Virginia men's basketball is making waves this season, climbing up to No. 11 in the latest AP Top 25. With a record of 24-3 overall and 12-2 in the ACC, the Cavaliers are turning heads after recent victories over Georgia Tech and Miami.
In the early bracket reveal on CBS, UVA snagged the last No. 4 seed spot, sitting 16th overall for the NCAA tournament if it were to start today. But there's room to climb.
With upcoming matchups against NC State at home and a showdown with No. 1 Duke on the road, the Cavaliers have a golden opportunity to bolster their tournament resume.
UVA's head coach, Ryan Odom, emphasized the importance of focusing on the present. "The way you control it is with your play on the court," Odom stated after their win over Georgia Tech.
"We want to get as high of a seed as we can, but right now, our focus is squarely on the ACC regular season and the conference tournament. The NCAA tournament will take care of itself."
The Cavaliers have been impressive against top-tier competition, boasting a 5-2 record against Quad 1 opponents and an 8-1 mark against Quad 2 teams, highlighted by their victory over Miami. Wins against NC State and Duke would add more Quad 1 victories to their already strong portfolio.
Odom is keen on keeping distractions at bay, saying, "If we start talking about all of that kind of stuff [with the NCAA tournament], it distracts from what the job is, and that's to get the job done inside the lines."
Virginia's clash with NC State is set to tip off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, promising another exciting chapter in their impressive season.