Breakthrough Season Led Cavaliers to NCAA Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. -- With 92 seconds left and the outcome long since decided Friday, Tony Bennett sent Doug Browman and Akil Mitchell into the game, and fifth-year seniors Sammy Zeglinski and Mike Scott walked off the court for the final time as UVa men's basketball players.

Each slowly made his way down the bench, exchanging hugs and handshakes with teammates and coaches.

This was not the exit either had hoped for. But in the program's first NCAA tournament appearance in five years, the Cavaliers unraveled in the second half against the taller, deeper, more athletic and more talented Florida Gators.

The Wahoos' progress has been pronounced under Bennett. They were coming off a 10-18 season when he replaced Dave Leitao the spring of 2009. Virginia finished 15-16 in 2009-10 and 16-15 last season.

In year No. 3 of the Bennett era, the 'Hoos posted their most victories since 1994-95, when they won 25 games. Picked fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, UVa made the prognosticators look good, finishing tied for fourth with NC State and Miami. But the year was anything but routine for the Cavaliers.

They opened practice in October with 11 scholarship players, one of whom, freshman swingman Paul Jesperson, entered the season planning to redshirt. But after two players decided to transfer in December, Virginia no longer had the luxury of redshirting Jesperson. He made his college debut two days after Christmas. Bennett did not have nine scholarship players for long. On Jan. 19, starting center Assane Sene fractured a bone in his right ankle, and the 7-0 senior never returned to action this season.

On Feb. 11, Harris, the team's second-leading scorer, broke a bone in his non-shooting hand in a game at North Carolina. Harris played the rest of the season with his left hand heavily wrapped, a display of toughness that won the admiration of his teammates and coaches, but his effectiveness, not surprisingly, dipped.

Finally, sixth man Malcolm Brogdon, a 6-5 freshman, had major foot surgery late last month. With Brogdon out, Bennett had seven healthy scholarship players for the final two regular-season games, the ACC tournament and the NCAAs.

"A lot did happen," Bennett said Friday when asked about the tumultuous season, "and I haven't been part of something quite like this, just with the numbers. The way this ended was hard ... I really appreciate what Sammy and Mike contributed to the program and what they stood for. There's no greater thing for a coach than to see the young men, the light come on for them and get it and mature off the court, and then have them reach a goal of theirs, as far as getting to the [NCAA] tournament. Now, certainly we wanted to play better and do well, but it was a privilege to be part of that for them."

Sophomore Joe Harris added, "for the guys that are returning, we'll build on this. This loss will be motivation for us in the offseason. I think these guys [seniors] set up the foundation for what we want the Virginia program to be."

-Excerpts from article by Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com (Link to full article)

UVa Plays Florida in NCAA Tournament on Friday

 

Click the picture above to watch: Sights and sounds from the trip to Omaha, the pre-tournament press conference, and shoot around at CenturyLink Center.

 UVa head coach Tony Bennett and members of the Virginia team met with media representatives late Thursday morning (March 15) at CenturyLink Center and then had a 40-minute practice session starting at noon Central time.   

More pictures in the photo gallery: Click here to view 

OMAHA, Neb.-The Virginia men's basketball team plays its first NCAA Tournament game since 2007 on Friday (March 16) in Omaha, Neb., when the Cavaliers play Florida in a second round game in the West Region at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:10 p.m. Eastern time.

UVa is the No. 10 seed in the West Region and enters the game with an overall record of 22-9. Virginia finished 9-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and tied for fourth in the conference standings during the regular season. The Cavaliers are coming off a 67-64 loss to NC State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament March 9 in Atlanta, Ga.

Florida is the No. 7 seed and brings an overall record of 23-10 into Friday's game. The Gators are coming off a 74-71 loss to Kentucky in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament March 10 in New Orleans, La.

The winner of the Virginia-Florida game will meet either No. 2 seed Missouri or No. 15 seed Norfolk State in the third round.

The Virginia Sports Radio Network and Westwood One will broadcast Friday's Virginia-Florida game. TNT will televise the game.

Virginia is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 when the Cavaliers advanced to the second round in Columbus, Ohio. UVa was a No. 4 seed in the South Region that season and defeated Albany 84-57 in the first round before losing 77-74 to Tennessee in the second round.

This is Virginia's 17th NCAA Tournament appearance and the Cavaliers have compiled an overall record of 22-16 in the tournament. UVa advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Final Four in 1981 and 1984.

