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CHARLOTTESVILLE — After missing the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time in nine years, coach Tony Bennett and Virginia are back and dancing in 2023.
The No. 4 seed Cavaliers play No. 13 seed Furman, the Southern Conference champion.in Orlando, Florida, at 12:45 p.m. Thursday.
“It’s such a great opportunity to be in this tournament,” Bennett said. “I told our guys after, remember last year. We were excited to play in the NIT but wanted to play in the NCAA Tournament. And just that feeling of why certain guys really came here and all that. It makes it worthwhile.”
Virginia comes into the tournament as the ACC Tournament runner-up after losing to Duke 59-49 on Saturday night.
“We didn’t quite execute to the best of our abilities,” Bennett said.” The fight was there, we battled on the defensive end but I think you keep looking at that and saying, ‘OK, what can we learn from it?’. That’s why it’s really valuable to go through it. As much as we want it to win, sometimes in a loss, you realize, OK, we can’t take these things for granted. And so we’ll use that to, hopefully, our advantage.”
Virginia was without graduate transfer Ben Vander Plas in the ACC Tournament, and he remains sidelined. Vander Plas broke his right hand during a practice before the tournament and underwent surgery Monday morning that will keep him out the remainder of the year.
Vander Plas started 15 of the 29 games he played in this season and averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and was a big part of the Virginia front court.
Bennett said Virginia will look like a different team to an extent without Vander Plas because of his versatile skill set, but is confident in how other players will step up in his absence.
“We got a really good lift from Kadin [Shedrick] and Poppy [Francisco Caffaro] and then Taine [Murray] came in and obviously gave us a little more size, rim protection, certain things like that,” Bennett said. “So it’s just kind of finding those matchups and seeing what works and again, who you’re playing against. But I think we’re a little, we are different without him.”
Shedrick and Caffaro will be crucial in stopping Furman’s top performer, SoCon Player of the Year Jalen Slawson.
Slawson averaged 15.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and was also named the conference’s defensive player of the year last year.
“He’s very mobile … you have to be ready for guys that play at the four that can shoot it, put it on the floor, make some plays,” Bennett said. “It will be a collective effort because they’re gonna make you guard with cuts and movement and clever stuff. So guys like Slawson, but all their players, you have to really be ready for because they all can shoot the 3 and put it on the floor with good movement.”
This will be the second straight time Virginia has opened the NCAA Tournament against a 13 seed. Bennett said if he’s learned anything from playing lower-ranked teams, it’s that Cavaliers need to stay ready because “anyone can beat anyone”.
“I think as the years go by, especially even this year [and] last year — the seeding, the lines are blurred,” Bennett said. “You can’t fear any of your opponents. You respect all of them and you play to the best of your abilities and kind of be about what your game is and understand their strengths.”
Furman has won 20 or more games in all but one of head coach Bob Richey’s six seasons. This season Furman was 27-7, giving Richey his third season of 25 or more wins.
“They’re a veteran team, player of the year in the league, leading scorer in the conference, first team, very good point guard, fours, guards,” Bennett said. “They can get them down the floor, shoot it well, but run good stuff and play hard defensively. I think a couple guys came back for their fifth year, they’re a veteran team, and they play well and you can see it.”
Virginia enters the game as a 5½-point favorite and Bennett knows the matchup will be a challenge.
“I have so much respect for those teams that just keep going and building and, you know, they’re primed for this,” Bennett said. “This was the year they all came back. So it’ll be an exciting challenge — it really is. [I’m] looking forward to it and the film validates all the things I said.”
Michael Sauls | michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com. Twitter @mcsauls
Furman Paladins (27-7) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (25-7)
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Breaking News
Orlando, Florida; Thursday, 12:40 p.m.
FanDuel Sportsbook line: Virginia -5.5; over/under is 132.5
Bottom line: The Cavaliers were 15-5 against ACC opponents, with a 10-2 record in non-conference play. Virginia scores 67.8 points and has outscored opponents by 7.5 points per game. The Paladins’ record in SoCon games was 15-3. Furman averages 82.1 points while outscoring opponents by 10.9 points per game.
Top performers: Armaan Franklin is averaging 12.5 points for the Cavaliers. Jayden Gardner is averaging 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds over the past 10 games for Virginia. Jalen Slawson is averaging 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks for the Paladins. JP Pegues is averaging 15.7 points over the last 10 games for Furman.
Last 10 games: Cavaliers: —7-3, averaging 63.0 points, 29.0 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 7.4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.0 points per game. Paladins — 9-1, averaging 82.2 points, 33.2 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.0 points.
— Associated Press