I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. Virginia basketball fans have become spoiled. Don’t believe me? Just scroll through any recent related social media posts and comments — if you didn’t know any better, you’d think the sky was falling.
You might think that the Cavaliers are one of the worst teams in the country. You definitely wouldn’t consider that the team was recently ranked in the top five nationally based on some of these ridiculous comments that I’ve seen.
To steal a line from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers a few years back, some UVA fans need to relax. Look at the big picture. Your Wahoos have lost two games this season — both came against talented, ranked, Quad-1 opponents. They didn’t get “blown out” in either loss, and they fought back from double-digit deficits in both games and at least gave themselves a chance down the stretch.
The ‘Hoos never threw in the towel, but rather battled until the clock read triple zeroes. Yes, it was downright ugly at times, and I’m sure everyone involved would be the first to admit it, but as the old saying goes, you can’t win ‘em all.
Sometimes the shots just aren’t falling when you need them to. Sometimes the other team seemingly can’t miss. It was a little of both in each of the UVA losses.
According to the comments, though, some “fans” would suggest that the season is essentially over, that this team is no good, even a few insane takes about Tony Bennett not being the right guy for the job. Seriously, folks?
Maybe those so-called “fans” weren’t around for (or don’t remember) some of the Virginia basketball seasons that I recall growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. There weren’t a ton of 20-win campaigns. There weren’t many weeks that the Cavaliers were ranked in the polls. There weren’t many ACC Tournament wins, much less championships. There were several years that a trip to the NCAA Tournament was only a dream.
If you do remember those days — which weren’t all that long ago — you should really appreciate what you’ve got going currently. Not only is the program winning on a consistent basis, it’s emerged as one of the best in the country year in and year out, and the recruiting trend suggests that as long as Bennett sticks around, the success will continue. The wins will follow.
Consider that prior to Bennett’s arrival, Virginia had experienced just 17 20-win seasons in program history dating back to 1905-06. Under Bennett, UVA has 10. The Cavaliers had only won 30-plus games in a season once (1981-82); Bennett has achieved that mark four times in his 14 years. Oh, and there was that first national championship in program history in 2019.
And because the ‘Hoos (now ranked 13th) lost by eight to a solid Houston team that was ranked No. 1 the previous week (and is now No. 3), then fell on the last possession on the road against a talented, ranked ACC opponent in Miami (which is now No. 14) on the Hurricanes’ home floor, they should just hang it up, cancel the rest of the season and fire Bennett, if you believe what some of these keyboard commandos are spewing online.
Losing is never easy, nor is it fun. It’s extremely frustrating, yes. Nobody likes to lose, but it happens. It’s never too late for a reality check, though — there are still 19 regular-season contests, an ACC championship and a national championship to be decided, with several more big games against tough competition on the horizon.
Don’t be surprised if the ‘Hoos are in the conversation at season’s end and for years to come, but at the same time, don’t expect the negative nancies to put down their phones and point out every missed shot, every mistake, and criticize every loss along the way.
Share
