With March Madness inching closer by the day, Virginia coach Pete Gillen seems to have pulled out his recipe for a little late-season drama, one that includes a heavy dose of defense and a little home-court advantage.
Coming off two nail-biting wins by a combined three points against ACC rivals NC State and Florida State, the Cavaliers are experiencing some self-assurance, a feeling that has been in short supply so far this season.
"We've won a couple close ones, but you lose some, so I think when you win you get more confidence," Gillen said.
He also highlighted the team's recent focus on defense after being consistently outscored over the course of the season.
"We have to win with defense. We're not going to outscore people -- we're not that gifted," Gillen said. "We have a good team, but we don't have that type of personnel. We have to play smart and play good defense."
Defense certainly seemed to be a key ingredient over the past week. The team was able to out-rebound N.C. State by eleven while grabbing six steals against Florida State.
Virginia's recent buzzer-beating wins against conference rivals have helped the Cavaliers recover from one of the low points of the season, a six-point loss to rival Virginia Tech in late January. The Cavaliers are forced to dredge up this unpleasant memory as they prepare to face the Hokies again Saturday, this time in front of a mercifully friendly crowd at University Hall.
"An in-state rivalry is always a big game, but they're going to come in here fired up," senior Elton Brown said. "I'm sure they're going to have fans and a lot of people supporting them, and hopefully our fans will be here supporting us."
Gillen emphasized some key changes that will need to be made in order for the Cavaliers to avoid a repeat of their last meeting with Tech.
"We will have to defend Virginia Tech better this time," Gillen said. "We didn't defend well [in the last game at Tech]. We turned the ball over too much -- we need to take care of the ball. We played for spurts down there, but we have to play for 40 minutes."
In addition to being a heated rivalry, the game against Tech also will be a pivotal point in both squads' ACC schedule. Tech leads the race to the conference tournament with a 5-5 record, putting them two spots ahead of 7th-ranked Virginia.
The Cavaliers, however, seem to have the advantage of momentum heading into Saturday's contest. The Hokies have lost their past two games to ACC opponents by a total of 35 points, while Virginia has won two in a row. It remains to be seen whether this factor, combined with some defensive focus and home-court advantage, can push the Cavaliers over the top.
If Virginia hopes to make it to a post-season tournament this year, they will have to start buckling down immediately. After Saturday's must-win against Tech, the team faces two more ACC rivals the following week, traveling to powerhouse North Carolina next Wednesday before hosting Maryland Feb. 19th.
Although they may be far from the top, Virginia's late-season drama has peaked interest in an ACC season that can't be written off just yet.
Read More
Virginia baseball has an ace up its sleeve and in its bullpen — Dean Kampschror
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayThe senior pitcher is exactly what the Cavaliers need to succeed in 2025.
Wrestling gets blown out 34-9 on long road trip to Stanford
By Ryan Weiner | 2 days agoSolid performances from its most reliable trio were not enough for Virginia.
Freshman excellence powers No. 5 men’s tennis past Boise State, No. 19 Alabama
By Thomas Baxter | 2 days agoVirginia, unlike many other regional hosts, held serve as its quartet's top seed.
