17. Virginia (22-3)
A brilliance bounce back season has Virginia right back in the spotlight after a few down seasons. First-year head coach Ryan Odom has done impressive work getting this team right back into the thick of things, not just as an ACC contender but with that showy record and results. The Cavaliers have stockpiled nice wins away from home and added to that total this week.
Virginia survived a trip at Florida State to start the week, winning 61-58 in Tallahassee. Jacari White led the scoring with 19 points as the Cavaliers survived a meek performance out of their offense. The Cavaliers headed to Nashville for a rare February nonconference matchup and secured a 70-66 win against Ohio State. Malik Thomas led with 13 points while Sam Lewis made key plays late with 12 points in the win.
Now winners of six straight and 10 of their last 11 games, Virginia looks much better than many expected before the season. Odom’s squad has established themselves as a team to watch from the ACC and have a few more chances to really prove that in the weeks ahead. They won’t see Duke until the end of the month, but important opportunities approach against Georgia Tech and Miami for a team that’s currently 10-2 in the league.