After loss to Florida State, Virginia draws Gardner-Webb in NCAA tournament

No. 1 Virginia (29-3) vs. No.16 Gardner-Webb (23-11), Friday, about 3:10 p.m., truTV

Virginia fell 69-59 to Florida State in the ACC tournament semifinals Friday in Charlotte, a disappointing finish for the Wahoos, who were the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season 28-2 and 16-2 in the ACC.

Florida State did an excellent job of limiting the Cavaliers' looks at 3-pointers, made some tough shots, and I don't think Virginia did a good job of adjusting throughout most of the game to what was happening. The 'Hoos took a small lead almost midway through the second half, but that run never came that we know so well to give separation. It was quite the turnaround from UVa's home win over FSU from early January when the Cavaliers were on their way to a 20-plus point win before the Seminoles closed the gap a little bit to make the final score 65-52.

If UVa uses the loss the right way, it can be beneficial. Virginia has tended to rebound well from defeats in recent seasons, with the four-game losing streak of 2016-17 being the exception. The defeat could be just what the team needs to get refocused. After all, the Cavaliers won the conference

Phil Cofer and the Seminoles bullied Kyle Guy and the 'Hoos
in the ACC tournament semifinals.

tournament last season, and we all know how that turned out once the Big Dance rolled around. Most importantly, though, Virginia came through the ACC tourney healthy, not something that could be said last season when De'Andre Hunter missed the UMBC loss with a broken wrist, despite having hurt himself against Clemson in the ACC semifinals and then still playing against North Carolina in the final. To read more of my thoughts on the loss to the Seminoles, both positively and negatively, check out my full recap and analysis on HoosPlace.com.

But now, we are on to the NCAA tournament. Virginia ended up with the second overall seed in the tournament behind Duke, which ended up downing Florida State 73-63 in the conference championship. UVa got the No. 1 seed in the South Region, meaning if it wins its first two games, it will play in the Sweet 16 in Louisville.

But first up is a Friday matchup with Big South champion Gardner-Webb in Columbia, S.C., at Colonial Life Arena, home of South Carolina. Here's a first look at the Runnin' Bulldogs:

Record: 23-11, 10-6 in Big South, third place

NCAA tournaments: first appearance

Distance from Colonial Life Arena: about two hours, so they are much closer than UVa (almost six hours), and I imagine G-W will be well-represented with tons of fans

Coach: Tim Craft; sixth season, all at G-W, 111-89

Scorers in double figures: Senior 6-foot-2 guard David Efianayi (18.4), freshman 6-5 guard Jose Perez (15), senior forward DJ Laster (13.7)

Leading rebounders: Perez (5.8), Laster (5.5), sophomore 6-4 guard Nate Johnson (3.9), Efianayi (3.7)

Assist leaders: Perez (3), Efianayi (2.9), sophomore 6-foot guard Jaheam Cornwall (2.8), junior 5-10 guard Christian Turner (2.3)

Notable: Just seven players average double-figure minutes. Johnson averages 9.8 points. Junior 6-foot-6 forward Eric Jamison Jr. averages 7.1 points, and Cornwall puts up 6.3 ppg. Johnson averages

1.5 steals, and Efianayi, Cornwall, and Turner about one each. Efianayi blocks 0.8 shots per game. Obviously, 3-point shooting is always a big part of a possible upset. Gardner-Webb shoots 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, 12th in the country. The Bulldogs' best shooters are Laster (45.1 percent on 51 attempts), Turner (44.8, just 29 attempts), Efianayi (41.4, on 162 attempts), Cornwall (40, on 90 attempts), Johnson (39.2, on 158 attempts), and Perez (36.8, on 133 attempts).

Win streak: Five

Best win: G-W owns two wins over ACC teams (at Georgia Tech, 79-69, and at Wake Forest, 73-69), but the answer is probably Radford. The Highlanders went 22-11 and won the regular season in the Big South at 12-4 and beat the Bulldogs, 75-58. But in the conference tournament title game, G-W won, 76-65.

Worst win: UNC Asheville at home, 82-81. Those Bulldogs finished 4-27 and 2-14 in the Big South.

Other wins: Savannah State, UNC Wilmington, South Carolina Upstate (twice), Savannah State, Bob Jones University, Johnson & Wales, Kennesaw State, Brevard, Hampton, High Point (twice), UNC Asheville (twice), Longwood (twice), Charleston Southern, Winthrop, Presbyterian, Campbell

Best loss: At Furman, 88-86. The Paladins of the Southern Conference finished 25-7 and 13-5 in their league, but they did not make the NCAA tournament.

Worst loss: Eastern Illinois, 79-78, in Asheville. The Panthers went 14-18 and 7-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Other losses: VCU (by 12), Virginia Tech (by 28), Arkansas State, Campbell, Radford, Winthrop, Charleston Southern, High Point, Presbyterian

That's it for now. I'll have more thoughts in the coming days. Until then, enjoy filling out your brackets!