Hoop Dreams
Photos by Matt Riley
It was a long, cold winter in Charlottesville, but many didn't seem to care— they were too distracted by the history-making men's basketball season. Virginia finished the year with a 30-7 record, tying the school record for wins in a season, secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and was ranked No. 3 in the year's final AP Top 25 poll, its highest ranking since a No. 2 ranking in 1983.
The season marked the latest milestone in a steady upward trajectory under Coach Tony Bennett, who has improved the Cavaliers' record in each of his five years at UVA During their careers, fourth-years Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell and Thomas Rogers helped the Cavaliers to 91 wins, three 20-win seasons, an ACC regular-season title, an ACC Tournament Championship and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
"I'm thankful that for four years I got to be a part of watching them grow from boys to men and turn our program around," says Bennett, the ACC Coach of the Year. "They are what's right about the game of college basketball."
Here are some photos from the season.