Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
UVA Basketball Season Tips Off in One Month
We are exactly one month away from the start of the 2021-2022 Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball season. In 30 days, the Hoos will welcome the Navy Midshipmen to John Paul Jones Arena in the season-opener on November 9th at 9pm.
In Tony Bennett’s 13th season, UVA seeks an eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hoos will also look to defend their ACC Regular Season Championship, looking to win the title for the sixth time since 2014.
Virginia turned in an 18-7 overall record and a 13-4 record in the ACC last season. The Cavaliers earned the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and defeated Syracuse in the quarterfinals on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Reece Beekman. The Hoos would not play another game in the ACC Tournament, however, as a positive Covid test within the program derailed their run at an ACC title. Virginia cleared protocols just in time to participate in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, but lost to No. 13-seeded Ohio in the first round.
Needless to say, the Wahoos will be eager to begin a new college basketball season with Covid having a much less significant role in the outcome of the season.
The Cavaliers enter the new season with a significant amount of roster turnover. Virginia lost graduated seniors Sam Hauser, Jay Huff, Tomas Woldetensae, and Austin Katstra, as well as junior Trey Murphy, who declared for the NBA and was selected with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Georgia), Casey Morsell (NC State), and Justin McKoy (North Carolina) also departed from the team via the transfer portal. UVA returns Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, Francisco Caffaro, Kadin Shedrick, and Kody Stattmann. Virginia also adds freshmen Igor Milicic Jr. and Taine Murray as well as transfers Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin.
UVA fans will get their first chance to see the team play at the Pepsi Blue-White Scrimmage on Sunday, October 17th at John Paul Jones Arena.
Fans are welcome back in John Paul Jones Arena this season, but fans will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test and masks will be required inside the arena at all times.
We have seen only small glimpses of what is in store for the Virginia men’s basketball team this season through pictures and brief videos of practice sessions.
The wait is almost over. UVA basketball season is almost here.
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