Sitting in class Monday, I found a Virginia men's basketball schedule in the bottom of my backpack beside seven pens, a three-week-old Cavalier Daily and my degree audit form. Coincidentally, the official opening of the John Paul Jones Arena for non-exhibition basketball is this Sunday, Nov. 12.
The Virginia men will host No. 10 Arizona at 7 p.m. that night in front of a sell-out crowd.
You may notice season previews in The Cavalier Daily periodically as sports seasons change. They are written without bias or prediction. Fortunately, I am allowed to write whatever I want.
This men's basketball preview will be written using my own bias and expectations. I'll leave the "one game at a time" mantra for the players. And forgive me, because this is a little more "inside the numbers" than I normally like to venture.
You aren't supposed to "schedule watch" like this. But I don't care -- we all do it. In college sports, particularly men's basketball, schedule watching is an obsession at the end of the season. I've decided to do it at the outset as well.
Okay, so here goes.
The 2006-07 schedule is actually a remarkably favorable one for the Virginia men. Going through it in class the other day, I noted every game as a win, loss or swing.
I only marked wins in games that would be surprising if Virginia did not earn a victory.
I marked losses for any questionable games, such as road contests against a good opponent (Boston College) and tough opponents regardless of location (Arizona, North Carolina and Duke).
Every other game I marked as a "swing." In my tally, I included the first two games in the Puerto Rico San Juan shootout as wins and the championship as a swing.
Incorporating all of this, I totaled a 15-4 record (6-3 in the ACC) with 10 "swing" games. Seven of the remaining 10 swing games would be against conference foes, all between Jan. 24 and March 3.
If Virginia went just 2-5 in those ACC contests and 1-2 in the remaining swing games, it would finish 18-11 (8-8 in the ACC). A record like that would put the Cavaliers in the conversation for an invitation to the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program's first appearance at a four-letter tournament since 2001.
Virginia's ACC schedule is very promising. The Cavaliers will play the better teams in the conference (Duke, Georgia Tech, Boston College) just once. They play the weaker teams in the ACC (Virginia Tech, Wake, Miami, Maryland and N.C. State) two times apiece.
Beyond their schedule, however, the Virginia men's basketball team has a great potential to be one of those "it" teams that galvanize a fan base and win the support of regional and national media. As the season progresses, you will learn about a number of attractive storylines and personalities that define this team. Sean Singletary is the second-best player in the ACC and he's a good kid on top of that. Singletary will combine with J.R. Reynolds to create what may be the best backcourt in the ACC. Solomon Tat had to get married to receive a visa to play basketball in the United States. When you get home, go read Jerome Meyinsse's bio on virginiasports.com -- he's smarter than you are and he can dunk, too.
There are many more stories like these.
And on the court, if Dave Leitao has his way, you'll love their style of play, which features unrelenting defense and tough rebounding. Add in a new arena and mounting excitement about the program and Virginia may just be one of those "it" teams.
Obviously, I could be wrong about all of this. Depth at point guard is still a big question. For the most part, the freshmen aren't ready yet. The frontcourt continues to evolve. Health and durability are still issues for many players.
But on paper, the Virginia men look prepped to go dancing in March. And after a tough football season, the fan base is ready for a team to get behind.
So I'll see you Sunday, though maybe a little late because I am a "Group 10" entrant. When you get there, take a good look at the team. Read the program. Feel the vibe. And get ready for a fun year.
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