Tag: UVA

NC State’s Final Four run continues recent stretch of ACC dominance in NCAA Tournament

The Atlantic Coast Conference has found success in the Final Four with the latest run from NC State.

It’s going to be weird watching the Final Four with no UNC in it, but we’ll be fine.

Thursday’s loss to Alabama was certainly heartbreaking, but there’s no denying that what North Carolina did was special. The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament entirely last year, came back with a majority of the same players and won their first, outright ACC Regular Season Title since 2016.

Right now, college basketball’s attention (UNC fans, too) has turned to rival NC State.

The Wolfpack wouldn’t be playing in the Final Four if it weren’t for Michael O’Connell’s game-tying, buzzer-beating shot in the ACC Tournament Semifinal against UVA. Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely bricked the front end of a one-and-one, NC State pushed it up court, then O’Connell drained an insane attempt.

The Wolfpack later won that game in overtime, downed North Carolina in the ACC Championship and now sport a 9-game winning streak. They’ll be playing the Zach Edey-led Purdue Boilermakers in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6 at 6:09 p.m. ET

With NC State’s win over Duke, it became the fifth different ACC program to reach a Final Four in the past five NCAA Men’s Tournaments.

Please excuse sports blogger Danny Neckel’s typo in the post. He even has some fun with it in the comment thread.

Miami represented the ACC last year, making its first Final Four appearance in school history. UNC and Duke, two of the conference’s premier programs, did the same in 2022. No ACC program made the Final Four in 2021, COVID cancelled the 2020 Big Dance, while UVA won it all in 2019.

I rarely root for NC State, but how can you not fall in love with them when they’re led by DJ Burns, who has unofficially become America’s Sweetheart?

The Wolfpack’s bruising, Shaq-esque center already has two 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament, including a 29-point explosion on Easter against Duke. When Burns isn’t terrorizing opponents on the court, he’s smiling and acting as NC State’s fun-loving, big-hearted hero.

Will the Wolfpack be able to continue their Cinderella run against Purdue?

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UNC ends 12-year drought in Charlottesville with win over UVA

The UNC men’s basketball program ended their 12-year drought of not winning in Charlottesville, beating UVA 54-44 Saturday.

The UNC men’s basketball program took on the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday, looking for their first win in John Paul Jones Arena since 2012.

UNC was not only playing to break their losing streak in Charlottesville, they also had extra motivation to create a gap in the ACC standings with Wake Forest upsetting Duke.

And they left Charlottesville ending a 12-year drought with a 54-44 win on Saturday afternoon, giving them sole possession of first place in the ACC.

North Carolina is known for their fast-paced offense that often jump-start them into big leads, but the first half painted a different picture. Instead of scoring, it was UNC’s juggernaut defense, holding UVA to 16.7%(5/30) from the field.

Tar Heels had some offensive issues, with their leading scorer [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag] failing to score a point the first period. However, the Tar Heels did get a spark by Cormac Ryan who was responsible for 15 of 26 UNC first-half points.

The second half saw UNC ten ten-point lead evaporate with the Cavaliers finding their offense. Despite making the game interesting a few times, the Tar Heels held control for the majority of the half, ballooning their lead back into double digits a few times.

Closing out has been an issue for UNC this season, and appeared to be on the horizon again with UVA flirting with a comeback in the final moments. However, the Tar Heels was able to stand on business beating the Cavilers 54-44 to end their 12-year drought of not winning in Charlottesville.

Player of the Game

Player of the game belongs to [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag], who stepped up in a big way for UNC. Davis struggled from the floor, scoring 12 points, causing another Tar Heel to carry the scoring load.

That Tar Heel was no other than Ryan, who finished with 18 points, becoming a marksman from deep with six threes. This game marked Ryan’s third straight time scoring 15 points or more.

What’s Next

Next up for the Tar Heels is a home game against the Miami Hurricanes with only a day break in between. Thankfully for the Tar Heels, this game falls on Monday, and not bad luck on Tuesday, where a string of bad losses has happened.

