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March 8, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –
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The Game
Virginia enters the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed after posting a 20-9 record in the regular season and an 11-5 mark in the ACC. The Cavaliers, who are ranked 24th in the ESPN/USAToday Top 25 Poll, are coming off a 78-72 loss to Wake Forest (March 3) in Winston-Salem.
UVa will play the winner of the first round matchup between No. 7 seed Duke and No. 10 seed NC State. Duke, ranked 21st in both The Associated Press and ESPN/USAToday Top 25 polls, entered the ACC Tournament with a 22-9 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the ACC. NC State concluded the regular season with a 15-14 overall record and was 5-11 in the ACC.
Television
Tonight’s game will be televised by ESPN2 and the Raycom-Lincoln Financial Network. For ESPN2, Brad Nesslier will handle the play-by-play, Jimmy Dykes in the analyst and Doris Burke is the sideline reporter. For RLF, Steve Martin will handle the play-by-play and Mike Gminski is the analyst.
Radio
All UVa games are heard on the Virginia Sports Network originating at the Charlottesville Radio Group and WINA-AM/WWWV-FM in Charlottesville. Mac McDonald calls the play-by-play. Jim Hobgood provides the analysis.
ACC Tournament History
Virginia has won its opening round game in the ACC Tournament the last three seasons after losing its first game in the tournament the previous eight years. Last season, seventh-seeded UVa defeated 10th-seeded Virginia Tech 60-56 (Mar. 9) in the first round at the Greensboro Coliseum. Virginia lost to second-seeded North Carolina 79-67 (Mar. 10) in the quarterfinals.
UVa is 30-52 (.366 winning percentage) all-time in the ACC Tournament.
Virginia has been the second seed in the ACC Tournament two previous times and the Cavaliers are 4-2 all-time as the second seed. UVa was the second seed in the 1982 and 1983 ACC Tournaments and advanced to the finals both times. In 1982, the Cavaliers defeated Clemson 56-54 and Wake Forest 51-49 in overtime before falling in the finals 47-45 to North Carolina. In 1983, Virginia opened the tourney with a 109-66 win over Duke and then defeated Georgia Tech 96-67 before dropping an 81-78 decision to NC State.
ACC Honors
Sean Singletary has earned All-ACC First Team honors for the second consecutive season, while J.R. Reynolds has been tabbed second-team All-ACC after earning third-team honors in 2006. Dave Leitao has been named the ACC Coach of the Year.
Singletary is the first UVa player to earn first-team all-league honors twice since Bryant Stith garnered the honor three consecutive years – 1990, 1991 and 1992. He is only the fifth Virginia player to be a first-team All-ACC selection more than once (Stith and Ralph Sampson – three times, Buzzy Wilkinson and Jeff Lamp – twice).
Reynolds was the top vote-getter on the All-ACC Second Team. He is UVa’s first selection to the second team since Travis Watson in 2003.
It marks the first time Leitao has earned a coach of the year award. He is also the first UVa coach to capture the honor since Terry Holland in 1982. Holland was also ACC Coach of the Year in 1981. In 1972, Bill Gibson became UVa’s first men’s basketball ACC Coach of the Year.
UVa Vs. Duke and NC State in the ACC Tournament
The Cavaliers have not faired well vs. either of their possible quarterfinal opponents – Duke and NC State.
UVa is 3-14 all-time against Duke in the ACC Tournament, including a 2-9 mark in the quarterfinals. Three of UVa’s last four losses (2003, 2004 and 2005) have come against the Blue Devils. Virginia’s last win over Duke in the ACC Tournament was a 66-61 triumph in the semifinals of the 1994 tourney.
NC State is 11-2 all-time vs. the Cavaliers in the ACC Tournament. In quarterfinal action, UVa is 2-6 against NC State. The Wolfpack have won the last two matchups vs. Virginia in the ACC Tournament (2000 and 2002). The Cavaliers’ last win over State in the ACC Tournament was in 1986 (a 64-62 victory) in the quarterfinals.