How Virginia made the Final Four after exorcizing its UMBC demons

All Virginia had to do this season was make America forget about the worst loss in the history of college basketball. UMBC’s stunning upset of the top-ranked Cavaliers last season could have defined Tony Bennett’s team this year with the majority of the roster returning to school. Instead, Virginia faced its demons head-on the only way it knew how: by again becoming one of the top teams in the country all year.

Now Virginia has secured the ultimate vindication: a trip the Final Four, the first for the program since 1984.

The Cavaliers’ run to Minneapolis hasn’t always been pretty. Virginia scared the life out of its fans by trailing No. 16 seed Gardner Webb in the first round before running away with the game in the second half. Victories against Oklahoma and Oregon in the next two rounds didn’t earn them any style points, either. Then there was the Elite Eight victory against Purdue, which required a legitimate miracle just to force overtime and should go down as the most exciting game of March Madness so far.

After securing either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in five of the last six years, Tony Bennett has finally broken through to his first Final Four. This is how Virginia reached the sport’s biggest stage.

First Round: Defeated (16) Gardner Webb, 71-56

Second Round: Defeated (9) Oklahoma, 63-51

Sweet 16: Defeated (12) Oregon, 53-49

Elite Eight: Defeated (3) Purdue, 80-75

Virginia has always been defined by its slow pace and defensive excellence since Tony Bennett took over. That was the recipe for the ‘Hoos first three wins in March Madness before a chaotic Elite Eight game against Purdue required the offense to play one of its best games of the year.

The defense had been suffocating for Virginia to start the tournament, holding its opponents to .89, .91, and .89 points per possession through its first three wins. While this is the type of greatness we’ve been conditioned to expect from Bennett’s teams on the defensive end, the ‘Hoos actually finished with a better efficiency ranking on offense this year. UVA finally flexed its scoring ability against Purdue with a brilliant offensive performance, torching the nets for 1.29 points per possession behind the tremendous backcourt play of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome.

Virginia’s march to the Final Four is even more impressive when you consider how much it has struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter. Even after the Purdue win, UVA is still making only 30 percent (32-of-107) of its three-pointers throughout the tournament. It hasn’t mattered because Virginia plays elite defense, which gives them a chance in every game. When the shots start falling, as they did late vs. the Boilermakers, this looks like the most complete team in the country.

Virginia is going to be the only team at the Final Four ranked in the top five of both offensive and defensive efficiency. That’s because the ‘Hoos are the only team to hold that distinction all season.

Virginia can win it all because its defense is going to be tremendous every time it takes the court. It can win it all because Jerome and Guy are the best starting backcourt in the country. Role players like Mamadi Diakite, Jack Salt, and Kihei Clark are peaking at the right time and becoming invaluable. There’s also likely lottery pick De’Andre Hunter, who feels primed for a breakout performance after struggling against Purdue.

It’s easy to forget that Villanova used to be the program that annually earned top seeds yet couldn’t break through in the NCAA tournament. Now the Wildcats have won two national titles in the last three years. Virginia has the potential to reach the same heights because the program has been so consistently good for so long.

The monkey is gone from Virginia’s back just by reaching a Final Four. Now let’s see if Bennett’s team can go out and win a national title.