UNC played the Hurricanes earlier this month, escaping the Hurricanes’s trap with a 75-72 road win. A regular season sweep is in play for the Tar Heels, but they will be hoping to win this one more convincing.

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UNC one of seven ACC hoops teams in NET Top 60

Seven ACC hoops teams are in the Top 60 of the latest NET rankings. Can you guess where the Tar Heels sit?

Saturday is going to be a day full of highly-anticipated, marquee college basketball matchups that carry massive implications.

Several games to watch include a ranked Big 12 battle between Houston and Baylor, a significantly-improved Wake squad hosting eight-ranked Duke in a battle that could determine the ACC’s first-place team, Alabama and Kentucky battling between ranked SEC teams and – the one we hope you’re watching the closest – 10th-ranked North Carolina traveling to UVA, where it hasn’t won in over a decade.

We’ll talk more about the Tar Heels in a second, but let’s not discount the fact that – despite UNC and Duke being the only two ranked ACC teams, seven conference programs are Top-60 in the latest NET rankings.

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That’s right – North Carolina leads the way at 10th, despite its recent hot-and-cold stretch. Duke is rightfully close to the Tar Heels at 12th, Clemson stands at 26th, Wake Forest jumped 10 spots to 27th, UVA sits at 48th, Virginia Tech rose 10 spots to 52nd after its huge win over UVA, while Pitt rounded out the ACC’s share of Top-60 teams at 58th.

There’s still two weeks left in the regular season and the ACC Tournament, which could drastically change these team’s NCAA Tournament outlook, but all seven being in the Top-60 of NET means there’s likely to be several ACC teams in the Big Dance.

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No. 14 Texas A&M falls to Virginia 59-47 in ACC/SEC Challange

A season high in turnovers was too much to overcome as the Aggies drop to 6-2 after loss to Virginia

No. 14 Texas A&M (6-2) battled but fell short of Virginia (6-1) on Wednesday night. A rested Virginia team was too much to handle as a shorthanded Aggie hit the floor with only a few days’ rest following a three-day tournament.

The Aggies started off slow for the second game in a row and had to rely heavily on defense early to stay in the game, falling behind 18-11 with about 10 minutes left in the first half. Luckily for Texas A&M, the Aggies got Henry Coleman back in this game and hit some big shots to keep the game from getting out of hand.

Like clockwork, the Buzz Williams defense turned it up and grabbed every rebound insight halfway through, resulting in a 10-0 run for a 23-20 lead. The lead would only last a few minutes as UVA would hit a big three off a late turnover to take a 27-26 lead.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Similar to the 1st half, the Aggies couldn’t buy a bucket and fell down by 11 points early in the second half. There was a point that Texas A&M had more turnovers than points behind UVA’s stifling defense.

With the Aggies shooting residing in the ice box, the Cavaliers maintained a double-digit lead to around the two-minute mark of the game. Whenever Texas A&M looked like they might make a run, Virginia would squash it immediately and never really put the Aggies back into the game. Texas A&M shot a sluggish 30.4% with 16 turnovers, not winning numbers, which ended in a 59-47 road loss.

Below are the Aggie critical contributors from the game:

Wade Taylor IV: 9 points / 4 assists / 4 rebounds / 5 turnovers

Henry Coleman: 16 points / 14 rebounds

Texas A&M will be back in action at 8:00 p.m. C.T. on Wednesday (Dec. 6) when they host DePaul at Reed Arena.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

No. 14 Texas A&M will be back on the road to face Virginia in SEC/ACC Challenge

The Aggie Basketball team will travel to Virginia to take on UVA in the inaugural SEC/ACC challenge

No. 14 Texas A&M will face ACC foe UVA at the John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia on Wednesday night.

The Aggies have battled through some adversity after losing both Tyrece Radford and Henry Coleman III for most of their last two games. This has been a testament to how deep the team is and how well Coach Buzz Williams has the entire team ready to play with an impressive 6-1 start.

Virginia is the reigning 2023 ACC regular season title winner and is currently on a three-game winning streak heading into the game. This will be their first game against a ranked opponent this season and have a 5-1 record.

