So, the University of Virginia didn't grab a coveted No. 1 seed in this year's 2015 NCAA Tournament. As we will see, the seed won't matter very much when it comes down to hoo will be cutting down the nets in the East bracket on their way to the Final Four.
UVA has a tough road ahead of them, but assuming that Justin Anderson's hand continues to heal and Malcom Brogdon keeps playing out of his mind, the Wahoos need not fret. Here is why UVA is going to make the Final Four this year.
Round of 64: Sure, there's been a few 15 seeds that have managed to knock off teams on the 2 line, but let's not kid ourselves here. The Cavs will be moving on to the next round without too much of a challenge from Belmont — these guys lost by 27 to VCU ... who Virginia beat by 17.
Round of 32: Well, well, we meet again. Assuming Michigan State is able to handle Georgia in their opener, the Cavs will have a shot at revenge from last year's Sweet 16 matchup. And there is no doubt that they will capitalize on this opportunity. The Spartans have plenty of talent and a coach in Tom Izzo who knows how to get his teams to play at their highest level in March, but there are too many players on UVA's roster hoo remember the pain of last year's tournament exit to let Michigan State get by them again.
Sweet 16: Assuming that chalk holds out, UVA will be matched up against Oklahoma, a team that has played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. But they haven't played UVA, yet. A tough schedule is beneficial when it comes to developing experience for March; but at the end of the day, Oklahoma has three times as many losses as the Cavaliers. Unless Blake Griffin comes driving in on his KIA Sorento to save the day, this one will come down to hoo has the better team.
Elite 8: Villanova is the top seed in the region, and many don't think that they will even make it this far. Let's assume that they do; there are two very good reasons why their run will end short when they face Virginia. First off, there can only be one team in the Final Four with a "V" as their logo, and I'm going to go with the one with the sabres beneath it. Bad. A**. Secondly, we all know that the real Nova is Northern Virginia, not some school in Pennsylvania with a mascot as basic as the Wildcats. Seriously, Villanova isn't even the best team in the field with Wildcats as their mascot (see: Kentucky and Arizona). Plus, our win over Davidson proves that Cavaliers trump Wildcats and this matchup will be no exception.
You don't need expert analysis to see why Virginia is the clear favorite to storm through the East Region. All it takes is a little common sense and a deep understanding of mascot superiority. Let the games begin.