Virginia Has A Sneaky Good Path to A No. 1 Seed in The NCAA Tournament

Could the Virginia Cavaliers pull off a No. 1 seed position in the NCAA Tournament?

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers are currently riding an 18-3 overall record and are 7-2 in conference play after their latest victory over the Boston College Eagles. To date, the Cavaliers have only faced losses this season to Butler (80-73), Virginia Tech (95-85) and North Carolina (85-80).

Their loss to the Hokies was frightening, as it was their ACC opener, but they eventually got back on track and rode a stunning five-game winning streak. Scores were incredibly tight, but they pulled ahead just enough to come out on top.

Once their matchup against North Carolina rolled around, the Tar Heels defeated them 85-80, throwing the Cavaliers out of their groove once again. They've since gained traction with two consecutive wins over Notre Dame (100-97) and the Eagles (73-66), but their competition is only going to grow more intense from here.

What Could Propel Virginia to No. 1?

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

With Virginia currently ranked No. 3 in the ACC standings and with their upcoming matchups against top opponents, namely Duke, NC State, and Miami, the Cavaliers have an advantageous path to the No. 1 seed. However, for this to happen, UVA will need to come out on top over each of these programs.

The Cavaliers have yet to face Duke and Miami this season, but when they played the Wolfpack earlier this month, Virginia edged them out by a score of 76-61. They will need to repeat this victory come Feb. 24, but they must also defeat Miami on Feb. 21 and Duke on Feb. 28.

Fortunately, their games against Miami and NC State will both be at John Paul Jones Arena, but the Blue Devils will be hosting them in North Carolina at the end of the month. Considering Duke holds the helm at the top of the ACC standings, they will be the top team to beat at this point in the season.

With more victories under their belt, the Cavaliers will be able to ascend the various rankings. Although their upcoming schedule is expected to be a rather brutal stretch, if they can come out on top, they have a much better shot at landing a No. 1 seed position. Having said that, facing any major loss could end up sending them backwards, and as a result, hurt their chances.

Their game game is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. ET against Pittsburgh. This will be the first step toward landing a higher seed.