Bennett delivers postseason message to team entering ACC Tournament

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia Coach Tony Bennett has a word with point guard Kihei Clark (Photo by Jon Golden).

Tony Bennett is not only a great coach, but also a great motivator. Before each challenge, whether it be a single game or a tournament, Bennett always has a special message for his team.

Before Tuesday’s practice, two days before the defending national champions open up postseason play at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, Bennett’s message to his Cavaliers was simple, yet effective.

“My message is stay humble, stay hungry,” Bennett said, then amended the message. “To me, it’s be humble and play hungry. That’s a subtle difference, but it’s that idea.”

UVA will face the winner of Wednesday’s Boston College vs. Notre Dame game on Thursday night as the tournament’s No. 2 seed.

While that will begin postseason play for the Cavaliers, there is much more to come with next week’s NCAA Tournament. Still, Bennett has made it clear to his team that it shouldn’t feel the pressure of last year’s accomplishments.

“For [his team] to get the second seed and be tied for second place [in the ACC regular season] and get the second seed, that’s heady stuff from where they were,” Bennett said of the Cavaliers’ late-season surge.

At one point, UVA was 12-6 overall and had lost three of four games.

“People were saying you’re not even going to make the NCAA Tournament, then how [the team] rallied and how they closed and had success,” Bennett said. “Absolutely you learn from how you approach it, the mindset, how you practice.”

Bennett said he uses the same approach to prepare for both the ACC and NCAA Tournament, it’s just that the ACC has a shorter turnaround between games.

“This year’s team, it’s their year, it’s their team. It’s not last year’s team,” the UVA coach said. “That’s done.

“This year’s team has faced unique challenges because it’s not the same personnel, but yet it’s the same because you’re defending national champs, and that’s a lot. With so many new guys, they don’t want to let it [the program] down. They feel the desire to keep this program at such a high level, and I could sense that.”

Along with that comes expectations, pressure, something that Bennett and his staff had tried to combat from Day One this season.

“At some point you have to say … this is us. We’re going to lay it on the line and forget about what the other side is, or trying to live up to something that’s not yours. This is our year, this is our time, let’s max out.”

Virginia has tried to max out thus far. From that moment when they were 12-6, the Cavaliers have been on quite a roll, winning 11 of their last 12 regular-season games and entering Thursday night’s quarterfinals with a 23-7 record (15-5 in the ACC).

“Don’t let anything interfere with your preparation, your appreciation for it and how you have to be,” Bennett said. “That’s the message that carried over some from last year, but that is absolutely the message last year. Motivation does matter, and you have to be as sharp as you can be.”