There won't be any royalties coming Pat Riley's way from the University of Virginia. The men's tennis team's quest for a threepeat, a term Riley trademarked, was stifled by Duke over the weekend in a disappointing 4-3 loss.
But for the No. 7 Cavaliers, there is no looking back on what could have been at the ACCs. The team that began the season No. 1 in the country has not accomplished what it set out to do this year.
"We're not satisfied with our season yet," sophomore Somdev Devvarman said. "It's going to drive all of us to work harder -- we're going to be a lot tougher when it comes to the NCAAs."
Virginia will learn its seeding for the 64-team NCAA tournament May 3. The first and second rounds will be hosted at school sites May 12-17. The finals will be held at Stanford University May 20-29.
The top 16 teams in the field host three other teams in the opening rounds -- meaning that Virginia will, in all likelihood, host the regional matches as the No. 1 seed in its region.
Last year, the Cavaliers advanced to the quarterfinals of the overall tournament before falling to UCLA.
After the team competition, the top individuals in the country compete for singles and doubles titles.
Virginia sent players as far as the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Both Rylan Rizza and Devvarman fell in the second round of the singles tournament. The duo of Rizza and Nick Meythaler was taken down in the first round of the doubles tournament.
Depending on how far Virginia advances, there is a good chance that the Cavaliers will run into one of their old foes.
Virginia has played five of the top six teams in the country as well as nine of the top 13 squads. The Cavaliers are 2-3 against the top five teams during the regular season -- though Duke just avenged its regular season loss to Virginia.
Coach Brian Boland made a conscious effort to create the hardest possible schedule in the country in an effort to prepare his team for the tournament. Virginia's losses along the way were expected by the veteran coach.
"I went into the season trying to prepare for the end of the season and peaking at the right time," Boland said. "I really believe this team needed to take some tough hits, and I think, in the end, its going to pay out for us."
With over two weeks to prepare for the opening round, Virginia's season is essentially just beginning. Boland has made it a point to keep the team focused on the task at hand -- a national championship.
"[Boland] just always tells us to keep our heads high," Devvarman said. "We still have the big one left, so that's what our main goal is. He always does a great job keeping the guys motivated. [He tells us that] it doesn't matter if we take a few bumps in the road as long as you keep getting better."
For the Cavaliers, there has never been a better time to peak. Just like Riley's Miami Heat.
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