Now there’s a title I didn’t expect to be using anytime soon. At least not in reference to men’s basketball. But there you go. After last night’s outstanding win over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech’s dismantling of UNC, Virginia is all alone in first place. Even if they lose their final game, the worst that can happen is a share of the regular season title. Don’t confuse ACC Tournament seeding with the regular season title; if you finish on top, even in a tie, you were the regular season champs.
For a bit of history, consider that Virginia has finished the ACC season in first place exactly four times before this year. In 53 prior seasons, four first place finishes. Three of those were during the Ralph Sampson years of 1981-83. The most recent time was 1995, when four teams finished tied at the top. Of those four times, only once did the Cavs hold the position outright (1981, when they finished 13-1).
This is historic.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that Virginia is a great team or even that they’re the best in the ACC. This squad isn’t nearly as good as those past regular season champs. They may not be overwhelming and they may not be pretty, but damn if they don’t keep winning games. Maryland beat UNC and swept Duke; Virginia swept Maryland. Virginia Tech swept Carolina and won in Cameron; Virginia split with the Hokies. Georgia Tech also notched wins over both Carolina and Duke (I guess everyone has taken a Blue Devil scalp this year); the Cavs topped the Jackets last weekend. You can’t accidentally win 11 games in the ACC.
One other matter should have been settled last night – ACC Coach of the Year. It has to be Dave Leitao. Has to be. Like I said, this isn’t a great squad. They are terribly flawed. Yes, they have an excellent backcourt with two players worthy of All-ACC selection, but neither are perfect. Sean Singletary coasts at times and turns the ball over too much. JR Reynolds has below-average athleticism for his position. The rest of the team is filled with good-but-not-really-good players. You never know who the third or fourth player is going to be in any game. Oddly, the team is deep, but Coach Leitao just never knows who is going to step up to support the guards. Yet somehow, like Jim Grobe did for Wake Forest in football, Leitao has navigated the league better than everyone else. Ken Pomeroy’s equations say the Cavaliers are the ninth best team in the ACC.
The standings say they are in first.
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