UVA will be the top seed in the South Region, and face Gardner-Webb on Friday in Columbia, S.C.
The ‘Hoos (29-3) missed out on being the tournament’s top seed for a second straight year after bowing out in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday, losing to Florida State, 69-59.
Duke defeated Florida State in the ACC Tournament championship game on Saturday, and in the process earned the tournament’s top seed.
Gardner-Webb (23-11) earned the Big South’s automatic bid with a 76-65 win over Radford in the conference’s championship game on March 10.
The Bulldogs are an interesting #16 seed, with wins over two ACC teams, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, in the 2018-2019 season.
Gardner-Webb won at Georgia Tech, 79-69, on Dec. 17, and then won at Wake Forest on Dec. 29, 73-69.
The ‘Dogs also lost to Virginia Tech, 87-59, on Nov. 9, and lost to another team on Virginia’s schedule, VCU, 69-57, on Nov. 6.
Gardner-Webb has won eight of its last nine games, and is ranked 167th in the KenPom.com power rankings, in striking distance of 2018-2019 UVA opponents Marshall (KenPom 162, UVA 100-64 W, Dec. 31) and Wake Forest (KenPom 163, UVA 68-45 W, Jan. 22).
Potential second-round matchups come from the 8/9 game in Columbia involving #8 seed Ole Miss (20-12) and #9 seed Oklahoma (19-13).
SEC runner-up Tennessee (29-5) is the #2 seed in the South, with defending national champ Villanova (25-9) as the #6 seed.
Augusta Free Press coverage of the 2019 postseason is presented by Bear Creek. Serving Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and surrounding communities, Bear Creek provides a hassle-free process to help homeowners create outdoor living spaces that bring people together. Schedule a consultation at BearCreek.co.
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