Last night in Blacksburg might have been the Virginia basketball fan’s equivalent of watching their son or daughter graduate from, well, college.
"Our baby’s growing up," might have been a fair reaction to what we had just witnessed.
But, instead of it taking 21 or 22 years, it took 27 games.
And, just as a college degree doesn’t make it, "Presto! Instant adult!" (and parents reading this are thinking, "Nooo, THAT would be a J-O-B) one game does not certify these Virginia Cavaliers as a legitimate, absolutely-for-real basketball team.
To be fair, it didn’t happen in one blink of the eye. Just as with that college grad, there were many lessons-to-be-learned along the way. There were some shaky moments, some stumbling blocks, a skinned knee here, maybe a broken bone (or in the case of this team, TWO broken bones!) there. Things we chose to call "learning experiences" in the heart-to-hearts we had afterwards. But in the end, there you were, proud as punch, watching the mortar board get tossed in the air!
I understand nothing is chiseled in stone yet, so let’s enjoy what happened last night, and what’s likely to happen going forward, quickly because the next two visitors to JPJ are two of those previously-mentioned "stumbling blocks." No. 7 North Carolina and then No. 15 Florida State are coming to town. Each has already defeated Virginia, and each may do it again (although I’ll be surprised if the Cavs don’t get even with at least FSU).
So, there they were, in one of the more notoriously difficult venues to escape with a win. The past two Virginia Tech basketball teams were both left on the outside looking in when NCAA tournament bids were extended. In both instances decent won-loss records were overshadowed by poor "strength of schedule" according to the Selection Committee.
Coach Seth Greenberg, pleading his case, said that it was difficult to get worthy opponents to visit Blacksburg. (Almost everyone reading this may now insert the Tech/Blacksburg joke of your choice.) And, yes, there is some validity to the claim.
In the seven previous years since Virginia Tech joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (and the teams began meeting twice a year), these two arch-rivals had each defended their home court successfully five of the seven times. And every time a visitor won it resulted in a sweep of the season series.
One of those occasions was last year, when the ‘Hoos won both contests and to many observers it was Tech’s two losses to a 16-15 Virginia squad that sent them off to the NIT rather than the Big Dance.
Having administered Virginia’s only home loss to date, Tech certainly had in their mind to potentially return the favor this season.
I promised when I started this blog to not simply regurgitate statistics and recaps you have many alternative sources to locate. But, to explain the opening comment about this team "growing up" last night, some of that is necessary.
In the first half the Hokies shot lights out from beyond the arc. In UVA’s previous game versus Maryland, the Terps did the same thing. The difference was, with Maryland, the defense was not at fault. The two Maryland guards were firing from another area code and were simply hot. Last night, Tech moved the ball crisply and swiftly and simply defeated the Cavs defense by obtaining, and making, their open looks.
The ‘Hoos were lucky to escape the first half only trailing by three points. The big reason, as per usual, was an outstanding 20 minutes from Mike Scott. The big horse was 7-10 from the field for 15 points.
Another notable stat line from the first half read: 0-1, 0 points. That was Sammy Zeglinski’s.
Stepping back for a moment: Last blog (and now two games ago) I speculated that "one of three things has to happen to carry these guys through". The first was getting significant contributions from Paul Jesperson, something I made roughly akin to hitting the lottery. Well hello Virginia’s newest millionaire! Jesperson hit 1-2 three point efforts against Maryland and last night had his career-high game (more on him to follow); the second was getting more production from Malcolm Brogdon, who had a career-high in the Maryland blowout (and more on him to follow); lastly was what I deemed the "most likely" (and truthfully the most important) and that was a "Sammy Sighting." The Z-man did start to shake off the cobwebs against Maryland, having his first multiple three-pointers in weeks.
But last night the first half was a bagel. In his defense, the boys were feeding Scott, who delivered, and no one else took more than two shots.
The second half, for Sammy and this whole team, was a thing of beauty.
For Mr. Zeglinski it was a half everyone hopes will jettison him, and the team, to new heights in the weeks to come. He scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, including 3-6 from three-point range. In addition he grabbed five rebounds, had two steals and an assist and played turnover-free basketball. Welcome back, Sammy!
But it was far from a one-man show.
After Erick Green, who had quite a second-half himself, scoring 17 of Tech’s 24 points, made a jumper to give the Hokies a 49-42 lead with 13:02 to go, the Cavaliers’ defense put on a clinic, forcing difficult shot after difficult shot. Virginia’s "D" held Tech without a basket for over 12 minutes and allowed just one more in the game!
For all that, the game was still up for grabs with three minutes to go when first Jontel Evans, and then just 30 seconds later, Zeglinski, fouled out. That left the ‘Hoos without a true point guard to get them home. It was the first time this year UVA had anyone disqualified.
And time for us to revisit Jesperson and Brogdon.
Everyone reading this knows the Cavaliers began the year as a senior-dominated team with Scott, Zeglinski, and Sene playing the pivotal roles. And everyone knows about first Sene’s injury and then second-leading scorer, Joe Harris’ more recently.
Malcolm Brogdon has been a significant contributor from the start and his future in Charlottesville looks bright. Paul Jesperson began the year as a red-shirt. When a couple of players decided to transfer during the holidays leaving the Cavaliers’ ranks depleted, he willingly stepped up and elected to burn the red-shirt.
The timing wasn’t good for him to get much playing time or experience as this all occurred right on the cusp of the ACC season.
I called his recent play "jittery" in the last blog. But last night he saw the most minutes he’s been given by far and responded handsomely.
So, on a night when one fifth-year senior (Scott) carried the team in the first half, and the other (Zeglinski) did the same until fouling out in the second half, it came down to the two true freshmen to make the two game-deciding plays.
Jesperson followed a Scott miss with a put-back that would be the deciding basket and Virginia’s only points in the final three minutes.
Then, on Tech’s final possession, with an opportunity to tie or win the game, Brogdon anticipated a last pass with his back turned to the ball and deflected it away, securing the win for the Cavs.
That’s a mix of contributions that could spell "Sweet Sixteen" in a few weeks.