Congrats to UVA - National Champs !!

[Bluedog]

CONGRATULATIONS WaHoos!!! From what I"ve seen, only Salt is a senior leaving the team. So the regulars all return??? Any going early entry to the NBA? Otherwise, this is the team to beat next year, huh?

DeAndre Hunter very easily could go pro. I don't follow UVa close enough to know how likely, but seems like the most likely scenario to me.

And yes congrats Wahoos!

[richardjackson199]

I would think Hunter and Jerome have to be gone after a Natty. But for whatever reason Vegas books have UVA as the favorite to repeat for another Natty next year:

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...20-vegas-books

[SavDukeGrad]

DeAndre Hunter very easily could go pro. I don't follow UVa close enough to know how likely, but seems like the most likely scenario to me.

And yes congrats Wahoos!

From what has been posted here by our Wahoo friends:
Hunter almost certainly gone
Jerome probably gone
Not sure about Guy
Diakite may test the waters after a strong tournament.

[CameronBlue]

Please tell me you weren't holding onto a post dating from January 30th, so you could say it didn't "age well."

Abso-frickin-lutely! It's the perfect application of bandwidth on a sports fan website. I sent my collection of short stories to HarperCollins.

[ElliottHoo]

Others might point out that the point is to have players who are good in college not players who will be good in the pros. UVA is a good team by any metric this year.

KenPom scores aren’t directly comparable year to year, but even so he has this year’s UVA team as having the 3rd highest score since he started, behind only 2005 Kansas and 2015 Kentucky, iirc.

[ElliottHoo]

I would think Hunter and Jerome have to be gone after a Natty. But for whatever reason Vegas books have UVA as the favorite to repeat for another Natty next year:

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...20-vegas-books

Pretty sure they said that was assuming everyone but Salt comes back, which is pretty unlikely.

[MarkD83]

Congrats to the Virginia Cavaliers!

A classy program that bounced back as hard as possible from last year's loss to UMBC. After all the years - Wally Walker, Ralph Sampson, Olden Polynice, Bryant Stith, Jeff Lamp, Joe Harris, Jon Crotty, Cory Alexander... the '18-'19 Hoos bring home their 1st national championship. Well deserved!

9F

I second this sentiment. Bennett is a very classy coach and his program reflects his personality. BTW they are 66 and 6 in the past 2 years. Wow

[KandG]

I rooted against Virginia in each of their last 3 games, not because I disliked the Hoos (on the contrary, they were a high quality team), but because I liked the fight and story of each of their opponents a little better. And I have to admit I shook my head frequently at some of the breaks UVA got at the end of each of those games.

But Virginia also made their own luck, and they've had quite a run going back a few years. Watching them celebrate their first championship, and seeing all the footage of students celebrating in Charlottesville brought back more than a few memories of when we won our first championship with K back in 1991 (I was in Indianapolis to watch it all).

Congratulations to Virginia, and to all the graceful and thoughtful Hoos posters on this board. A really memorable run, and the breaks and crazy bounces just add to the legend. Enjoy it all.

[PackMan97]

But for whatever reason Vegas books have UVA as the favorite to repeat for another Natty next year:

I feel pretty confident that Vegas has this one right. If any team repeats for another Natty next year, I'm 100% certain it's going to be the Hoos. I certainly wouldn't bet that Duke or UNC will repeat next season!

[OldPhiKap]

Happy for my ‘Hoo friends, real and virtual.

[Dukehk]

If there was any team other than us, then I would have picked Virginia. They ran through pretty much everyone this year except us. We were the better team but Virginia were luckier.

[brevity]

For every Biggest Winner there has to be a Biggest Loser: the one team in the Round of 64 that is six degrees of separation from the champion.

This year the honor goes to Mississippi State, who can say that they lost to the team (Liberty) that lost to the team (Virginia Tech) that lost to the team (Duke) that lost to the team (Michigan State) that lost to the team (Texas Tech) that lost to the champion (Virginia).

Interestingly, Virginia was almost the Biggest Loser in last year's tournament, had Kentucky beaten Kansas State in the Sweet 16 and then lost to Loyola. Instead the 2018 Biggest Loser was Arizona.

Recent Biggest Losers

2019: Mississippi State
2018: Arizona
2017: Mount St. Mary's (but once and future champ Villanova was close)
2016: Purdue
2015: New Mexico State
2014: Oklahoma
2013: Colorado (does this get vacated too?)
2012: St. Bonaventure
2011: Louisville (I wasted my vacated joke too early)
2010: Oklahoma State
2009: California
2008: Belmont

To my knowledge, Duke has never been the Biggest Loser, but they almost were in 2008 when they barely beat Belmont.

Going further back, Carolina would have been the Biggest Loser in 1999 had Ohio State beat Connecticut in the Final Four, and then lost in the final. Another reason to hate Connecticut.

[dukelifer]

Virginia has been a decent program for a long while. This team has some excellent shooters and that put them over the top. Another true ACC team with at least one NC.

[wavedukefan70s]

Outstanding job by UVA.

[Saratoga2]

Congratulations to UVA, Tony Bennett and to the players who were resiliant, healthy and in some ways lucky but also deserved to win the national title. Their pack line defense kept them in all the games and they had the kind of balance to put up points when they needed them. How many times late in games did they get and hit the critical shot or hit the FTs needed. Jerome reminds me of Scheyer as a 6'5" PG who was cool in action and always seemed to make the right play. I wouldn't doubt that UVA will be back in the forefront of college ball next year as well.

[dukelifer]

Congratulations to UVA, Tony Bennett and to the players who were resiliant, healthy and in some ways lucky but also deserved to win the national title. Their pack line defense kept them in all the games and they had the kind of balance to put up points when they needed them. How many times late in games did they get and hit the critical shot or hit the FTs needed. Jerome reminds me of Scheyer as a 6'5" PG who was cool in action and always seemed to make the right play. I wouldn't doubt that UVA will be back in the forefront of college ball next year as well.

Losing Hunter and maybe Jerome might set them back.

[weezie]

Yes, congratulations and all that. I haven't got the courage to watch One Shining Moment yet though.

[DevilYouKnow]

I wouldn't trade my Devils for any team plus a million dollars.

But I was a bit jealous at the clutch three shooting and the free throw efficiency.

sigh...

Both of those team were tough as hell.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Pretty sure they said that was assuming everyone but Salt comes back, which is pretty unlikely.

...or pretty sure they said that because they wanted to get some early action on the line....

[wsb3]

The Virginia fans that post here on DBR are classy and knowledgeable. Congrats to all Hoos, everywhere.

Kedsy said it better than I could.Congrats to UVA