Busting Brackets
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Virginia Basketball: 3 reasons the Cavaliers are the country’s best team

By Holden Walter-Warner

DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 27: Cameron Crazies and fans of the Duke Blue Devils taunt Devon Hall
DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 27: Cameron Crazies and fans of the Duke Blue Devils taunt Devon Hall /
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – JANUARY 6: Devon Hall
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – JANUARY 6: Devon Hall /

3. The better resume

Instead of dwelling on where the teams faltered, let’s look at where the teams have succeeded.

Villanova’s best win of the season came against Xavier at home. When the No. 10 team in the country rolled into town, the Wildcats decimated them, routing the Musketeers 89-65.

Virginia’s best win of the season came on the road, though. You may remember it from this past Saturday: the Cavaliers went into the challenging environment presented by Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, yet still came away with a 65-63 win.

According to Sports-Reference, neither team has a strength of schedule that would rank in the top-20 of the nation. Virginia’s is slightly better, though, with 7.39 being greater than 7.14. In the Simple Rating System, the Wildcats actually have a three-spot edge, the same as Virginia’s edge in SOS.

If the teams are relatively even, the conferences can create some separation. The Big East may be a basketball-only league, but according to CBS Sports, the ACC carries a better RPI as a league at this point in the season.

Next: A sad season in college basketball

At the end of the day, the distinction between Villanova and Virginia comes down to the eye of the beholder. With any luck, they’ll duke it out on the court when spring rolls around. Until then, Virginia has a stronger case as the best team in the country.

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