Midseason transfer Dante Harris is up next for Virginia

Xander Tilock | Staff Writer

Though Virginia fans will have all eyes on its current squad heading into March Madness, the program is also working to establish longevity in a variety of ways. With the upcoming departure of graduate student guard Kihei Clark and potential NBA draft selection of junior guard Reece Beekman, Virginia basketball welcomed a new ball handler to its offense for the 2023-24 season. Next year’s impact guards are young, including current freshman guard Isaac McKneely and incoming freshman guard Elijah Gertrude. Thus, Coach Tony Bennett knew that adding a veteran guard was a priority.

Enter a welcome surprise in the form of junior guard Dante Harris out of Georgetown. Transferring in the middle of the season is rare because in the past, that means a player is ineligible to play for their new team until the next full season begins. Harris explained his reasoning for the midseason transfer in an interview with The Cavalier Daily.

“It was a dream to go here,” Harris said. “[Transferring midseason] was better for me to learn the sys- tem, pick up what [Bennett] expects early versus two to three months in the summer.”

Harris will have three seasons of eligibility beginning next year. Bennett offered him a spot on the team knowing that Harris will be a Cavalier for the foreseeable future.

“[Bennett] has developed pros,” Harris said. “It’s a blessing. I’m grateful for this opportunity. To go to March Madness every year, to be part of great history in the program.”

Looking at the multiple NBA contributors that Bennett has developed, it is clear to see where Harris is coming from. Bennett, of course, coached several notable Cavaliers over the years that are having outstanding 2023 seasons.

Malcolm Brogdon is currently the clear front-runner for the sixth Man of the Year Award. Trey Murphy III also showed off incredible skills in the All-Star Weekend dunk contest and De’Andre Hunter continues to be a valuable starter for the Atlanta Hawks.

There is no doubt that Bennett leads one of the premier college basketball programs in the nation. When summarizing the key values of Cavalier basketball, Harris emphasized “opportunity, family and culture.”

The academic prestige of Virginia was also a significant factor for Harris.

“One day the ball is going to stop bouncing,” Harris said. “You got to have that degree to fall back on.”

Georgetown is a strong academic institution in its own right, but when it comes to the community at large, Virginia is in a league of its own. John Paul Jones Arena will be packed with orange and blue every single night — unlike the usually empty Capital One Arena in Washington.

Harris went out of his way to praise the Virginia faithful for their vigor and enthusiasm.

“The love they show to the basketball family, how happy they are cheering for us and the love they bring each game [is special],” Harris said. “They should expect a person that’s going to give it his all every time I step on the floor. I’ll be an absolute dog and give 110 percent for everyone in the stands.”

Aside from the fans, the team chemistry that the Cavaliers have developed is truly unique. Is it not rare to find Beekman and other upperclassmen enjoying a small team dinner after practice at local restaurants. The team also spent 10 days in Italy over the summer playing exhibition games.

“They’re all so funny, especially Pop [senior center Francisco Caffaro],” Harris said. “We all get along. There’s no one here with a big head.”

Harris also praised Virginia’s coaching staff behind Bennett, highlighted by associate head coach Jason Williford.

“This is one of the best staffs I’ve been with in my life all through my career,” Harris said.

Next season’s team has the potential to be one of the best in recent memory, with Harris ready to fight for key minutes. Incoming freshmen Gertrude and forward Blake Buchanan offer advanced offensive ability. Current freshmen forwards Leon Bond III and Isaac Traudt redshirted this year, and fig- ure to add significant athleticism to the Cavaliers. A lot of change is up in the air, especially as Virginia fans wait on Beekman and senior guard Armaan Franklin’s decisions to enter the NBA Draft or stay another year. There is also always the possibility of adding or losing another player through the transfer portal. Clark, along with graduate student forwards Jayden Gardner and Ben Vander Plas, are all in their final season of eligibility. A lot of playing time is up for grabs next season.

Harris will likely be a major contributor as a primary ball handler. Dishing out assists, playing aggressive defense and occasionally carrying the scoring load are what Virginia fans can expect. Harris’ preparation for Bennett’s system and building team chemistry this season will translate to continued success for Cavalier basketball in 2023 and beyond.

Perhaps the second most important sporting event in the United States — behind only the Super Bowl — is on the horizon yet again. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, is set to take place once again. Selection Sunday has already happened, and the Round of 64 starts Thursday. Matchups are then played every weekend leading up to the Final Four and National Championship game, which will take place April 1 and 3, respectively.

