An oxymoron? Yes. A must-win game? Probably not. A chance to halt the skid and show one more sign of progress? Absolutely. The idea that how Virginia finishes the season will carryover to next year is probably a bit much. To think that the Hoos will carry any momentum into next year from mini-winning streak to end this year seems unlikely - does anyone ever really look back at the last couple of games of any given season as a source of inspiration? However, if the Cavs end up losing out - finishing the season on a dreadful 10-game slide - that would likely leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth and set the tone for a long offseason. While UVa's season is likely all but over (barring a surprise run and invite to the NIT), tonight's contest against Boston College does present an opportunity to help solidify that things are moving in the right direction.
Coach Bennett has cautioned that rebuilding Virginia's basketball program is a work in progress - a task that will take some time. The optimists here at the Society were hoping he was sandbagging, but, sadly, he wasn't. The reality is Hoos fans should be looking for signs of progress and any expectations beyond that are likely too much. To be fair, early success in conference play got most fans a bit distracted and the focus shifted to pipedreams of postseason play and challenging for a spot in the top-half of the ACC. Bennett did his best to temper expectations, but Hoo nation is starved for success, and a brief stint as the league leader was like tossing a bucket full of chum in shark-infested waters.
The recent slide has put things back in perspective, and tonight's game against BC presents a chance for Bennett and his squad to display another example of how they are slowly but surely building a foundation for success. A win against the Eagles would, first and foremost, put a halt to a very dejecting losing streak - no one likes to lose regardless of the expectations. Furthermore, a victory tonight would serve as UVa's sixth conference win of the season which would be more than either of the previous two seasons. A win tonight would also represent the Hoos' third conference road win of the year - a feat last accomplished in 2006-07 when Virginia advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
So no, the trip to Chestnut Hill will not impact the ACC conference championship nor will it have any bearing on NCAA seedings. However, it does have meaning to Virginia fans and to a Virginia basketball program looking to rebuild and return to its former status as a regular NCAA tourney team. It could serve as a sign of progress, a step in the right direction, and another brick in the foundation. Small wins and moral victories, that's what Hoo fans can reasonably expect, and a win tonight fits that description.
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Not even close. Without Sylven Landesburg, Virginia didn't stand a chance. Kyle Singler, John Scheyer and the rest of the Dookies got the memo. It appears the Hoos also read the writing on the wall and bought into their own demise before the game even started. Duke immediately opened the game with a 20-4 run and never looked back. Both teams knew the storyline and played their roles accordingly. The weekend produced a handful of upsets in college basketball, but sadly, this one went exactly as scripted. Not a whole lot to say about this one, but here are few random musings following the debacle.
- Entering the season, the Society thought the cupboard might not be all that bare and that Tony Bennett had inherited more talent than the 4th estate realized (given they predicted the Hoos to finish last). Landesburg's absence last night presented a good opportunity for some others to step up and prove their mettle. Jerome Meyinsse came to play and posted a career high 21 points. Yet, you know it's likely not a good sign when a guy who has seen very little action prior to this year scores nearly 50% of the team's points for the game. No one else could muster double figures. For the second game in a row, Mike Scott was shut out. Bottom line, the cupboard is bare, and this Virginia squad is remarkably devoid of ACC-caliber talent. Guys like Sammy Zeglinski, Mustapha Farakhan and Jeff Jones all show flashes which leads fans to think these guys could blossom into solid scorers and make Virginia a dangerous team. Zeglinski has done the best of the three, showed some nice improvement to start the season, but has seemingly disappeared down the stretch - only a sophomore, there's still time. Farakhan will likely finish out his career as a streaky hot and cold player while, by all accounts, Jones looks destine to be an overall bust. Mike Scott continues to improve year-over-year (statistically) but still seems to be continuing a pattern of fading towards the end of the season. Meyinsse has been a very nice surprise this season - had Cav fans been saying similar things about Zeglinski, Farakhan, and Jones, this season might have turned out a little differently.
- Recently, Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times suggested he was "not going to let first-year head coach Tony Bennett off the hook" in terms of his role in Virginia's recent skid. Hey, the Hoos have lost seven straight, so certainly everyone involved in the program deserves some portion of the blame. Doughty notes the team has regressed - fair assessment - and that a coaching getting 1.7M a year should get the most out of his players. The latter view appears to be a slippery slope....Mike Scott has failed to make a basket in the past two games. Last time I checked, the coaches don't play the game (though the Hoos would likely get a big boost offensively if Bennett suited up - he looks like he can still knock it down). Can coaches get players to make shots? Last night marked the third time Virginia has failed to crack 50 points in a game - the last time that happened was 25 years ago. Again, it's sort of a chicken or the egg - some will blame coaching, and some will blame talent. What is more tangible is recruiting (many argue it's all about the Jimmies and Joes not the X's and O's), and even when faced with a shortened recruiting cycle, Bennett put together a class that exceeds anything assembled by Leitao. That combined with the fact UVa could still likely finish the season better than most expected gives the impression that coaching might not be the biggest issue.
- With all that said, Virginia does need to find a way to stop the bleeding. The Hoos made strides to start conference play, yet the recent slide has nearly wiped out the earlier accomplishments. Finishing the year on a 10-game skid (dropping the next two and bowing out in the first round of the ACC) would make for an extremely long offseason. If the Hoos can show some life and muster a couple of wins to end the season on a positive note, it would go a long way in providing the slight glimmer of hope Virginia fans so desperately need. For those lukewarm on Bennett, a couple of wins could help prove the coach can find a way to reverse the fortunes when the chips are down. For those convinced the squad is too undermanned, ending the season on a winning streak would show the team's got a little pride left. Either way, for the most part, we all want to believe, and we had reason, but now it appears to be slipping away. Just give us something to hold on to - any signs of life will do.
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