Bracket to Determine Best UVA Basketball Game

Men's Basketball
21

We’ve decided to up it to 2 matchups per day! So, now we’ve got the 1976 ACC Semifinal win over Maryland versus the 2013 win against Duke.
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In 1976, 33 year old Head Coach Terry Holland was in his second year in Charlottesville, and the 'Hoos generally struggled in regular season play. Finishing 4-8 in ACC play, they entered the seven team ACC Tournament as the six seed. They knocked of #19 NC State in the first round, and earned themselves a contest with the hosts of the tournament, #9 Maryland. Fairly rare at that point, Maryland coach Lefty Driesell, Holland’s college coach at Davidson, started three guards, trying to overwhelm the Wahoos with their quickness and mobility. The Cavs were lead by Wally Walker’s 27 points and Billy Langloh’s 20 and scraped out a 73-65 victory over the Terps. Virginia would go on to beat #2 North Carolina in the ACC Championship to secure the program’s first NCAA tournament bid. This run through the ACC tournament would be dubbed the Miracle in Landover, as the program experienced its first taste of success.

On February 28th, 2013 the Virginia basketball program essentially announced its upcoming rise to the highest ranks of college basketball with a victory over the Duke Blue Devils. The season following Tony Bennett’s first tournament appearance in Charlottesville, the Cavs regressed due to the departure of Mike Scott and the absence of Malcolm Brogdon, who was redshirting the season due to injury. While they failed to make the big dance, this group of Wahoos did score the program’s first big win under Bennett, and foreshadowed what would be coming down the road the next year. Joe Harris was unconscious on the offensive end, finishing with 36 points on 12-20 from the field and 10-12 from the line. Fellow third year Akil Mitchell pitched in 19 points and 12 boards in the 73-68 victory, as the Cavs overcame 50 combined points from the Blue Devil backcourt of Seth Curry and Quin Cook. Since that glorious night, the Virginia Men’s Basketball program hasn’t looked back, and has only built on the euphoria.

Vote here:
Correction: 1976 ACC Tournament Semifinal

  • 1976 ACC Championship
  • 2013 Win over #3 Duke
0 voters

This poll will be open until 1 pm tomorrow when we’ll post the next slate of matchups.

3 Likes
22

There might be a little bit of recency bias here, but I have to go with the 2013 W. Great game with numeral future NBA guys

4 Likes
23

This may be a bit premature considering we haven’t voted on the 1976 ACC Championship game yet, but this is a fascinating archived article from Sports Illustrated in 1976 detailing the ACC Tournament that year. Great read:

https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/03/15/virginia-crashes-the-party

6 Likes
24

That 1976 tournament title sealed my UVA fandom. I remember that magical weekend well!

6 Likes
25

man I know I am old now. Great reading an article that didnt include tweets and or KenPon numbers and was just ACC hoop reporting. Great pull here

7 Likes
26

This one was tougher. That win in the tournament against the 9th ranked team was big. Wally Walker was capable of going off at any time and carrying UVA on his back. I still got to go with the Duke win as this was Tony’s biggest win to date and gave us a preview of what was to come

4 Likes
27

Just so everybody is aware, I made a typo on the poll and can’t change it (polls can’t be edited after 5 minutes). I wrote a correction above it, but it’s possible someone missed it. We’re voting on the 1976 ACC Tournament Semifinal NOT the 1976ACC Championship. If necessary, you can still change your vote. Sorry for the confusion!!

2 Likes
28

I have kinda a fun story about that 2013 Duke win — when I was doing a semester abroad in Ireland in Spring 2013, I was wearing a Virginia shirt at a pub shortly after that Duke game which lead to an Irish pub-goer starting a conversation with me about how great Joe Harris was in that game. I was surprised because I have never known Irish people to follow U.S. college sports, so that game must have been so significant that reached the sports network highlights over here which is pretty cool.

But… I’m gonna go against my bias for more recent games and vote for the 1976 ACC Tournament Semifinal win. It’s pretty impressive that Terry Holland took the team to its first ACC Tournament championship game appearance in only his second year of coaching to the team, especially having to go through a ranked Maryland team in Landover to get to the finals. Thanks for sharing that article @brogdonfanpage! It had some great quotes.

7 Likes
29

For our first matchup today we have the 2014 win over #4 Syracuse which clinched an ACC Regular Season Title, and the 1995 victory against #6 Maryland that forced a four way tie and four way share of the ACC Regular Season Title.

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In 2014, the renaissance of Virginia basketball came to be, as the team rattled off thirteen straight wins, culminating in this title clinching drubbing of Syracuse on March 1st, 2014. Winning 75-56, the Cavs broke away in the second half of the game, and on senior night, got every last man on the roster playing time. In front of an electric JPJ crowd, fourth year walk-on Thomas Rogers even nailed a three in the waning minutes. Overall, Malcolm Brogdon led the 'Hoos with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and five assists, while Mike Tobey, Akil Mitchell, and Justin Anderson all registered double digit points as well. First year point guard London Perrantes picked apart the Syracuse zone, dishing out seven assists and nailing two long balls. The atmosphere was phenomenal, and the 'Hoos came away with their biggest win in years, only to be topped a few weeks later in the ACC Tournament where the 'Hoos would reign supreme, before dropping out of the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16. Nonetheless, this team started what has been a phenomenal seven year run, and what looks to be the new normal for UVA basketball.

