The University of Virginia meets with Boston College Thursday afternoon in the opening round of this years ACC Tournament in Greensboro. BC is the #8 seed and UVA is the # 9 seed and the winner gets a date with #1 seed Duke. Nice reward, eh?
Virginia did not play well in the only meeting of the season between the two as BC won in Chestnut Hill 68-55. In that meeting, Sylven Landesberg led the Hoos with one of his worst performances of his career as he only scored 13 points. Fast forward to Thursday, and we see Landesberg gone from the roster, suspended for the season by Coach Bennett for not meeting his academic responsibilities. In my opinion, Sylven has played his last game as a Wahoo. Gone too is Tri-Captain Calvin Baker who has left the program for personal reasons.
In the last meeting, BC and the Hoos had three players score in double-figures. I think Virginia can win this game if Mike Scott remembers how to score inside and either Farrakhan or Jeff Jones has at least 20 points. Virginia has played terribly lately as they have lost 9 straight ACC games. Their inside play has been a little better with the emergence of Jerome Meyinsse, but since the Hoos are so streaky from three-point land it might just be better if Virginia packs it in and gets ready for next year. It’s certainly possible that Assane Sene, Farrakhan, Mike Scott and Jontel Evans are not back with this team next season. I sure hope that they’re all back, but we shall see in the next several weeks.
If Virginia has a chance in this game, they must shut down Corey Raji, Joe Trapani, and Rakim Sanders. Virginia has had a ton of adversity this season, and it would obviously be very easy to just pack it in. But I think that Virginia gets fired up and wins big Thursday.
Prediction: Hoos 73, BC 60. Season NOT over! This should get the Hoos a NIT bid, and you never know what will happen there!
