Well, at least it's all over now.
The debacle that was the Virginia men's basketball season ended last Wednesday evening with a 74-67 loss to the Gamecocks of South Carolina, the finale of a forgettable season for the Cavaliers.
Expectations were high for Virginia this season, but Pete Gillen's squad hit a roadblock with the unfortunate circumstances that kept point guard Majestic Mapp on the bench for the second year in a row. Gillen then unveiled plan B - Roger Mason Jr. sliding over to the point, with Adam Hall and Chris Williams respectively moving from small forward to power forward and shooting guard to small forward. Freshman Keith Jenifer would be the team's floor general by conference season.
Gillen's plan didn't pan out as smoothly as hoped - Jenifer was unable to gain full command of his office.
Many Cavalier fans wouldn't admit how valuable Donald Hand really was. He was a veteran floor general. More importantly, Hand played with a heart three times his size, and Jenifer's heart, in comparison, looks two sizes too small.
How could a year that started off with such promise have turned so wrong so fast?
Easily, with one bad loss.
The Cavaliers' Jan. 31 matchup with Maryland was their season's biggest and for most of the game, the Cavaliers rose to the occasion. Until the final three minutes: Juan Dixon's 10-foot game winning floater did more than give Maryland the win, it virtually ripped the beating heart out of the Cavalier squad, held it and destroyed it.
But this powerful Terrapin blow was just the beginning:
Kareem Rush dropped 26 points, Missouri beat Virginia.
Anthony Grundy goes for 25, Virginia lost to N.C. State by 17.
Not even wins against Clemson and North Carolina could cure the Virginia blues as Darius Songalia cruised to 30 points as Wake Forest beat Virginia by 22.
Montee Cummings went for 21, and Virginia lost to Florida State.
Worst of all was the Cavaliers' performance against the Yellow Jackets as they let the game slip away when Marvin Lewis hit a last second three- pointer.
Virginia performed admirably at times in their season finale. Although the squad lost to Maryland by 20 points, with the emotional atmosphere surrounding the last game at Cole, it would have been hard for some NBA teams to beat the Terrapins.
With this ending, Cavalier fans were justified in expressing hope for Virginia's chances in the ACC tournament.
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Unfortunately for those very fans, the Wolfpack from N.C. State squashed any hopes with a crushing blow in the first round. Suddenly there was no reason to even watch for the Cavaliers' name to come up Selection Sunday.
With the NCAA bubble burst, South Carolina came into town for the first round of the NIT. For the Cavaliers it was more of the same - poor defense, bad turnovers, lack of offensive rhythm. While Virginia played with intensity at times, their inability to simply execute (especially defensively) is what ultimately did them in.
The best thing for the Cavaliers is to have this season be over. After the home loss to Maryland, watching Virginia play was like watching a car wreck unfold. Excluding the magical Duke game, Virginia's lack of heart and its failure to execute quickly extinguished all Cavalier postseason hopes.
Now all Roger Mason Jr. and Co. have to do is forget.
Virginia has incredible talent. They are one of the deepest and most experienced teams in the ACC. But without determination and heart, that talent cannot come together and may go to waste.
Forgetting that this year ever happened - and remembering how to play with heart - might be the only way to return to the ranks of the national elite.
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