Virginia Basketball Stays Put in Latest Bracketology Projection

The Virginia Cavaliers didn't see much movement in the updated bracketology.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers continue to dominate the ACC and are riding a 9-2 record in conference play. Duke and Clemson remain atop the ACC standings, but the Cavaliers aren't too far behind at this point.

The way in which the rest of this month plays out for Virginia will be telling—are the Cavaliers in it for the long haul this season? Tonight, they will face Florida State at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Ohio State Feb. 14, Georgia Tech on Feb. 18, and then a brutal three-game stretch against Miami, NC State and Duke toward the end of the month.

Due to their strong performances thus far, the Cavaliers were projected to land a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament last week, per Joe Lunardi of ESPN. However, the updated bracketology projection was released today, and Virginia didn't show any movement, staying put at No. 4. According to Lunardi, this means UVA would face UNC Wilmington. Arizona is expected to be the top overall seed, while New Mexico could be the last team in, with Ohio State (which Virginia plays this Saturday) being the first team out.

True Test Is Ahead

Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory and head coach Ryan Odom | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Virginia is on a steady four-game winning streak right now, but the intensity of their matchups is about to crank up. Their defense has been improving, but they appear to be sputtering on offense as of late. If UVA wants to make a solid run in the ACC Tournament, they must bounce back and control both sides of the ball.

"I think the defense has gotten better. I think clearly that's the biggest area where we've improved. The rebounding, you know, in particular, the defensive rebounding has really picked up," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his latest media appearance. "I think that's four or five in a row where it's, you know, you're in the 25% range or below, which is a big improvement for us. The offensive rebounding has continued to be an important part of our game. We haven't shot it as well as we're capable of shooting it. Hopefully, that's a good sign. We'll, you know, continue to work as long as we keep taking the right shots, you know, we're confident that they'll go down."

This month will be the ultimate test for the Cavaliers. Coming out on top will be no easy feat—how will they handle the rising pressure of playing the most imposing programs in their conference?