Junior guard Malcolm Brogdon’s shot sailed through the net with 16 seconds left to give Virginia a one-point lead in a heated contest against Louisville two Saturdays ago. During this moment, an unprecedented one-loss season seemed almost certain for the Virginia Cavaliers.
Certainty faded as Louisville sophomore center Mangok Mathiang got his hands on the ball.
With just seven seconds separating Virginia and a 29-1 season, Mathiang — who averages just 2.6 points per game and 17.5 mpg — drained a jumper from just beyond the free throw line to deflate the spirits of Cavalier fans across the country. The dagger came on the very next play following a turnover by junior forward Evan Nolte, and the Cavaliers fell to the Cardinals 59-57.
Flash forward to just less than one week later and the Cavaliers were once again walking off the court in defeat and disbelief. After a strong performance against Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament — in which they were able to hold the Seminoles to under 50 points and shoot 47.5 percent from the field — the Cavaliers’ defense crumbled against a hot-handed UNC team which made 54.8 percent of their shots and scored 71 points in the tournament semifinals.
Then, while the wound of losing the chance to win the ACC Tournament was still fresh, Virginia fans were once again crushed Sunday when they discovered their team had been given a two seed despite only three losses on their resume and the best defense in the country.
“We were all hoping we were going to be a one seed,” senior forward Darion Atkins said. “But we weren’t and you know, it’s not a big deal.”
Now Virginia (29-3, 16-2 ACC) heads to Charlotte, NC for a first round matchup against the Belmont Bruins (22-10, 11-5 OVC) who, despite not having the same name-recognition as most teams vying for a national championship, have one of the best offenses in college basketball. The Bruins managed to score 74.5 points per game this season and sophomore guard-forward Evan Bradds led the NCAA in shooting percentage with an astounding 69.3 percent from the field during the 2014-15 campaign.
“They use the ball screen well, they move without the ball and their spacing is terrific,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “They spread you out, and with teams like that you have to do the best you can to contest their shots.”
But that is easier said than done when you are facing a team that has shot more threes over the past four seasons than everybody but Duke.
Although Bennett and his Virginia team pride themselves on their defense, the Cavaliers level of success in the Big Dance is going to rely on the ability of junior guard Justin Anderson to return to early-season form, when he was shooting over 46 percent from three and scoring 13.9 points per game.
Anderson played just 12 minutes in Virginia’s ACC tournament victory against Florida State, and just 14 minutes in Virginia’s loss to UNC the next day. He managed to grab four rebounds, but went 0-3 from beyond the arc and a combined 0-7 from the field.
“I think everybody knows he’s a huge piece to our puzzle,” Brogdon said when asked about Anderson. “But I think as his confidence grows the team will get better and better, and I think his confidence is growing everyday in his hand.”
Not to be overlooked is Brogdon’s performance this season. He’s currently averaging 13.9 ppg and was named a Second Team All-American by the USBWA. Since the loss of Anderson, Brogdon has not only carried Virginia’s offense but also turned into one of the best players in the country.
As the Cavaliers head down to North Carolina Friday, they do so with high expectations and a chip on their shoulders as well.
“One, two or 16, — it doesn’t matter,” Brogdon said. “We’re going to go in there with our eyes open and go in there and try to make a name for ourselves.”
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