Wahoos Are Going Dancing

 Click above to watch: The men's basketball team and staff watch as Virginia is announced as a part of the NCAA Tournament field.

Click to watch: Jontel Evans and Mike Scott make good on their promises to cut their hair after Virginia received a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The first group of players entered the Courtside Club at John Paul Jones Arena around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, a half-hour before the NCAA tournament selection show would begin on CBS.

Those 30 minutes could have not passed much more slowly for members of the UVa men's basketball team. It didn't get any easier for the Cavaliers once the show began.

"It was nerve-wracking," All-ACC forward Mike Scott said. "Jitters. It was all of the above. It was crazy."

"Too much tension," said assistant coach Jason Williford, who as a UVa player in the '90s made three trips to the NCAAs.

A large screen had been set up along one wall of the room, and on a couch in front of it sat head coach Tony Bennett, with Scott to his left and Sammy Zeglinski to his right.

"I could feel the electricity," Bennett said. "You could feel the nervousness and the excitement and the anticipation [of Scott and Zeglinski] before our name was called, because they've been through a lot."

When the show began, Bennett said later, he was "cool, calm and collected." That changed as the first bracket, for the South Region, was revealed, with no mention of UVa.

"I could feel Mike and Sammy, and I was listening to them sighing and going, 'Oh, come on,' " Bennett said with a smile. "And that started getting me a little anxious."

The Wahoos didn't have to wait too long. About 20 minutes into the show, the bracket for the West Region was revealed, and the 'Hoos could finally exhale. For the first time since 2007, they're headed to the NCAA tournament.

In its opening game, No. 10 seed Virginia (22-9) will meet No. 7 seed Florida (23-10) in Omaha, Neb., at 2:10 p.m. (Eastern) Friday. TNT will televise the game. The winner will meet No. 2 seed Missouri or No. 15 seed Norfolk State on Sunday.

When the pairing was announced, the room erupted in cheers, and hugs and handshakes were exchanged. For a team that has faced more than its share of adversity this season -- UVa heads into the NCAAs with only seven healthy scholarship players -- this was no small feat.

"It was amazing, man," junior point guard Jontel Evans said of seeing UVa in the bracket. "This team worked so hard in the offseason. We've been through a lot of ups and downs. We have a new season now, and we're just trying to make the best of it."

Zeglinski said: "It means everything. We've come a long way from my first year. It's been a long time coming."

Article by Jeff White from VirginiaSports.com

View the full article here

 

2012 ACC Tournament: 'Hoos Prepare for Trip to Atlanta

Click below to watch a trailer for the 2012 ACC Tournament in Atlanta

...On Friday in Atlanta, site of the 59th ACC tournament, the Wahoos will get another opportunity to end nearly two decades of frustration [for UVa in the ACC Tournament].

"It's Act 3 of the season," Bennett said Monday on the ACC coaches' teleconference. Act 1, he said, was the non-conference portion of UVa's schedule; Act 2, league play.

Virginia, which went 9-7 in ACC games, won a tiebreaker with Miami and NC State for the tourney's No. 4 seed, which carries with it a first-round bye.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday, in the second ACC quarterfinal, UVa (22-8) will meet No. 5 seed NC State or No. 12 seed Boston College at Philips Arena.

UVa played each team once during the regular season. On Jan. 26 at John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia pulled away for a 66-49 win over BC. Two nights later, at the RBC Center, the 'Hoos held on for a 61-60 victory over the Wolfpack.

Most, if not all, bracketologists, including ESPN's Joe Lunardi, project UVa as part of the NCAA tournament field.

"I'm hopeful," Bennett said, "but never assume anything for sure."

And so the Cavaliers will head to Atlanta looking to enhance their postseason résumé. Not only would a win Friday send the 'Hoos to the ACC semifinals for the first time since 1995, it would strengthen their case for an at-large invitation to the NCAAs.

"We just want to keep playing good ball," Bennett said.

-Excerpts from article by Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com

Coach Bennett & Mike Scott Receive District Honors

Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com

Release: 03/06/2012

CHARLOTTESVILLE-Virginia men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett is the U. S. Basketball Writers Association 2011-12 District III Coach of the Year and UVa senior forward Mike Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) is a member of the USBWA's All-District III Team.

