As the postgame whirlwind enveloped Virginia following its 80-75 victory against Purdue, Virginia Associate Head Coach Jason Williford leaned against the wall and fielded media questions. Williford provided thoughtful and clear answers, but one could get the sense that he was probably bursting with joy on the inside.

And why not? The Hoos are headed back to the Final Four for the first time since 1984. Williford had been agonizingly close twice before in the orange and blue. As a player in 1995, UVA was in a one-point game with Arkansas in the final nine minutes before the Razorbacks pulled away. As an assistant coach in 2016, the Cavaliers saw a 16-point lead vanish against Syracuse. Those two games were nearly identical scores, 68-61 as a player and 68-62 as a coach.

So Saturday’s breakthrough against Purdue meant that Williford at long last was going to the Final Four. UVA coach Tony Bennett said he was grateful for his coaching staff and that they were getting to experience the moment.

“This is unbelievable for the staff and what they’ve done,” Bennett said. “I’m so thankful. I don’t deserve the credit. I don’t care about the critics. I don’t even pay attention to that. I really don’t. I just know it was really hard to lose in the first round [last year]. It stung. It was, as I said, a painful gift. It was so humbling but it drew me and drew our team closer in a way we couldn’t have gone.”

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