After the way things ended in 2008, with the Cavaliers not being one of the 68 teams (out of 120) in a bowl game, it’s easy to understand why even the biggest supporters of Virginia athletics were questioning their fanhood as the new year began. That’s why part of my New Year’s resolution was to promise to support all Cavalier teams no matter how depressing things may get this year. Thankfully, since we left Charlottesville for Winter Break, the football and men’s basketball teams have ensured that things are not as bad as they could have become. And, three other winter sports teams — women’s basketball and men’s and women’s swimming and diving — have strong rankings after having successful starts to their seasons.
The football program made some notable coaching changes while we were on break. Offensive coordinator Mike Groh is out and has been replaced by Gregg Brandon, former head coach at Bowling Green and user of the spread offense. Go ahead and jump for joy if you haven’t done so already, because Virginia is going to be a lot more exciting to watch next season. Other personnel moves will hopefully pay dividends by the time September rolls around, but Brandon’s arrival should have the most impact. (And I guess while I’m on the topic, I need to congratulate former defensive coordinator Mike London, who won a national championship this year in his first season as head coach at Richmond. Nice work.)
On the men’s basketball side, the Cavaliers started 2009 with a perfect 1-0 record in ACC play after beating Georgia Tech in overtime Dec. 28. You can’t be better than that! Yet the perfection was short-lived, as Virginia lost at Virginia Tech by 3 this past Saturday. That didn’t stop a crazy little voice in the back of my head from telling me that the Cavaliers still have a chance to beat the Tar Heels this week, though. Why’s that? Well, Boston College beat North Carolina and then promptly lost to Harvard. Assuming that other ACC teams can compensate for a huge win with a bad loss, Virginia is halfway there. The Cavaliers already got the bad non-conference loss out of the way (see: Liberty), so now they just need the big win. Like I said, it’s a crazy little voice, but anything can happen ... right?
Meanwhile, the women’s basketball team was ranked No. 14 in the country with a 14-2 record as of Saturday. Junior guard Monica Wright leads the ACC in scoring and is in the top 10 in the country. She has helped Virginia live up to the preseason hype, as the Cavaliers have been ranked all season long. Conference play began Sunday with a home game against Wake Forest, and with four ACC teams in the top 15 nationally (the Cavaliers included), the rest of the season should be very exciting.
If you still can’t convince yourself to root for Virginia through thick and thin this year, maybe you just need to clear your head of last year once and for all. And what better way to feel refreshed than jumping into a pool? The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have enjoyed their time in the water in 2009 as both programs are ranked No. 12 nationally. Who knows, maybe it could make you happy too.
I don’t have the magic power to guarantee Virginia sports will cause fewer headaches this year, but here’s to hoping that this semester’s athletics will be better than last semester’s. Cheers.
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