Odom, UVa eager to turn the page from Charlotte to Philly

When the final horn sounded at the Spectrum Center on Saturday night, the jubilation among Duke’s players and fans was palpable, as one would expect. For UVa, the disappointment of coming up short (though being much better than the Wahoos were in Durham) was apparent, too.

If there’s a “good” thing about losing a league tournament final, it’s generally that you can turn the page quickly. And that will certainly be the case for Virginia (29-5) as it moves out of the ACC Tournament and onto the Big Dance.

The Wahoos, who had long been forecast as a likely No. 4 seed, will be a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, getting their first game against No. 14 seed Wright State in Philadelphia on Friday.

For Ryan Odom and Co., the opportunity to even get to the tournament is a huge step. Not because of any grander “program” reasons but more so for the players themselves, many of whom have not experienced that which they’re about to.

Following Sunday night’s Selection Show, Odom spent some time answering questions from local media and mentioned that as soon as the team got to the locker room in Charlotte, he wanted them to turn the page. He wanted them not to “belabor” the loss but rather to look forward. He asked the guys how many of them had played in the NCAA Tournament and only a handful had. For many, this is exactly what they came to UVa to do.

And now they get the chance to do it.

“These guys chose Virginia for all the right reasons,” Odom said after UVa’s loss Saturday night, “and wanted an opportunity to make the most of their time here with us.

“What they’ve done is remarkable,” he added. “The five seniors that made that choice, that had one year to play, have led the charge.”

Odom, of course, is no stranger to the annual event. He’s taken several teams to the NCAA Tournament. Doing it this year with this group of players is meaningful for a host of reasons.

“I think anytime you see our team play out there, we’re by no means perfect, but they just take up for one another,” Odom explained. “They really do. Whether they’re down in games or have big leads, there’s an excitement and a joy that these guys play with. And certainly as their coach and our coaching staff, that really makes us really proud.”

That excitement was evident even after the loss to the Blue Devils, who earned the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed following the win over Virginia. Odom loved the fight of his team and he loved the way they were excited to hear their name called on Sunday.

“Our guys stood tall,” he said of the ACC Tournament final. “We obviously didn’t win. Duke made the plays that they needed to make down the stretch to finish it out. I thought we had a good opportunity there when it was tied, but it just didn’t go our way today.”

In some ways, it wasn’t as much the difference in margin of defeat between Saturday’s game and the one in Cameron Indoor that mattered to the Hoos. That was a product of not making the plays they’re used to making and the moment being a little big.

But this wasn’t the case in Charlotte.

“The balance of stellar defense and timely offense, I thought the guys did a nice job overall,” Odom said. “This is a tough tournament. It’s hard to play three days in a row and play really well three days in a row. I think both teams weren’t at necessarily their best, but they were competing against one another at a really high level. That’s hard to do.”

He called getting the No. 3 seed and playing on the East Coast “huge,” noting that it was a testament to the hard work of the players to get that seeding. But the Hoos also know they have to play a good team when they get to Philly, because, Odom explained, that’s what this time of year is all about.

“We certainly are excited about what’s to come,” Odom said in Charlotte. “We’re very disappointed right now, but looking forward to what’s next.”

So what will it take for the Hoos to advance? Put simply: Winning.

The Cavaliers certainly earned a lot of respect on Saturday night and that carried over to the Selection Show. It’ll take good ball for them to advance but he said Sunday night that he loves the way his guys are fired up about this opportunity and to do it together.

The joy of coaching, Odom said from his home not long after the team watched the Selection Show there, is getting the chance to see kids realizing their dreams. Getting to the NCAA Tournament is what many of his players dreamed of and always wanted.

Now, they’re about to get there. He wants them to take it all in and embrace the moment.

“It’s really special,” he said simply. “It really is.”