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Virginia Cavaliers
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
The Cavaliers looked like a sure-thing NCAA tournament team, and actually were a sure-thing NCAA tournament team, until losing back-to-back games to N.C. State and Georgia Tech. That set up the biggest game in coach Pete Gillen's three years in Charlottesville, a visit by No. 3 Duke on Feb. 14. For the Valentine's Day occasion, students camped out for the first time in years, spending days in rainy, 30-something temperatures. Gillen ordered pizzas for dinner and donuts for breakfast, and the school got into the act, too, handing out free T-shirts so University Hall would look like the inside of a giant glass of orange juice for the Duke game. That night the Cavaliers won the game that sealed their NCAA tournament fate -- and no doubt helped their seeding, too -- beating Duke 91-89 in the final second. The victory against Duke, coupled with a non-conference, 107-89 wipeout of then-No. 4 Tennessee, gave Virginia two huge exclamation points on a schedule marked otherwise by lots of periods and commas. There were a few other decent victories, like Missouri and Purdue and slumping ACC teams like Wake Forest and Maryland, but until the Duke game, Virginia couldn't have felt 100 percent sure of its chances. Player to Watch Virginia plays some serious small ball, using 6-foot-7 Travis Watson as the center and flanking him with four perimeter players. When Watson struggles to score, it handicaps the entire offense. When Watson maneuvers through the trees for 15 or 20 points, that generally bodes well for the rest of the team. He's generally a 50-50 shot to get a double-double in points and rebounds, but the odds also are good that he will find foul trouble. Needless to say, Watson is the last Cavalier coach Pete Gillen wants to see in foul trouble. With the Ball Donald Hand dominates the ball when he's in the game, and that's not always a bad thing. When he's on, Hand can score against anyone and also averages almost six assists per game. But when he's off, the offense drags. Power forward Chris Williams like to drift outside three or four times a game to shoot a three-pointer, while small forward Adam Hall likes to take his man inside and elevate over him for lobs. Shooting guard Roger Mason is a smooth scorer in the Joseph Forte mold (though not as good). Defending the Ball Virginia's defense is good in the middle, but weak at the top (Donald Hand is a revolving door) and in the post (Watson usually gives away three or four inches). On the perimeter, Hall, Mason and Williams have the athletic ability to defend well, and Hall is the team's stopper. Duke's Jason Williams often had trouble getting the ball against Hall, and when he did, he went 5-for-21 in the Cavs' 91-89 victory Feb. 14. Keith Friel is a potent shooter, so he gets his 15 minutes per game, but his defense isn't equal to his offense. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 1.118 (1,000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding)Bracketology Report The Cavs have not fallen short of their NCAA seeding in a decade, playing to expectations in 1997, 1994 and 1990 while "exceeding their seed" in 1995 and 1993 (as well as 1989). Virginia has made a pair of regional finals since the tournament expanded in 1985, once by defeating No. 1 Kansas at Kemper Arena (1995). Equally impressive was an upset of No. 1 Oklahoma in 1989. Both of those Virginia teams lost to the eventual national champion.Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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