The Virginia Cavalier’s quest for the NCAA champion title started out optimistic. They were listed as a first seed team expected to make it in the final four. Commentators early on discussed how the stars were aligned for Virginia to take the title.
A lot of their players had participated in the tournament before. They knew what they were doing, and what to expect. Malcolm Brogdon was listed as one of March Madness’ top ten players to keep an eye on. Many consider him responsible for bringing the team their best season since the eighties. Askmen.com regarded him as in the top two of best players competing in the tournament. He is known for never making mistakes and never giving up. He is also in contention for the Naismith trophy.
Anthony Gill was another University of Virginia player expected to lead the team to victory. He has astonishing footwork and is often referred to as the centerpiece of the team. Before the tournament started, he acknowledged that him and his teammates has learned a lot over their previous performances in the tournament and had grown from their mistakes.
The last two years Michigan had been the school to send Virginia packing. So this year when they found out they would not have to play each other, it seemed like smooth sailing. Then Virginia played Syracuse.
Virginia started out strong, but the last half of the last quarter everything changed. At one point, Virginia did not earn a single point in a five minute period. Coach Tony Bennett hoped to be up ten points at half, allowing his team some cushion to finish the game. In a twenty minute time span near the end of the game, Syracuse scored almost fifty points. A comeback so large no cushion could help.
Virginia should be content with its elite eight finish. They could have done better, but they could have done worse too. They were expected to dominate this season, but a lot of hopeful Virginians ended up with busted brackets. Good thing that there is always next year. Go Cavs!
The Virginia Vibe 