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Top Item On Virginia Cavaliers’ 2014 Christmas List

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By @writered21

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They’ve held four opponents to less than 40 points this season, including two that didn’t even score 30. They shoot nearly 49.8 percent from the field. They’ve won nine of their 11 games by at least 16 points. They have true road wins over a pair of teams currently ranked among the nation’s top 30 teams. They lead the nation in scoring defense.

Admit it, the first team on the tip of your tongue right now is the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. But as impressive as they have been in demolishing most of their opponents, including ranked teams, this Christmas the Virginia Cavaliers are hoping that they find underneath their tree a chance to prove their worth among the national elite.

Now up to No. 5 in the most recent AP poll and slated to move up thanks to No. 3 Arizona losing at UNLV last night — and potentially farther if No. 4 Louisville falls to aforementioned Kentucky on Saturday — the Cavaliers (11-0) are finding life similar to how it was when they earned the East Region’s top seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Yes, Virginia is getting respect, but no, not everyone believes the Cavaliers should be close to such a lofty perch.

Last year, the complaint was the ACC‘s unbalanced schedule, which allegedly helped Virginia (which went 16-2, so maybe it helped the other teams that didn’t play UVA, too). And this year it’s, “yeah, they’re good, but they aren’t Arizona or Kentucky.” From a talent perspective, no one is going to argue that Virginia (or anyone else) is more loaded than UK. The Wildcats’ reserves could finish at least fourth in the SEC by themselves.

We won’t know the true answer as to whether the Cavaliers belong unless Kentucky and Virginia meet in the NCAA Tournament. But as undefeateds continue to fall and conference play looms, Virginia has done nothing but destroy most of their opponents. Virginia’s closest game, an eight-point neutral-court win over La Salle, featured UVA leading by 18 at one point. The other was an 11-point win at Maryland, ranked No. 21 at the time and No. 15 now, a game the Terps never really looked like winning and one that serves as Maryland’s only loss.

All Virginia needs under its tree this Christmas season is a chance. The Cavaliers will get some of that during the ACC schedule, with a home game against Duke on Jan. 31 and two games against Louisville. Both the Blue Devils and Cardinals are ahead of Virginia in the AP poll. There’s also a tricky game at No. 16 Notre Dame on Jan. 10.

The doubters will either be silenced or proven right, but Virginia and head coach Tony Bennett, led by Justin Anderson (15.1 PPG, 60 percent from three-point range) and Malcolm Brogdon 913.1 PPG, 77 percent from the free-throw line), must be looking forward to the opportunity.

Few if any experts picked the Cavaliers to win the ACC this season given Duke’s recruiting class and Louisville’s entrance into the league. Now, 11 games in, it’s very possible that this Virginia team is better than last year’s squad that reached the Sweet 16 and went 30-7. Even if not everyone believes it yet.

Ed Morgans is an ACC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @writered21 and add him to your network on Google.

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