Virginia fans, do you know what the Charlie Brown walk is? You’re probably more familiar with it than you think. It’s the very same walk — head down, arms limp, feet dragging — that has carried you out of Scott Stadium week after week. With six consecutive losses nudging the potential of a 2-10 campaign closer to a reality each week, it’s fairly safe to say that the season is lost, and so, dejected, we trudge on.
But wait! Lift your heads, Wahoo faithful, for you have reason to hope!
No, of course you don’t have reason to hope about the football team. I’m talking about basketball. The Virginia hoops season is mere days away — just in time to save us from the perpetual depression on the gridiron.
Honestly, at this point we’d probably take anything over mediocre football, but this basketball season is more than just a new distraction. The Cavaliers are already ranked No. 24, their first preseason ranking since 2001–02, meaning this season is promising to be better than ever.
The Virginia roster alone is enough to generate hype. Last year a number of first-year players saw significant playing time, most notably Mike Tobey, Evan Nolte and the ever-smiling Justin Anderson. Each adapted to the challenge, and a year later they’ll be even better. In addition, redshirt sophomore Malcolm Brogdon and junior Darion Atkins both return from injuries, and the much-touted redshirt sophomore Anthony Gill is officially eligible to play after his transfer. Each offers a different brand of athleticism and skill, and will be fun to watch even off the bench.
Then, of course, we have the senior leaders. Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell are the only two members of their recruiting class still in Charlottesville — the third senior, Thomas Rogers, walked on in 2010 but was awarded a full scholarship this year. For fans that have followed the Cavaliers throughout the past three years, little needs to be said about Harris and Mitchell, as each has just gotten better and better. In their final year at Virginia, we can expect to see some superb basketball from the two. Mitchell contributed 13.1 points per game, led the team with 8.9 rebounds and provided an invaluable frontcourt presence. Meanwhile, Harris was a huge scoring threat with 16.3 points per game and is among the most beloved figures in Charlottesville. Whether that’s for his 36 points against Duke or for his winning smile is up for debate.
Though outsiders might look at the low scores and controlled pace of Virginia games and deem it yawn-inducing, the Cavaliers’ playing style is actually quite compelling. Head coach Tony Bennett, following his father’s example, has effectively installed lights-out defending as a hallmark of the program. Last year, the team allowed just 55.6 points per game. Their pack-line defense slows down opponents, forcing them to spend a lot of time moving the ball around the perimeter, and often pressuring them to make desperate choices as the shot clock winds down. It’s not action-packed by any means, but the Virginia defense at its best is immensely satisfying to watch. Then, once on offense, the players have been taught to value smart decisions more than bold ones. Of course, with Harris’ three-point precision and explosive plays from Anderson, the Cavaliers are hardly lacking in highlight reel material.
Conference realignment in the offseason has solidified the ACC as one of the strongest basketball conferences around. Already home to North Carolina and Duke, the conference now includes Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. The Cavaliers will also meet daunting non-conference opponents in Virginia Commonwealth and Wisconsin. Fans pining for big games this season will not be let down, and victories against any of these opponents could provide the kind of statement win that earn NCAA Tournament bids.
Of course, the team will need to overcome the biggest and most frustrating obstacle it faced last year — their tendency to play far below their abilities away from the friendly confines of John Paul Jones Arena. Hopefully missing out on the tournament because of losing to the likes of Boston College and Old Dominion left as bad a taste in the mouths of Bennett and his team as it did in ours.
Perhaps the best part about the opening of this very exciting basketball season is the fans’ enthusiasm. Every single student ticket for Friday’s game against JMU has been claimed — a far cry from last year’s 32 percent rate for the season opener — and tickets for the VCU game have sold out entirely. It’s hard to top the atmosphere of a fully packed JPJ with the orange-clad crowd on its feet, as any fan lucky enough to rush the court and “terrorize” Coach K last February knows full well. Last season only a few games saw this kind of fan involvement, but this year JPJ should be nothing short of electric.
So if you start feeling sad while other schools start eyeing bowl game berths, go back and watch the highlight video from last year’s Duke contest. Then watch it again, and realize that the team on your screen is back. The players have improved, the system is stronger and the schedule is full of high-profile matchups. In short, this basketball season is going to be more exciting than ever. I feel better — don’t you?
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