In 1995, the #13 Cavs met the #6 Terps on March 5th in what proved to be a decisive victory, with a final score of 92-67. While a 25-point victory versus the #6 team in the country is a great result, what adds to is the fact that this gave the Cavs a share of the ACC Regular Season crown, splitting it with Wake Forest, Maryland, and North Carolina. The shared title was Virginia’s first in 12 years, and they wouldn’t get a piece of it for another 12. This team, led by Junior Burrough, Cory Alexander, Harold Deane, and Curtis Staples, boasted four double-digit scorers, and three who averaged over 16 points per game. Fifth in scoring was Jason Williford, who contributed 6.1 PPG and hauled in 6.6 rebounds per contest. That team would go on to beat #5 Kansas in the Sweet 16, before losing to Arkansas in the Elite Eight.

  • 2014 vs #4 Syracuse
  • 1995 vs #6 Maryland
0 voters

The next matchup will be posted at 9pm tonight and will be open until 1 pm tomorrow.

30

any foto of Junior B is gonna get my vote just so you know

6 Likes
31

1995 was the year I applied and was accepted to UVa… this game is seared into my brain as one of the best.

5 Likes
33

Whoops… was a few years too early. :see_no_evil:

3 Likes
34

Fact i had the same hair cut in 7th grade cause i wanted to be like him

3 Likes
35

hahaha. he kept it nice

1 Like
36

Our second matchup today is the 2018 ACC Championship game between Virginia and UNC, and the 1989 Sweet 16 contest between Virginia and #1 seed Oklahoma.

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Following a 17-1 ACC run and the ACC Regular Season title, the 2018 Wahoos stormed through the ACC tournament to the Championship game where they beat the Tar Heels 71-63. Kyle Guy led the way with 16 points, Devon Hall finished with 15, Ty Jerome chipped in 12, and Deandre Hunter added 10 as the Cavs clinched their second ACC Championship under Tony Bennett. Unfortunately, Hunter’s wrist turned out to be broken, ending his season, and the 'Hoos, well, lost their next game. But this was still a phenomenal accomplishment, winning the ACC tournament is no simple task, and a 20-1 ACC record is quite frankly, ridiculous. This set the stage for the following team, as the core that won the National Championship in 2019 gained invaluable experience.

On March 23th, 1989 the Cavs faced the #1 seed Oklahoma Sooners and their all american center Stacey King who entered the game averaging 26 points per game. The 'Hoos went into the half leading 42-37, holding King to only 2 points. But the All American wouldn’t be held back for long, scoring 20 points in the second half. Fortunately, first year Bryant Stith went off for 28 points and 7 rebounds, and point guard John Crotty finished with 13 points and 9 assists. Winning 86-80, the 'Hoos would move on to the Elite Eight for the fifth time under Holland, but would lose to Michigan Wolverines by 37 points. Nevertheless, this was a great run, and the future was bright with Stith at the helm.

  • 2018 ACC Championship vs UNC
  • 1989 Sweet Sixteen vs Oklahoma
0 voters
3 Likes
37

this one is tough

4 Likes
38

Found this while researching. Full game:

3 Likes
39

No doubt i had that hair cut and wanted to dunk like Vince Carter.

2 Likes
40

Today’s first matchup is between last year’s win over Purdue in the elite eight and the 1994 win against #4 North Carolina.

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Securing Tony Bennett’s first final four appearance, and Virginia’s first since 1984, the Wahoos beat Purdue 80-75. Dramatic moment followed dramatic moment, culminating in Kihei Clark’s ridiculous pass to Mamadi who floated the game tying buzzer beater at the end of regulation. Carsen Edwards went off for 42 points, while Kyle Guy recorded 25 points and 10 rebounds (his first double double) and Ty Jerome contributed 24 points, 7 assists, and five rebounds. Deandre Hunter scored the go ahead basket with 28 seconds remaining in overtime, and the program’s biggest win in decades was secured. As we all saw earlier today, the Cavs would go on to win the National Championship.

On January 19, 1994 an unranked Virginia team upset #4 North Carolina. That team was led by Junior Burrough and Harold Deane, and benefited from Jason Williford’s best season (average-wise) as they also reached the ACC Championship, but lost to this same North Carolina team. They’d go on to lose in the Round of 32 to #9 Arizona.

  • 2019 Elite Eight vs Purdue
  • 1994 vs #4 UNC
0 voters

This poll will close at 1 pm tomorrow

41

cant believe I am going against foto of Jay Willy but this one is easy

3 Likes