U.Va. gets Ohio, while Hokies will face Gators
Though Virginia enters the NCAA tournament as the reigning national champion, there’s a good chance it’d have to fare better against this year’s top overall seed than it did in December if the Cavaliers are going to have a chance to repeat, while Virginia Tech has its own stern trek ahead.
After getting past a Saturday night coronavirus protocol hurdle, U.Va. (18-6) found out Sunday it will open the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Friday as the No. 4 seed in the West Region — where Gonzaga is the top seed. U.Va. will play Saturday in the first round against region No. 13 seed Ohio.
Virginia Tech (15-6) is the No. 10 seed in the South Region and will open in Friday’s first round against No. 7 seed Florida. Tech will be looking to bounce back after losing in Thursday’s quarterfinal round of the ACC tournament to North Carolina, which was just the Hokies’ third opponent in 33 days. Tech had five of its last seven regular-season games canceled because of coronavirus quarantines within and outside its program.
All games in the NCAA tournament will be played in Indiana. U.Va. won the last NCAA tournament in 2019, marking the Cavaliers’ first men’s basketball national championship.
Last season’s tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
The winner of the Ohio-U.Va. game will play Sunday in the second round against the winner between No. 12 seed University of California Santa Barbara and No. 5 Creighton. The winner of the Virginia Tech-Florida game plays next Monday in the second round against the winner of No. 15 Oral Roberts against No. 2 Ohio State.
If U.Va. and Gonzaga both win their first- and second-round games, they’ll face each other in the Sweet 16. U.Va. lost 98-75 on Dec. 26 to Gonzaga in Fort Worth, Texas.
U.Va. had to bow out of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, before last Friday’s semifinals because of a positive coronavirus test in its program. U.Va., which has to pass seven consecutive days of testing protocols before playing Friday, had to inform the NCAA by Saturday night at 11 if it had at least five players who tested negative.
U.Va. is making its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, while Tech will be making its fourth straight appearance. Tech finished just 16-16 last season and wouldn’t have made the NCAA tournament.
Ohio (16-7) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the Mid-American Conference tournament. Coach Jeff Boals has led the Bobcats to wins in nine of their last 10 games. Five players average in
double-figure scoring for Ohio, which features guard Jason Preston (16.6 points per game).
Florida (14-9) picked up an at-large bid after finishing fifth in the Southeastern Conference standings. The Gators, who are led by sixth-year coach Mike White, enter the NCAA tournament having lost three of their last four games. Guard Tre Mann, who averages 16 points per game, is the leading scorer for Florida, which has four players who have played more than four games who are averaging in double-figure scoring.