This will only be the second time these teams have met on the hardwood, with the first game being a 60-59 Aggie victory in 1962 in Jonesboro, AR.

Palyers to watch:

Wade Taylor IV – 20.0 PTS / 4.4 AST / 2.4 STL

Andersson Garica – 3.6 PTS / 7.6 TOT

How to watch:

TV: ESPN 2

Play-by-play: Dave Pasch

Color Commentary: Corey Alexander

How to Listen:

TAMU Sports Network: WTAW 1620AM, WTAW 94.5FM (local)

Web: 12thman.com

App: 12th Man Mobile App

Play-by-Play: Andrew Monaco / Dr. John Thornton

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Social Media reacts to UNC’s stunning loss to Virginia

Social media reacts to North Carolina’s shocking Saturday night loss to Virginia.

The North Carolina Tar Heels hosted the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday night, and what was supposed to be a breeze of a game was anything but.

Tar Heels had a plentiful of games with TRAP written all over them, but no one expected the Virginia Cavaliers to be the one that stuck to UNC’s heels. However, Virginia gave Carolina fits from start to finish, and it had social media in an uproar.

The first half brought mixed emotions, with UVA getting off to a hot start with the Tar Heels barely being able to keep pace. Nevertheless, they did go into the half up 17-14. The end of the third is where the wheels began to fall off with dropped passes, bad punts, and horrid penalties, causing a disastrous half for UNC.

UVA went on a 17-3 run to take the lead 31-27, with the clock, offense, and defense struggling. When the win started to look bleak, more and more panic started to sit in while the time dwindled. Despite another chance at leaving victorious, Maye throws a game-ending and potentially playoff-chance-ending interception.

UNC losses 31-27…

Social media had quite the reaction to UNC’s upsetting loss to Virginia. Let us see how they reacted.

UNC football defensive keys to the game vs Virginia

Taking a look at the defensive keys to the game for the UNC football program against Virginia Cavaliers.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 6-0 for the first time since 1983, and despite the odds being heavily in their favor to go 7-0, there are a few defensive keys they will need to do to keep their record intact.

They will host the dreadful 1-5 Virginia Cavaliers, ending their three-game home stint before their two-game road trip. Despite the lackluster record, they managed to be in three of the six games, losing to James Madison 36-35, NC State 24-21, and Boston College 27-24.

That said, this game screams TRAP!

UNC walks into this game favored by 23.5 points, and now that they are in the top 10 for the Associated Press Poll, covering enormous odds against bad teams record-wise is the only way to continue to gain traction in the rankings. To meet those odds, it will not be on the offense more so the defense to keep the Cavaliers offensive attack under wraps.

Let us look at the defensive keys for UNC to wake up Sunday morning, 7-0.

UVA shooting survivor Mike Hollins gets first carry of spring football game

The UVA fifth-year player returned to the field after a remarkable recovery.

In November 2022, the University of Virginia community was stunned by a mass shooting that killed three students and injured two more. Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler — all members of the football team — tragically lost their lives after a fellow student opened fire on a bus as they returned from a field trip.

One of the injured victims, Mike Hollins, is also a member of the football team. He survived a bullet to the stomach, and worked hard to recover and rejoin his teammates on the gridiron.

Fans were delighted to see not only was Hollins dressed on the sidelines of Virginia’s spring game Saturday, but he got the first touch of the game.

Hollins opened the scrimmage with a 7-yard rush up the middle, leading to a standing ovation from those in attendance.

Prior to the game, Virginia held a moment of silence for their lost teammates. Several teammates paid their respects in the end zone painted with the “UVA STRONG” mantra the Charlottesville community adopted in the wake of the shooting.

Although Hollins didn’t score the first points of the game, it feels fitting that the first touchdown was in the end zone dedicated to the lives of those lost.

In all, Virginia’s spring game was one that brought fans and players some joy following months of immense pain.

It’s time to buy stock in Virginia men’s basketball (again)

Don’t look now, but the Hoos are surging.

Tony Bennett and the Virginia Cavaliers are back.

