When it comes to being a basketball fan, last season went incredibly well for me. Virginia won its first ACC Tournament title of my lifetime. That feat was something old-time fans relayed to me that they weren’t entirely sure would ever happen again. It had been that long.
The Hoos also advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994-95 before falling in heavyweight fight style in Madison Square Garden. They took the ACC Regular Season title too.
A few months later, the San Antonio Spurs finished off their ultimate redemption story by winning the NBA title against Miami Heat. The Spurs had been on the brink of the title the previous year only to see Miami steal Game 6 and squeak out Game 7.
All things considered, it was going to be tough to repeat that double in 2015. But both teams gave it a great shot. Virginia won 30 games again, the first time the program has ever done that in back-to-back seasons. The Hoos claimed the ACC Regular Season title again and lost a close one in the ACC Tournament Semifinals.
The Spurs won at least 50 games. Again. They finished 55-27 and overcame injuries early in the campaign to make a late-season push.
Unfortunately, both teams fell short of lofty postseason goals. The Cavaliers lost in the round of 32 in a rematch with Michigan State. The previous year’s heavyweight title bout feel from New York City didn’t make it to Charlotte as it felt more like an uphill climb all day for the Hoos. A team with Final Four aspirations, the Wahoos had to watch the Spartans take the East bracket instead.
The Spurs, meanwhile, lost their regular season finale and fell to the sixth seed in the brutal Western Conference. They faced the L.A. Clippers, the league’s other team that had been red hot down the stretch. They dueled back and forth before Blake Griffin threw up a triple-double and Chris Paul threw in an incredible knockout shot in Game 7.
In reading the wrap-up news for the Spurs, I ran across this quote from their coach Gregg Popovich (Read the full transcript here from Dan McCarney at the San Antonio Express-News.):
“I’m really happy for those guys. They’re in their prime, with their talent level and everything. New ownership, and guys like Blake and Chris trying to progress further than they have in the past. I’m happy for them. Somebody thought that was weird the other day. How can you be happy, you lost? If you can’t be happy for somebody else’s success, I think you’re pretty small. It doesn’t deflate you if somebody else has success. Sure, I’m sad we lost, but I think you can still be happy for somebody else.”
That is what led to this article. Who does that sound like? I immediately thought of Tony Bennett. Virginia’s coach has rooted the program in his five pillars – humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness – and that response from Popovich carries heavy hints of humility and thankfulness.
Cavalier fans have been a little frustrated perhaps with the last few weeks. First, the loss to Michigan State stopped a hopeful tournament run. Associate head coach Ritchie McKay left for Liberty’s head coaching spot. Justin Anderson declared for the NBA Draft and bypassed his senior season with the Hoos. A late recruiting battle saw Richmond’s Kenny Williams head to North Carolina instead of Virginia when it looked like the Cavaliers were in good position in the final days before his decision. Those last two episodes nicked some old wounds for some Hoos. Some vented. Some moved on quickly.
Regardless of how the season ended, however, there is still plenty of reasons to be thankful for Virginia fans. The Hoos have produced an unprecedented run of success the past two seasons, becoming the first program from outside of the state of North Carolina to win back-to-back ACC Regular Season titles. They’ve won 60 games with just 11 losses.
There is an experienced roster returning next season with Malcolm Brogdon, London Perrantes, and Anthony Gill leading the way. Another season with a lot of victories is probable. Bennett is highly respected and widely regarded as one of the best young coaches in the game. Future recruiting classes look exceptionally bright.
So yes Michigan State short-circuited this season’s hopes. But the Spartans’ success doesn’t deflate the Hoos’ success and there appear to be more good days on the horizon. Be thankful. It’s a good time to be a Hoo fan.
On the list of things to be thankful for this season, I would include Tony Bennett being named national coach of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Great write-up, and exactly how I feel about the basketball program. We are in rare times for UVa hoops. We should all make sure to enjoy them.
Kris, you captured the last few seasons well. What a great run! This team has given us a lot to be proud of and I will be rooting for them to keep having success.