‘Request $2 for losing to UMBC.’ Virginia’s historic loss still lingers a year later
Kyle Guy picked the iPhone off his lap Thursday and began scrolling through to find the proof.
A few minutes earlier, at a podium inside Colonial Life Arena, Guy told reporters about how he’s receives Venmo money transfer requests from random people in regards to one of the most famous losses in NCAA Tournament history.
“I think I got one right now,” Guy said, “I’m not going to say his name, but somebody says, ‘Request two dollars for losing to UMBC.’ That’s probably the fifth one I’ve gotten this week.”
Guy is a junior guard for Virginia who’s twice been named All-American. He’s first in ACC history in 3-point shooting percentage. He’s fourth at UVa in career 3s made.
But Guy was also part of the first Division I college basketball team to ever lose to a No. 16 seed. It happened March 16, 2018, in Charlotte. Over a year later, and some 93 miles from the Spectrum Center, Guy and the Cavaliers were again talking about it.
It’s relevant because, well, UVa is back in March Madness — as a 1-seed. In the UMBC role is 16-seed Gardner-Webb. The Cavaliers (29-3) and Bulldogs (23-11) tip at approximately 3 p.m. Friday at Colonial Life Arena.
“I would say in practice, whenever somebody’s tired or you’re trying to fight through a rep or take a play off or something, I always think back to that,” Guy said. “And then when I’m on the court, I don’t even think about it. I’m focused on what’s in front of me because, if you’re too focused on the past, you’re not going to be able to move forward.
“So, yeah, it’s a chip on our shoulder, but it doesn’t define us. We’re just trying to move past it and let the inspiration and motivation behind it take us somewhere we haven’t been.”
The ultimate destination for Virginia is Minneapolis and the Final Four. That’s a stage it hasn’t been on since 1984, despite being a 1-seed four times in the last six years.
The 2018-19 Cavaliers won the ACC regular season title. They lead the country in scoring defense and are third in turnover margin. They’re beating teams by nearly 17 points a game.
Virginia had a similar résumé last season, but it’s now at full strength. De’Andre Hunter, a potential lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft, was sidelined last Big Dance with a broken wrist. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year will start for the Cavaliers on Friday.
“I’m just excited for myself and more for the team just to get back to this stage and have the same opportunity as last year to play against the 16-seed and possibly erase what happened last year,” Hunter said. “People are going to still remember, but we have another opportunity to do something really special in this tournament.”
Virginia coach Tony Bennett has long embraced the narrative that was destined for this team after what happened last year in Charlotte. He used the theme “Running to the Starting Line” with these Cavaliers in the preseason.
“Certainly, there’s motivation from all the experiences that have happened in the past,” Bennett said, “but I think it’s the ability, as I said, to prepare well and be in the moment now and be as good as you can and know you’re going to be ... it’s a new year and kind of that idea of pressing on, pressing on.”
An image from the UMBC loss remains Guy’s Twitter profile photo and the screen-saver on his phone.
“I’m very transparent,” Guy said. “No one around campus or grounds really mentions it to us or anything. Some people don’t let it go on social media. I get Venmos all the time saying we’ve got to pay them five dollars because we lost. I don’t pay them, by the way.
“But it definitely is behind us, and we’re ready to put on a show this year so we can talk about something else.”
NCAA Tournament Columbia regional game schedule
The NCAA Tournament in Columbia schedule for Friday’s games (with Sunday’s second round game times to be announced).
South Region
(8) Ole Miss vs. (9) Oklahoma, 12:40 p.m. Friday (truTV)
(1) Virginia vs. (16) Gardner-Webb, approximately 3 p.m. Friday (truTV)
East Region
(1) Duke vs. (16) North Dakota State, 7:10 p.m. Friday (CBS)
(8) VCU vs. (9) UCF, approximately 9:40 p.m. Friday (CBS)