This year is even more meaningful than last for the City of Charlottesville, as Virginia has earned a No. 4 seed in the tournament and will play Furman at 12:40 p.m. Thursday in its first game. Since the Cavalier community will be so engaged in the tournament, let’s answer every question you may have about the most magical sporting event in America.

How are teams in March Madness chosen?

Sixty-eight teams make the field in a single elimination tournament that actually started Tuesday with the First Four. These eight teams play a game before to get into the true round of 64, and from there teams get whittled down round by round until there’s only one remaining. Teams can qualify by either earning an automatic bid by winning their conference championships or earning one of 36 at-large bids.

The NCAA Tournament Committee is responsible for determining who those 36 teams are, and use a variety of factors — such as overall resume and advanced statistical metrics such as KenPom — to pick the best squads that did not win their conference tournaments. Though we lost the ACC Tournament, Virginia earned an at-large bid comfortably.

Why is it called March Madness if the championship game is in April?

Good question. I don’t know.

Virginia is a No. 4 seed, but so are three other teams. What gives?

There are four total regions in the tournament, with each representing a certain geographic area so that teams do not have to travel quite as far. The structure of those regions is the same — each has 16 teams, seeded 1 through 16, that play each other in a best-toworst format. This means No. 1 seeds play No. 16 seeds, No. 2 play No. 15 and so on.

Virginia is a No. 4 seed in the South region, but there are also three other regions being played at the same time. Unless the Cavaliers make the Final Four, though, they will not

March Madness for dummies

What exactly is the tournament that locks the country in for a month every spring?

play another team from another region.

I see we’re playing Furman. Are they any good? Are WE any good?

The Paladins won their conference tournament to earn the Southern Conference’s automatic bid. What Furman specializes in is twopoint shooting, as they have the highest field goal percentage in the country. Oddly enough, though, the squad isn’t very big, with guards making up the majority of scoring. In order to potentially upset Virginia, fifth year guard Mike Bothwell needs to have the game of his life.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have certainly had both highs and lows this season but were on a fivegame winning streak before a cold shooting night against Duke in the ACC Tournament. The loss of graduate forward Ben Vander Plas to injury certainly hurts the Cavaliers’ depth, but improved defense in the latter part of the season provides reason for optimism. Furman’s offense is elite, but the Cavaliers can match that on their end, potentially leading to the Paladins being thrown off their game.

Ben Anderson | Sports Editor

Speaking of the Cavaliers, how far will they go in the tournament?

There are competing opinions, which is what makes the tournament so fun! As a fan, I of course hope that Virginia wins the national championship. But according to their seed, they should bow out in the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers could even fall in the first round, since Furman is a solid squad. Likely, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

You mentioned these things called upsets. Do those happen often?

No, and that’s what makes them so special. The idea of an upset goes beyond just basketball, and compares the universities to each other. Consider Saint Peter’s last year, for example. A lowly No. 15 seed, this small, Catholic university team from Jersey City, N.J. was paired against Kentucky in the first round, arguably the greatest college basketball program of all time. A true David and Goliath situation, no one gave the Peacocks a chance. And what did they do? Simply become the first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in history.

Who will be this year’s Saint Peter’s?

Well, that’s the thing about upsets. No one truly knows. But if I had to throw out a team, watch out for Colgate. While the Raiders don’t play much defense the No. 15 seed’s offense is electric and can absolutely put a scare into any team it plays including its first round matchup with No. 2 Texas.

In what ways can I participate in March Madness?

Filling out a March Madness bracket is one of the most popular ways in America to become involved in sports. Last year, approximately 36.5 million adults filled out a bracket on various sites such as ESPN and CBS. In addition, many communities — such as workplaces or team fanbases — often make groups that every member can join. There they compete within themselves to have the best bracket. You can fill out one online very easily, but we’ll be watching to make sure Virginia is going to at least the Final Four. Will I do it? Probably not. But if you want to claim you’re the biggest Virginia fanatic, you have to predict that the Cavaliers will hang a banner.

Now I’m extremely excited. How can I watch?

Games will air on one of four networks throughout the tournament — CBS, TNT, TBS or trutv. If you have cable, you can watch on any of those channels throughout March Madness. If not, though, March Madness

Live is also an option. This is a website that streams every game if you have your provider information from home. Either way, each game will be televised live.

Thanks for all of the information! I can’t wait to see who wins it all.

Neither can I! Now it’s time to celebrate the best three weeks of the sports calendar in the traditional American manner of watching the early games during your Thursday afternoon classes. It’s truly the best time of the year.