And just when you thought it was safe to count the Virginia Cavaliers out of the postseason picture, they go and pull one on you.
They have won three games in a row and four of their last five.
The Cavaliers are riding high off of an improbable winning streak that has included three victories over Top 25 teams, three game-winning three pointers by senior Todd Billet, an inspired, dramatic win on Senior Night over a hot No. 11 Wake Forest squad and more surprises than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Suddenly, the surging Cavaliers (16-10, 6-9 ACC) head to College Park, Md., Sunday to face a slumping Maryland Terrapins squad (14-12, 6-9 ACC) with thoughts of the postseason dancing clear in their minds.
A victory on the road at Maryland could put Virginia on the bubble or maybe even in the NCAA Tournament, a thought that seemed inconceivable two weeks ago.
"Virginia's one win away from the NCAA Tournament," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
While the Cavaliers may need more than a victory over the Terps to gain an invitation to the Big Dance (as evidenced by their snub after a 9-7 ACC record in 2000), Prosser's comment shows that teams and the NCAA Selection Committee should be taking the Cavaliers more seriously as they enter the month of March.
However, a loss to Maryland would nearly kill Virginia's hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament because a loss would mean the Cavaliers must play in the play-in game of the ACC Tournament. Only an improbable run through the ACC Tournament would save Virginia's chances and that seems very unlikely, as Virginia would need three or four consecutive wins in a tough conference tournament.
Therefore, the pressure for Virginia to win at Maryland and keep their NCAA Tournament chances alive is on the rise. This however, doesn't seem to bother the Cavaliers.
"No one is giving up," junior Devin Smith, the instrumental hero against Wake Forest, said. "Everyone's staying positive. We're working hard and it's starting to pay off."
It is hard to argue against Smith's words, as the Cavaliers have become one of the hottest teams in the ACC. They seem to be getting big plays out of somebody different in each of their past four wins.
"I can't explain it," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "We're going day by day. We've been very fortunate. We've got good talent, but we have bigger heart."
Against Georgia Tech Feb. 14, Billet may have been the hero with the final shot, but Smith's 16 second-half points, freshman point guard T.J. Bannister's 15 points and seven assists, plus junior forward Elton Brown's 21 points all fueled Virginia to the win.
The following Saturday at Clemson, it was Billet who led the team to victory, tallying 21 points -- including the game-winner -- plus dishing out five assists.
With North Carolina in U-Hall Feb. 24, Billet scored 12 points, but the trifecta he nailed to seal the win was his only second-half field goal. The Cavaliers, instead, relied on Smith's 20 points and freshman J.R. Reynolds' 14 points to take down the then-No. 12 Tar Heels.
And finally, against Wake Forest on Tuesday, Smith might have made the biggest play, but Virginia received huge boosts from sophomore Derrick Byars and his 15 points and five rebounds, plus Bannister's 12 assists.
"I've never been on a team that has played like this," Billet said. "To see a team getting better and better is remarkable."
When Virginia plays at 8 p.m. Sunday in College Park, the Cavaliers will look to repeat their performance from last year, when the squad rallied to win 86-78 over the then-No. 8 Terps in Maryland.
Besides, this year, it's only Virginia's NCAA Tournament chances on the line.
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