March Madness: Virginia basketball branded ‘unwatchable’ after team shoots only 17 PERCENT from the field in the first half as fans berate selection committee for controversial pick
- Virginia went 14 minutes of playing time – 52 minutes in real time – without a point
- Social media quickly criticized the selection committee for UVA’s inclusion
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The NCAA Tournament selection committee’s controversial decision to include the University of Virginia men’s basketball team has backfired spectacularly after they posted one of the worst performances in March Madness history.
Selection Sunday left fans shocked by the Cavaliers’ inclusion as one of the final four teams in the tournament — despite almost every possible statistic and analysis saying the team didn’t deserve to be in the game — versus teams like Indiana State, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Oklahoma.
Well, the Cavaliers rewarded the committee for their generosity by posting a shooting performance Tuesday night in a 67-42 loss to Colorado State in their “First Four” game in Dayton, Ohio.
Virginia shot an abysmally poor 5-for-29 (17 percent) from the field in the first half and didn’t score a basket for the final 9:20 of that period — heading to the locker room with just 14 points.
They didn’t break that duck until about four minutes into the second half, accounting for almost 14 minutes of playing time and 52 minutes of real time between buckets.
The University of Virginia basketball team had an embarrassing performance on Tuesday
Virginia managed just 42 points in a loss to Colorado State – the result of a scoring drought
That drought spanned nearly 14 minutes of game time and about 52 minutes of real time
Virginia finished the second half 9-for-27 from the field and finished the night 14-56 (25 percent) from the field and 3-17 (17.6 percent) from 3-point range.
The reaction on social media to the match was a mix of anger on behalf of the teams who didn’t get in and shock at the display.
During the NCAA Tournament post-game show, analyst Wally Szczerbiak said, “(The committee) made a mistake putting Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Every braceologist said it.
“They go out there and play like that. It’s no longer showing basketball the way they played today and on national television.”
Other college basketball media sang a similar song about the Cavaliers, whose season ends with this loss.
“A Virginia team that had lost 5 of its previous 9 games was unable to score 50 points in 4 of its previous 8 games and is 18 spots worse at (analytics site) KenPom than the next lowest team in the generally seemed to do “has no place in this NCAA tournament,” wrote CBS Sports columnist Gary Parrish. “Many of us said this two days ago.”
FOX Sports broadcaster John Fanta tweeted: ‘I normally hate the ‘they weren’t in the tournament’ shots because anything can happen in one match. But here I make an exception. Nothing against UVA. Tony Bennett is a great coach. But this particular team had no business being in this area. It’s the truth.’
College basketball media and NBA players criticized the selection committee, including UVA
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy wrote, “Committee members should all be fired for throwing Virginia in.” Results are important. Awful.’
Villanova alumnus and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart defended fellow Big East rejects Seton Hall, St. John’s and Providence, saying, “They really picked this Virginia team over the Big East teams.”
“Don’t let the fact that Virginia plays a disturbing, unsavory style of basketball distract you from the fact that they aren’t good enough to make the NCAA Tournament either,” The Ringer’s Roger Sherman wrote.