When the calendar turned 11 days ago there was an inherent invitation of sorts that, along with the new month, arrived in kind. March beckons for the trolls to double down, for fans to take heed, and for teams to ready themselves.
This might all sound hyperbolic but with what the previous March bore for Virginia's players, coaches, and fans alike one can understand the consternation. The sneers and the jokes have since faded a bit but now, five days short of the anniversary of what is to most the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history, opportunity arises.
With some stories, you get a chance to rewrite the ending.
The Wahoos are 28-2 overall (just as they were heading to Brooklyn last year) and have won 16 of the 18 conference games they've played this season. Three more wins and another ACC title will be theirs but that'd be only the first of the two other championships they seek.
And if we're all being honest, it's not the one that matters to the outside world.
That outside world, of course, has been all but dismissive for most of this season. The two losses to date—both to at-full-strength Duke—confirmed to some observers just why. Yet, inside John Paul Jones Arena and against every other team on the schedule, UVa has improved and is markedly better this year than last.
Results will be the final indicator but our eyes, the numbers, and reality should guide our expectations regardless.
There's a subtext to the next few weeks that is also a reality. De'Andre Hunter, newly named First-Team All-ACC and the league's Defensive Player of the Year, is almost certainly going to be a lottery pick in the next NBA Draft. Given the totality of his comments last week, it wouldn't be a shock whatsoever if Ty Jerome joins his "blood brother" in foregoing the remainder of his eligibility as well. Two-time All-ACC guard Kyle Guy, meanwhile, could opt for a professional career too given his pending nuptials this summer and the potential for his two running mates to take that next step.
No amount of quote parsing, social media dissecting, or wishcasting is going to change what "The Big Three" ultimately decide. Maybe it prepares many for what some see as the doomsday scenario.
But we, as thinking human beings of sound mind, must all appreciate that this postseason isn't just about the failings of last year. It too is about the potential end of an era and what changing of the guard really looks like.
And those are the main storylines for the Hoos as they prepare for Charlotte, the obvious connections to March 16, 2018 laid bare.
The ACC Tournament is a special event and it's clear to at least this writer that the players approach it as such. Beyond the halls of the Spectrum Center, though, there will be an opportunity and it starts with a likely appearance in Columbia.
"Starts" is the key word there and perhaps the lesson those on that team learned some 360 days ago. These Cavaliers, be it in a season-opening win against Towson or in losses to the Blue Devils, know precisely the feeling they are hoping to avoid. But bigger than that, there's a relief they hope to achieve and a true ascension they hope to secure.
This isn't about 2018. But it will be.
This isn't about the Big Three. But it will be.
This is about Virginia basketball. But it's also about so much more.
JOIN CAVSCORNER TODAY!
If you are not already a member of CavsCorner, come join us and see what all of the buzz is about.
Click HERE to subscribe and get all of the latest news and join hundreds of other UVa fans in talking about Cavalier football, basketball, and recruiting. You won't be disappointed!
