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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

No. 2 Virginia, Tony Bennett poised for another ACC title run

Aaron Beard Associated Press

Tony Bennett guided Virginia to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 38 years with a foundation in defense, smart play and hard work.

A season later, the No. 2 Cavaliers are off to their best start since the Ralph Sampson era.

In a league featuring Hall of Fame coaches and marquee programs, Bennett and the Cavs are again atop the standings. They’re one of the nation’s last two unbeatens entering a stretch that could reveal whether they’re as good as their ranking, starting today against No. 4 Duke.

“It’s still the same mindset: Will you be faithful to the things that have gotten you there?” Bennett said. “It doesn’t change. Nothing changes. All of a sudden, you don’t become someone you’re not. That would be fool’s gold. That would be a big mistake.”

After some lean years before Bennett’s arrival, a roster led largely by unheralded veterans has Virginia alongside top-ranked Kentucky – stocked with potential one-and-done NBA players – as college basketball’s only undefeated teams.

Now the Cavaliers (19-0, 7-0 ACC) face the three ACC teams picked to finish ahead of them, each coached by Hall of Famers.

First up is Mike Krzyzewski and the preseason favorite Blue Devils (17-3, 4-3) in a rematch of last year’s ACC tournament final. Duke is coming off Wednesday’s loss at No. 8 Notre Dame then Thursday’s dismissal of guard Rasheed Sulaimon after Krzyzewski said the junior had been “unable to consistently live up” to team standards.

Virginia visits No. 13 North Carolina and Roy Williams on Monday and hosts No. 10 Louisville and Rick Pitino next weekend.

“We don’t need to worry about the next couple of games that are coming up,” all-ACC junior guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “We have one opponent to play on Saturday and we need to worry about going in there and playing Virginia basketball from the start. … We have to keep building on the success we’ve had.”

The Cavaliers were ranked No. 9 this preseason despite losing seniors Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell from a 30-win team that reached the NCAA round of 16 for the first time since 1995 as a No. 1 seed.

The Cavaliers had missed the NCAAs in 10 of 12 seasons before Bennett’s arrival from Washington State. They’re trying to make the workmanlike formula that got them here carry them farther.