Charlottesville and Blacksburg may not share in basketball success equally, but 2019 was a banner year for both Virginian schools.
The University of Virginia won its first-ever National Championship, while Virginia Tech earned a third-straight NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in program history and advanced to the Hokies’ first Regional Semifinal since 1967.
But the 2020 vision is far from ideal, with both schools still trying to find their way in February.
Defending champs Virginia (15-7, 7-5 ACC) finds itself squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble thanks to an offense that ranks in the bottom 10 of Division I due to the early departures of the likes of Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome to the NBA.
The Cavaliers have shown signs of life lately with an upset of then-No. 5 Florida State, but came up short in an upset bid of current No. 5 Louisville. On the bright side, they posted 70 points for the first time all season.
Virginia Tech (14-10, 5-7) has lost six in a row (two to Boston College!?!) and hasn’t scored 70 points in regulation since Jan. 15.
Their only victory since was a double-overtime defeat of North Carolina; the Tar Heels are in danger of their third-losing season since the creation of the ACC. New head coach Mike Young knew it wouldn’t be a turnkey operation, but it looks like the Hokies’ streak of NCAA berths will end at three.
U.Va.’s made the field every year since 2015, but missing the tournament the March after cutting the nets down last spring wouldn’t be an aberration. Four defending champs in the last 13 years (Florida in 2008, North Carolina in 2010, Kentucky in 2013 and UConn in 2015) have failed to return to the big dance.
Wow of the Week: American swept the service academies last week to improve to 8-4 and third place in the Patriot League. Defense was the difference in defeating Navy and Army as the Eagles held their foes to 24% shooting from three-point range. As Sa’eed Nelson continues to shine (third in the conference in scoring, second in assists and first in steals), he is getting major help from junior Stacy Beckton: The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 17 points with 7 rebounds over his last four games and ranks third in the league in blocked shots. The school’s first winning season since 2015 is well within reach.
Player Spotlight: Georgetown somehow beat DePaul Saturday despite Mac McClung not dressing (foot injury), Omer Yurtseven not finishing (sprained ankle) and Jamorko Pickett fouling out late in the second half. Thank goodness junior guard Jahvon Blair scored 30 points — his second career high in three games. The Hoyas hope seven days off will allow their top scorer and best rebounder to heal up before they play a season-defining stretch where they’ll play four of their final seven games against ranked foes.
League Look: There’s a reason the MEAC flies under the radar locally and nationally. First, Howard is 2-24 with an RPI of 353 (there are 353 schools in Division I), which generates little local buzz. Second, Baltimore-area schools Coppin State (8-18, 331) and Morgan State (13-13, 303) don’t provide much relief. But atop the standings, there’s a pretty decent race as one game separates the top three schools. North Carolina Central has won five straight to move past Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T; the Eagles and Aggies play twice over the final three weeks of the regular season.
Ballot Battles: A minor gaffe on my part this week. I fully intended to move Pac-12 leading Colorado into the Top 25 (Buffaloes have won three straight) but somehow things got lost in the shuffle as I was moving schools up and down my ballot after another topsy-turvy week. Small school shout-outs go to Wright State, East Tennessee State and Stephen F. Austin. Rhode Island and Northern Iowa don’t get small school shout-outs because they’ve been playing big for most of the season. Maryland was the big mover from 15th to 10th after a pair of gritty wins. The big sliders were Villanova (fourth two weeks ago to 15th) and Michigan State (off the ballot). Again, a mea culpa to my friends in Boulder — and if you ever visit, make sure you check out JL Distillery. Great spot.
Starting Five — all Saturday
Georgetown vs. No. 19 Butler, noon (FOX). The Bulldogs were once ranked fifth in the nation, but have lost five of eight — and their three wins have come by three, four and five points. The five-point win came at Georgetown two weeks ago; Sean McDermott hit 7 of 10 three-pointers en route to 25 points — his highest output since netting 26 against IUPUI their season-opener. The Hoyas need to get healthy (a major challenge), play solid defense (iffy, given they’re last in the Big East in scoring D) and stay out of foul trouble.
No. 9 Maryland at Michigan State, 6 p.m. (ESPN). The Spartans have slumped their way out of the Top 25 with three-straight losses, but when they’ve been good, coach Tom Izzo’s team has been on-point with seven of their eight Big Ten wins coming by double digits. The Anthony Cowan-Cassius Winston matchup outside will only be rivaled by the Jalen Smith-Xavier Simpson duel inside. Defense travels, which is good news for the Terps, who’ve been guarding really well this winter. It’s also good news for the Spartans, who lead the Big Ten in blocked shots and defending the three while ranking second in rebounding margin and scoring defense.
VCU at Richmond, 4 p.m. (CBS Sports Network). The winner has the inside track to fourth place and the Atlantic 10 Tournament double-bye that comes with it. The Rams took last month’s meeting by 19, but that was against a Spiders team that was minus leading scorer Blake Francis. The guard has recovered from his sternum injury and scored 18 points last weekend in the win over Fordham. But his Spiders haven’t beaten their crosstown rivals since 2018, and are 5-13 against VCU since they joined the A-10.
George Washington at George Mason, 4:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network). They gave out tricorn hats when the two teams tangled in Foggy Bottom on Jan. 15, and GW’s 73-67 win began a stretch where the Colonials won four of five. But just like the Patriots’ 11-1 start, that surge is but a memory: GW has lost three in a row while Mason has dropped four-straight. From a fashion statement standpoint, Doc Nix’s colorful outfits > tricorn hats.
Virginia at North Carolina, 8 p.m. (ESPN). One of the few benefits of having the ACC Network not being carried by all cable providers in the D.C. area is the Wake Forest-Miami game won’t see the light of day. But we knew the Demon Deacons-Hurricanes might not be ready for prime time, while most thought the Cavaliers and Tar Heels would be factors in the ACC race. And even though U.Va. is on track for a double-bye in the ACC Tournament (tied for fourth with a bubble-bound Syracuse), they’re a far cry from the air-occupying top 10 schools Duke, Florida State and Louisville. UNC? They lost at home to Clemson for the first time ever last month. It’s one of those rare winters in Chapel Hill.
