The Virginia basketball team continues to thrill – torture? – its fans with close games this season. When Kihei Clark stuck a dagger 3-pointer to top Virginia Tech on Wednesday, it marked the fourth time in the last five games that the outcome was decided on the final possession.
Everyone from the Voice of the Cavaliers Dave Koehn to your co-worker at the water cooler to neighbors, friends, and family have joked about the Cardiac Cavaliers and their tendency to play such close games this season. Even Braxton Key laughed about it during postgame media duties Wednesday. While the 2019 portion of the ACC schedule against Syracuse and North Carolina didn’t produce the down-to-the-wire nail-biting drama, most of the 2020 part of the slate certainly has. Overall, of the 15 ACC games in 2020, UVA has played 10 that ended within five points or overtime. If you extend that out to seven points, it jumps up to 13 of 15 with only the Jan. 4 blowout of Virginia Tech and the Feb. 19 double-digit win against Boston College as exceptions.
Still, the Hoos are winning those games. The most recent victory at VT clinched the double bye in the ACC Tournament for the Cavaliers once again and they’re on the safe side of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament right now as well. They’ve won 20 games for the ninth straight season too.
This, of course, all comes on the heels of the program’s first National Championship and the loss of Jack Salt, De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy from the regular rotation. The fact that UVA has managed to navigate its way to another successful season isn’t lost on long-time Wahoo fans. A couple of posts this week nailed the Thankfulness pillar when remembering the journey through the basketball wilderness with a lot of lean years with results.
Good times indeed. Let’s move on to the rest of Fan Friday!
Fan Of The Week
Baby Shark, doo doo …
Student Fan Of The Week
De’Andre Hunter jerseys are always a good choice!
Feature Photo Of The Week
Kihei Clark finds a way around the defense.
