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Nothing silly about a Virginia run to Final Four

Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) shoots in front of North Carolina State guard Cody Martin (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlottesville, Va., on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly) Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) shoots in front of North Carolina State guard Cody Martin (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlottesville, Va., on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly)

By Mark Wiedmer March 1, 2016 6 min read

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

› Record: 22-6 (11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference)› AP Ranking/RPI: 4/3› Best win: 63-47 at Louisville› Worst loss: 69-62 at Florida State› Best player: Malcolm Brogdon isn’t this week’s ACC player of the week by accident. In a close loss at Miami and a close win over North Carolina he averaged 27 points, 4.5 rebounds and two steals. Moreover, he’s on the floor nearly 35 minutes a game and never seems to tire.› Biggest weakness: Though they don’t rebound it great (31.9 to 28.5), the Cavaliers don’t appear to have any blatant shortcomings. They have experience, depth, talent and one of the best coaches in America in Tony Bennett. No one makes them leave their deliberate style of play, and they may be as good defensively as anyone in the country.› Can be hoopin’ in Houston if: Brogdon doesn’t get in foul trouble. The Cavs’ offense understandably runs through him, and if he’s not on the court they’re much easier to guard. But this team has all the parts to make a deep tournament run for the program’s first time since reaching the Elite Eight in 1989.› Coachspeak: “We played a better team today. Any little mistake you make execution-wise, offensively or defensively, they take advantage of it.” — Villanova coach Jay Wright after a 86-75 loss at Virginia in December

Road to Final Four series

* Indiana suddenly good enough to win it all * Nothing silly about a Virginia run to Final Four * Buddy system could make Oklahoma an NCAA champion* Can No. 1 Villanova finish season as Top Cats? * Michigan State back on track for Final Four run* Texas A&M could become a March monster* Tar Heels good enough to win Williams his third NCAA title* Kansas once more has Final Four look in January

As North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams discussed his Tar Heels’ five-point loss at Virginia on Saturday, he said of the Cavaliers: “They don’t try to do silly things. They make the easiest pass they can make.”

That might not seem like the highest of compliments. Shouldn’t every player at UNC’s and UVa’s level of college hoops avoid the silly things? Isn’t that what separates the best from the rest in both sports and life?

Yet it was surely the sweetest music possible to the ears of Cavs coach Tony Bennett, who has built a sterling reputation and lifelong winning rate of 68.2 percent at non-elite programs Washington State and Virginia far more because of fundamentals than flash.