Hardwood Hoos #5: The Growth of T.J. Bannister

When Virginia sophomore Derrick Byars hit a three-pointer midway through the second half in Wednesday night’s
Duke-Virginia basketball game, it is safe to say the Cameron Crazies weren’t the only people watching that were
surprised at what was happening. That is to say, most of Virginia’s fans had to be borderline amazed at the fact that
their Cavaliers were only trailing by three points with 13 minutes left in the game.

While Duke would soon go on their timely 17-5 run, which was aided by terrific defense and just a wee bit of
officiating help, the fact remained that Pete Gillen and his team were right there in the second half. They were unable
to do that against N.C. State only a few days before, and yet here they were, challenging a Duke team that hasn’t lost
in a league that most pundits consider the best in the nation.

The reason that is so unthinkable has to be the fact that this is a Virginia team that was coming off of four
straight losses, three of which came by 13 or more points. Teams going into Cameron with impressive winning streaks
haven’t fared as well as the Cavaliers did Wednesday night. In fact, Virginia’s last tournament team lost by 42
points at Cameron Indoor. Some say this is as strong a league as the ACC has had in years, and yet this Duke team is
undefeated in league play, and the Cavaliers were right in it midway through the second half.

But being able to compete against the Blue Devils, and eventually losing by less than twenty, shouldn’t be a goal
for the Cavaliers, or any other team for that matter. Coaches play to win. Players play to win. Moral victories aren’t
a portion of the NCAA celection committee’s criteria for a tournament berth. With that said, however, staying close to
one of the best, if not the best, team in the country is certainly better than losing by 40 plus points, as previous
Virginia teams will be sure to tell you.

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