One Thing to Watch: Virginia gets its redemption
With the NBA, NHL, NASCAR and other major sports leagues and sporting events suspended or canceled, what better time to take a look back at some iconic sports moments? Each day, we’ll deliver One Thing to Watch.
In March 2018, the University of Virginia men’s basketball team suffered not only the biggest upset in college basketball history, but quite possibly the biggest upset in the history of sports.
Maybe a stretch – but it was a historic upset.
Virginia became the first ever 1-seed to lose to a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Top seeds had previously been a combined 132-0 in the first round.
But, as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Returning nearly their entire roster from the previous season – including three future NBA draft picks in Ty Jerome, Deandre Hunter and Kyle Guy – Virginia entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament as a 1-seed once again, with a chance to change the narrative around their program and wash the bad taste from their mouths.
After cruising through the first two rounds, the Cavaliers survived an ugly game against Oregon in the Sweet Sixteen before having to withstand a 42-point outburst from Purdue’s Carsen Edwards in an Elite Eight overtime thriller.
Things didn’t get any easier in the Final Four.
Facing a red-hot Auburn team, Virginia needed three late free throws from Guy to push them past the Tigers into the national championship.
It was another nail-biter for Virginia, and you can relive the entire game below:
Losing in historic fashion is never good, but that loss to UMBC had to make the Cavaliers’ NCAA title win over Texas Tech that much sweeter.
What a way to bounce back.
