March Madness 2019: Virginia Uses 2018 Embarrassment to Rally into Legacy in 2019
2019’s March Madness tournament was the epitome of heart, competition, and affection for the sport as 64 college basketball teams gave it their all to solidify themselves in the pages of college basketball history for years to come.
On April 8 2019, the first-seeded Virginia Cavaliers defeated the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders with a final score of 85-77 in the championship game for the 80th annual March Madness men’s college basketball tournament.
Virginia was able to quickly bounce back to being a top-renowned college basketball team after a lackluster performance in last year’s tournament. Last year, Virginia became the first ever first-seeded team to lose to a number 16 seed in NCAA tournament history. Before this historic loss, first-seeded teams were 136-0 in games against teams ranked as number 16.
Texas Tech was also ranked as a third seed during the 2018 tournament. They were able to make it to the Elite 8, but were battered by first-seeded Villanova that went on to win the tournament.
Going into the tournament this year, not many expected these teams to both make giant leaps into the championship, but then again surprises is what March Madness is all about. Even though there were not as many major upsets or crazy wins as last year’s tournament, many still watched on due to how close the games were in the final minutes, especially near the end of the tournament. Prominent fan favorites for the tournament, the Duke Blue Devils, for example, were knocked out in the Elite 8 by Michigan State in a nail biting game, who would then go on to lose to Texas Tech in the Final Four.
Although the final score may not show it, the championship game was intense and exciting until the very end. The game ended up going into overtime, with both teams giving it their all in hopes to be forever remembered for their heroics in the tournament. In the end, Virginia was able to rally in overtime and score 17 points compared to Texas Tech’s flat 8 points by the end of it all.
After scoring 24 points in a passionate 45 total minutes played for the championship game, Virginia junior Kyle Guy received the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament. Guy played a key role in Virginia’s championship-winning run, averaging over 15 points on a consistent 43% shooting percentage. Since his acceptance of the award, Guy has recently declared for the NBA draft, hoping to prove his talent on a grander stage with other college talents that recently declared as well, such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett.
March Madness is not just an end to the college basketball season; it also creates breeding ground for NBA scouts to watch young players with the potential, passion, and credibility to become a future star in the professional league.
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