It’s a strong year for the ACC as far as NCAA Tournament selections, as the league got seven teams into the Big Dance even with Louisville self-imposing what would have been a sure invitation.
The ACC flexed its muscles with two of its schools, North Carolina and Virginia, getting No. 1 seeds. Virginia couldn’t quite get over the hump in Saturday’s ACC Tournament championship game over a North Carolina squad that proved itself to be the top team in the league and a justifiable No. 1 seed.
Fortunately for Tony Bennett’s squad, however, Saturday night’s loss to UNC didn’t cost the Cavaliers a No. 1 seed, as the Selection Committee recognized UVa’s impressive 26-7 season and granted it the top spot in the Midwest.
The Cavaliers will play an in-state school, Hampton, in Raleigh on Thursday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. (TruTV). A win there draws the victor of Butler and Texas Tech, who play Thursday’s first game at PNC Arena at 12:40 p.m.
Hampton is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, and its second straight. Last year the Pirates won a play-in game before becoming a sacrificial lamb for undefeated Kentucky. The Pirates have pulled off miracles in the past, having upset No. 2 seed Iowa State back in 2001, so the Cavaliers don’t want to completely overlook this one.
In the very likely scenario the Cavaliers prevail… Get access to the rest of this article and unlimited access to the rest of ACCSports.com when you upgrade to Premium Access! Click on the button below to view all the benefits of becoming a Premium Access member.Get the rest of the story right now with Premium Access!
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