide.
what a joke
Honestly UVA may win the title in men's hoops this year. And if they do, it will effect my life in literally zero ways. They have an excellent team, as they have for years. I won't lose any sleep over what might happen if they win it all, primarily because I believe fully in Buzz's coaching recruiting and it would be hard to convince me that the VT program isn't moving to the same level UVA is on.
Me: Looks at thread title...
Me: Proceeds to click on thread
Anatomy of a dcwilson thread:
1. Clickbait title
2. Pointless rant that could/should have been a singular comment in some other thread
3. Dozens of shit posts in response
I thought the same thing about UVA last year until they fell apart against a 16th seed once their system was completely compromised. Good coaches find a way to beat them. There's a reason why we have beaten them three times since joining the ACC, and there's a reason UMBC beat them last year.
They hedge hard on every screen which is becoming outdated and obsolete in modern basketball. This is because the man setting the screen can just slip and be wide open. They force everyone on the baseline to the middle and then help from the opposite wing and corner daring them to make a three pointer if they receive a pass. When teams start scoring, they panic and begin taking bad shots. I can see much of the same this year. I think they will make it to the Sweet 16 but won't be too surprised if that's when they get knocked out this year.
They have blown up the best league in college two years in a row. They have lost 3 regular season ACC games in 2 years. I respect your analysis, but if defending them/beating them was so easy, more ACC teams would actually do it.
I think you just locked it up there, dc. I don't see how anyone can argue with that, but I'm sure someone will.
How does ACC regular season success translate to a National title?
Well, funny you should ask...
There's the regular season, the conference tournament, and the big dance.
Only two teams have won the ACC tournament and the big dance in the same year since 1994; Duke in 2001 & 2010.
Only 5 times has the regular season champ won the big dance since 1994: 2017 (UNC) 2009 (UNC) 2005 (UNC) 2002 (Maryland) 2001 (Duke, co-champs).
Since 1994, #1 seeds (not overall, just #1 in region) are 17-8 winning the National title.
It's not the ACC teams they need to worry about to win a National Title...its the rest of the field.
You know, as they say, that's why they play the games.
I'm not saying beating them is easy. I'm just saying there is a formula that, if perfected, can yield what we saw last March. UMBC had a week to prepare and played the perfect game. Executing the same gameplan on 2-3 days preparation accompanied with the fact that we were nowhere near perfect either time is why we lost.
In the NCAA tournament, you have to have players who A) can get a bucket and B) not completely fall apart when everything starts falling apart around them. DeAndre Hunter and Kyle Guy can both get a bucket (maybe Jerome too although I think he is more limited to shooting), but when UVA falls behind and can't play within their system anymore, they absolutely fall apart. It's like Georgia Tech in football under chin balls. Once they get behind and have to get a little more aggressive, it leads to them forcing threes when their signature pin down doesn't work, committing moving screens to get those pin downs, and throwing the ball away. We saw it against Florida, Syracuse, and UMBC. The moment is too big for the Hoos.
Woody article in the Richmond Times today about UMBC and the effects of their win last year. I don't do the linky thing, but it should be easy to find. Quite interesting. The uptick in academic recruiting and athletic contribution, attendance at games and revenue increases were significant. Go Retrievers!
So you're saying they can beat a 16 seed? Cause they haven't proven they can do that yet.
The post reeks of sad...
They were unbearable after their college world series win.....
Hell, they've been unbearable since Jefferson started that mess up there.