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South Region preview: After being on the wrong side of history last year, Virginia earns top seed again

Virginia coach Tony Bennett argues a call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 15, 2019. (Chuck Burton / AP)
Associated Press

Nothing will ever erase Virginia’s history as the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose its NCAA Tournament opener.

At least now the Cavaliers’ wait for the chance to make up for that unprecedented loss is nearly over.

The Cavaliers are the second overall No. 1 seed and back in the South Region bracket after losing to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County – better known as UMBC – a year ago. Virginia lost 74-54 to UMBC, becoming the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed.

Virginia (29-3) will play an NCAA Tournament newcomer in Gardner-Webb (23-11) of the Big South Conference on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina.

This is the seventh time Virginia has been a No. 1 seed and the fourth time in six seasons, though the Cavaliers still are looking to reach their first Final Four with Bennett and first since 1984.

Second-ranked Virginia had been in the running to be the top overall seed before losing 69-59 to No. 12 Florida State in the ACC tournament semifinals. The Cavaliers’ only other losses this season were to Duke, the overall No. 1 seed.

Reaching the Final Four in Minneapolis won’t be easy. The Cavaliers find themselves in a bracket with Tennessee, with the Vols hoping for a No. 1 seed until being routed in the Southeastern Conference tournament final Sunday. The No. 2 seed Vols open Friday in Columbus, Ohio, against Colgate (24-10).

The Wisconsin Badgers, who reached the Final Four in 2014 and 2015, are a possible regional semifinal opponent in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 28. There’s also Villanova and Cincinnati, which just beat No. 11 Houston for the American Athletic Conference tournament title just before the brackets were released.

Shadow of Sister Jean: The Tennessee Volunteers (29-5) can sympathize with Virginia’s pain over an early NCAA Tournament loss. The Vols earned their first berth since 2014 only to lose in the second round last year, 63-62 to Loyola-Chicago with famous fan Sister Jean watching. Now they play Colgate, the Patriot League tournament champ.

Defending champs: Villanova (25-9) will try to defend its title – and win its third championship in four years – as the sixth seed playing No. 11 seed Saint Mary’s (22-11) on Thursday in Hartford, Connecticut. The Big East champs haven’t been seeded this low since 2013.

Injury watch: Kansas State (25-8) is hoping to have senior forward Dean Wade back for the fourth-seeded Wildcats’ opener Friday in San Jose against UC Irvine (30-5). Wade missed both games at the Big 12 Tournament, and he was still wearing a walking boot on his right foot Sunday. Wade is averaging 12.9 points a game.

Home sweet home: Cincinnati might not be happy being seeded seventh. But the Bearcats (28-6) only have to travel about 100 miles to Columbus to play No. 10 seed Iowa (22-11).