After a one-year absence from the NCAA tournament, the Hoos are in peak form on the hardcourt. Virginia traveled to the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas over the weekend and emerged with victories over then-No. 5 Baylor and then-No. 19 Illinois to claim the title belt.

No, really, it was a literal title belt.

The enormity of the victories cannot be overstated, not just because the impact they’ll have on the season, but because the Cavaliers played with heavy hearts following the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of three Virginia football players — Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry — the night of November 13.

Bennett returned all five of his starters from the 2021-22 squad and added grad transfer Ben Vander Plas (Ohio) and a top-notch recruiting class that ranked No. 14 nationally. The early returns for the Wahoos are encouraging.

Beyond the arc — where Virginia struggled immensely last season — the No. 5 Cavaliers are off to a blistering pace. Through four games, UVA is shooting 46.9%. That’s good for second in the nation, per KenPom. Five players for the Hoos have attempted at least 12 threes this season, and they’re all shooting between 46% and 50% from deep. Armaan Franklin, who finished last season with a 30% mark beyond the arc, is 10-for-22 early (46%).

The improved shooting from outside has done wonders in the paint, opening up more driving lanes for bigs like Kadin Shedrick, Jayden Gardner and Vander Plas. It’s also allowed the Cavaliers to drive the lane and, as a result, draw more free throws. Virginia is currently third nationally in free throw rate — one of Ken Pomeroy’s Four Factors — which “…captures a team’s ability to get to the free throw line.” For reference, Virginia’s best mark in that stat in the last five seasons was 279th in 2019 (when they won the National Championship).

Defensively, the Cavaliers might have the nation’s best on-ball defender in Reece Beekman. One game after Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. went off for 29 points, 10 rebounds and two turnovers against UCLA, the potential All-American put up a paltry nine points with six turnovers and five fouls. The difference? Beekman. The third year guard was getting it done on both ends of the court, too.

Beekman’s emergence means good things for Virginia all over the court. He’s got excellent court vision — Beekman has an assist rate of 42.6%, good for 17th best in the nation — and dished 10 assists against Baylor for a points-assist double-double. He’s not the only one sharing the ball well. The Cavaliers are fourth in overall offensive efficiency and are assisting 72.6% of their made buckets (good for 5th nationally). For comparison, No. 1 North Carolina is 336th with a 39.3% assist rate.

All of this is to say … Virginia is back. They are back to a defensive level that will annoy all of their opponents with individual players who are impactful. Offensively — although early — they’re hitting shots better than they have in recent years while having a lineup that offers depth and variety. It’s a mix of youth — first years Isaac McKneely and Ryan Dunn have high ceilings — and experience (yes, Kihei Clark is still playing).

You can still get great odds on the Hoos for both winning the national championship and taking the ACC. North Carolina has shorter odds to win the conference, but this is the perfect time to get really great value on a team with (seemingly) all the pieces needed to contend for a title.

The Cavaliers are passing the eye test early, have a champion-caliber head coach in Bennett and look to be ready to stay in the top-15 of both offensive and defensive efficiency. If you can jump on those +2000 odds to win the title, you have to do it.

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5 things to watch for in UNC football vs Virginia matchup

As North Carolina prepare to hit the road against Virginia this Saturday, we look at a few key things you should know before you watch.

The 7-1 North Carolina Tar Heels are in the driver’s seat of the ACC Coastal and have the chance to extend its lead when they take on Virginia this weekend on the road.

Finally, UNC is gaining the respect of the Associated Press Poll’s top 25, moving to No. 17 this week. As the season is winding down, North Carolina will need to add some statement wins to their resume for a significant boost in the rankings, and the Cavaliers are a perfect team for it.

This game shouldn’t be close, with the two teams on different paths this season. Virginia has struggled mightily in the division, mustering up only one win and four losses in the conference. On the other hand, North Carolina has taken care of business, going 4-0 in the conference. UNC is by far the superior team. However, if a trap game were to occur for North Carolina, it would be this one.

The two teams share heated history, dating back to 1892, and with this being coined as the “South’s Oldest Rivalry,” expect the Cavaliers to fight to end despite their lackluster season so far.