Virginia Basketball Has Clear Path to ACC Title After Clemson’s Recent Loss

The Virginia Cavaliers are inching their way toward an ACC title.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers are on a steady five-game winning streak after their latest 61-58 victory over Florida State earlier this week. They're slowly inching their way toward an ACC title, and that stands even more true considering the Clemson Tigers' recent loss to Virginia Tech.

The Cavaliers and the Tigers are both tied 10-2 in the ACC right now, with the Duke Blue Devils still sitting atop the standings with an 11-1 record in conference play. But now, Clemson faced a setback, which will play out in Virginia's favor.

Yesterday, the Tigers were handed a 76-66 loss by the Hokies. Clemson is currently ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25, while Virginia Tech remains unranked. This loss allows the Cavaliers to gain more ground and credibility in the ACC race, while widening the gap between themselves and the Tigers

Clemson's next game is scheduled for Feb. 14 against the Blue Devils, and while it's unlikely that the Tigers will come out on top, a win over Duke would directly impact Virginia. If the Blue Devils defeat the Tigers, Virginia controls its own destiny for a regular-season ACC title since they still have to face Duke near the end of the season.

Slowing Down Is Not an Option for UVA

Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Although the Cavaliers are undoubtedly on the rise, this is not the time for them to start losing momentum. They're approaching their most grueling stretch of the season, with matchups scheduled against Miami, NC State and Duke. This string of games will require the Cavaliers to play exceptionally well on both sides of the ball. Ultimately, the outcome will determine Virginia's chances at clinching the ACC title this year.

The Cavaliers started to sputter on offense as of late, but their defense has been quite solid and has shown great improvement over the past few weeks. The Cavaliers are no strangers to tight scores at this point in the season, but head coach Ryan Odom stated that they must step up before taking on their upcoming opponents.

"... We certainly have to play better than we're playing right now if we want to challenge the best teams in the country. But I think the overall depth is something that this team certainly has and relies on. But there's a toughness when you've won, I guess it's 21 games now, they just figure it out. They can win pretty, they can win ugly, and they just kind of find a way."

UVA has built up an imposing reputation this year, but Odom's program needs to continue driving up the momentum. Their next game will be on Feb. 14 against Ohio State with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.