Virginia needed this championship
BEFORE Saturday night’s ACC Tournament championship game against tradition-rich North Carolina, Virginia coach Tony Bennett got his players together and quoted scripture: Psalm 133. “It’s a good and precious thing when brothers dwell together in unity. It’s like a fine oil poured upon your head,” Bennett told his team. He did that to remind his players that they’re special together and that they could accomplish anything. “That’s what I said to them before the game and that’s what I said after,” Bennett offered, “because it’s unity. That’s what sets this team apart. They’re so unified and so unselfish. It’s a blessing to be a part of this.” Bennett wasn’t just talking about basketball either. Virginia claimed its third ACC Tournament championship and second in five years under Bennett with a 71-63 victory over the Tar Heels at Barclays Center. The Cavaliers (31-2) have all but clinched the No. 1-overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. But let’s be real. Mention Charlottesville, Va., these days and the first thing that comes to mind isn’t that it’s the home of the best college basketball team in the country, but the city where three people were killed and at least 33 were injured during a series of violent clashes during a white-nationalist rally last August. It was a horrible moment in America’s recent history, and a reminder of how far we still have to go as a nation. Bennett, who led Virginia to its first No. 1 ranking in the AP poll since December 1982, points to his team an example of progress. On the back of Virginia’s jerseys there’s a patch that reads: “#Who’s together?” It’s not so much a question as a rallying cry for the university. “I think a basketball team embodies unity and diversity in a way that’s special,” Bennett said. “I think it’s the greatest example. There’s love here. There’s family and there’s issues, but it’s a beautiful thing.”
Perhaps this was Virginia’s version of a not so silent protest; a way of showing that a university located in Charlottesville can be an example of excellence. The Cavaliers have been that this season, going 17-1 in the ACC and sweeping their three games in the conference tournament. They handled a North Carolina team that was playing its fourth game in as many nights, but offered a good fight before fading near the end.
“Against Virginia you have to make plays and play well,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. “I don’t think we got it to that level.”
Nonetheless, the Tar Heels can leave Brooklyn feeling good about their visit. A 74-69 victory over Duke on Thursday night gave North Carolina the best-of-three series over their blood rivals and bragging rights that probably had more value than a tournament trophy. Add a win over No. 3 seed Miami on Thursday, and North Carolina had a good week in preparation of defending their national championship.
“We have some bigger goals in front of us,” Williams said.
Truth is, Virginia needed it more for their team and their city. The Cavaliers have been the dominant force in the ACC all season. It was time to escape the shadow of North Carolina.
“This speaks to this group and how tough we are,” senior guard Devon Hall said. “We’ve been battling all season. To be able to grab this, I think it’s a special, special moment for us.”
Nobody has more respect for Virginia and Bennett than Williams.
“He got his club to do what he wanted better than I got my club to do what I wanted,” the Carolina coach said.
Williams had said his Tar Heels would have to play “a perfect game” to have a chance to beat a Virginia team that whipped them 61-49 at Virginia in early January. They didn’t. The Tar Heels went more than four minutes without scoring in the final seven minutes and couldn’t catch the Cavaliers, who made enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win and the trophy.
Validation for a team; vindication for a city.