Coaches No. 23 2016–17 record 20–9 (10–7 ACC) | AP No. 23 Associate head coach Ron Sanchez (8th year) | |
Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Head coach Tony Bennett (8th year) | ||
The 2016–17 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represents the University of Virginia during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, in their 112th season of play. The team is led by head coach Tony Bennett, in his eighth year, and plays their home games at John Paul Jones Arena as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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Previous season
Coming off of two highly successful regular seasons in 2014 and 2015, but with early exits from the NCAA Tournament each time, and with the final season for seniors Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill, expectations were high for the program in 2015–16. However, the regular season was mixed: despite wins against programs like West Virginia, Villanova, California, and North Carolina, the team also suffered upsets to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Florida State. Despite this, the Cavaliers finished the season 29–8 overall and 13–5 in conference play, finishing in second place in the ACC. They fell in the ACC Tournament championship to North Carolina. However, they received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and received their second No. 1 seed in three years. In the Tournament, they defeated Hampton, Butler, and Iowa State to advance to their first Elite Eight in twenty-one years. There, they lost to Syracuse, despite leading by 14 at halftime.
Rankings
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings