Texas Tech vs Virginia: Key storylines for National Championship game
By Adam Childs
3. Embarrassment to champion?
Virginia made history last year and they are trying to do it again this year. While it would be history in back-to-back years, it is a complete 180 in how they will feel about it. Last year the Cavaliers had the lowest of lows as they became the first number one seed to ever lose in the first round as UMBC ran them out of the gym in the second half and beat them by 20. This year they are in the national title game, trying to make history in getting Tony Bennett his first national title.
Last year after the loss Virginia was the butt of many jokes and it even lingered into this year. No one is going to forget about their loss to UMBC and it even carried over to how many people picked their brackets. Virginia could not be trusted, they aren’t a tournament team, and if they lost last year to the Retrievers they could do it again this year right?
Well in the first round game it looked like a distinct possibility. They trailed Gardner Webb by six at halftime and looked tight in the first half. They looked like the weight of the world was on their shoulders and played more not to lose than they did trying to win the game. Luckily they snapped out of it and outscored the Bulldogs by 21 in the second half to take a 15 point win. It seemed like that might be the toughest mental hurdle for the Cavaliers to get over as they easily took care of Oklahoma in the second round.
The third round against Oregon was close but they won the game late. The last two games, though, they have needed last-second heroics to move on. Against Purdue, they need a rebound on a missed free-throw and a last-second shot to send the game to overtime. They would control overtime to move on to the Final Four. We all know how they got past Auburn, a foul on Kyle Guy and then him stepping up and hitting all three to win the game.
It may have been a bumpy ride but the Cavaliers are on the edge of winning the whole thing a year after the biggest disappointment in school history. Winning the title this year would take some of the sting away from last years history-making loss. It won’t erase it from the history books, but it will lessen the hurt from it and at the same time they can’t take a national title away from you either.