NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Arizona and UCLA rise on latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
6. Virginia (8-1)
It’s hard to find something to complain about when you win your first eight games of a season, especially with a couple of those over ranked opposition away from home. Tony Bennett’s program has always been known for that defensive intensity and they’ve always been a much better team than we’ve thought. This week, they met their match.
The Cavaliers suffered their first loss of the season, dropping their only game of the week on Saturday afternoon at home to #5 Houston in a 69-61 game. Kadin Shedrick led the way with 16 points while Jayden Gardner added 13 points. Unfortunately, the Cougars shot the ball well and the Cavaliers were just 27% from long range, with those two forwards doing most of the offensive damage.
Yes, this loss to Houston stings and it hurts but it doesn’t undermine that Virginia is a great squad this season. Wins over Baylor and Illinois and on the road against Michigan were not early flukes and these Cavaliers are built to succeed in the ACC this season, something that should come as a surprise to few people after what they’ve done this last decade. For now, that first major conference tests comes on Tuesday as they’ll travel to play Miami, one of the few teams actually looking great in the league this season.