It is the second USBWA District Coach of the Year honor for Bennett. He was named the District IX Coach of the Year in 2007 when he was the head coach at Washington State. That same year he was the USBWA's National Coach of the Year after leading Washington State to a 26-8 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. 

Bennett, in his third year as the men's head basketball coach at Virginia, led the Cavaliers to an overall record of 22-8 and a 9-7 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 2011-12 regular season. UVa finished fourth in the ACC regular-season standings.

The Cavaliers' 9-7 ACC record marks the first time Virginia has finished regular-season ACC play with a winning record since going 11-5 in 2006-07. UVa's 22 regular-season wins are the most in a regular season for the Cavaliers since the 1982-83 team won 25. Virginia also won nine road/neutral site games for the first time since the 1990-91 team won 10.

Bennett's three Virginia teams have compiled an overall record of 53-39. He was the head coach at Washington State for three years before coming to UVa. His Washington State teams compiled an overall record of 69-33 and participated in the NCAA Tournament twice, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2008.

The 6-8 Scott, who earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors this season, is averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, while shooting 57.3 percent (200-349) from the field and 81.4 percent (131-161) from the free-throw line. He ranks first among ACC players in field goal percentage, second in scoring, tied for fifth in rebounding and fifth in free throw percentage.

Scott also leads all active ACC players in career points scored (1,500) and rebounds (928). He is the 33rd player in ACC history to record 1,500 career points and 900 career rebounds.

Scott has been named the ACC Player of the Week four times this season. He is the first Virginia player to earn the honor four times in one season. Barry Parkhill (1971-72), Ralph Sampson (1982-83), Bryant Stith (1989-90) and Norman Nolan (1997-98) all were named ACC Player of the Week three times in a season.

Scott has also received third-team Sporting News All-America honors this season.

Mike Scott & Jontel Evans Receive ACC Honors

 CHARLOTTESVILLE-Virginia senior forward Mike Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) is a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for the 2011-12 season and UVa junior guard Jontel Evans (Hampton, Va.) is a member of the ACC's All-Defensive Team. Scott, who finished second in the balloting, is the first Virginia player to earn first-team All-ACC honors since Sean Singletary in 2008.

The 6-8 Scott is averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, while shooting 57.3 percent (200-349) from the field and 81.4 percent (131-161) from the free-throw line. He ranks first among ACC players in field goal percentage, second in scoring, tied for fifth in rebounding and fifth in free throw percentage. Scott also leads all active ACC players in career points scored (1,500) and rebounds (928). He is the 33rd player in ACC history to record 1,500 career points and 900 career rebounds. Scott has been named the ACC Player of the Week four times this season. He is the first Virginia player to earn the honor four times in one season. Barry Parkhill (1971-72), Ralph Sampson (1982-83), Bryant Stith (1989-90) and Norman Nolan (1997-98) all were named ACC Player of the Week three times in a season.

Evans spearheads a Virginia defense that is among the national leaders in several categories. He ranks fourth in the conference in steals with an average of 1.6 steals a game. The 5-11 Evans also averages 7.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds a game. He has scored in double figures in six of the Cavaliers last eight games.

Cavaliers Conclude Regular Season with Overtime Win at Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-Senior forward Mike Scott scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Virginia to a 75-72 overtime victory over Maryland in an Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball game at Comcast Center Sunday afternoon (March 4). The game was the final regular-season game for both teams.

Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski tied his season high with 20 points for the Cavaliers and he had six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin led Maryland with 25 points. Senior guard Sean Mosley added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman guard Nick Faust scored 13 points for the Terrapins.

With the victory Virginia finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-8 and a 9-7 record in the ACC. The victory clinched the fourth seed for the Cavaliers in the upcoming ACC Tournament.
Virginia's 22 regular-season wins are the most for the Cavaliers since the 1982-83 team won 25 regular-season games.

UVa is ranked 24th in this week's Associated Press poll.

Scott's double-double was his ninth of the season and the 33rd of his career. He moved into 16th place on UVa's career scoring list with 1,500 points and is the 33rd player in ACC history to record 1,500 career points and 900 career rebounds (928).

It was UVa's first overtime game of the season and snapped a streak of four consecutive losses in overtime games, all to ACC opponents.

Virginia opens play in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday (March 9) at 2pm (ESPN2/ACC Network/ESPN3) vs the winner of the 5/12 game between NC State and Boston College on Thursday (March 8).