2003 Top 50 List: Yes
Dan Collins List: Yes
It is difficult to overstate how bad Virginia was through the first 17 years of the ACC. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Losing record in the ACC every year – 17-for-17
- 60-169 cumulative ACC record
- 22-123 record against the Big Four – 5-34 against Duke, 5-29 against Wake, 6-30 against UNC, 6-30 against NC State. (It was 1976, UVa’s 23rd year in the ACC, before they defeated each of the Big Four in the same season)
- 22 consecutive losses to Duke from 1959 to 1968
- 3-17 record in the ACC Tournament, never reached a final
But in 1971 things started to change. The Cavaliers achieved a 15-11 overall record – their first winning record since 1954 – and notched wins over nationally ranked Duke and South Carolina during the regular season. This set the stage for 1972, when Virginia finally broke through, going 21-7, 8-4 in the ACC, reaching the NIT, and achieving a Top 10 national ranking before finishing at #20. How did the Cavaliers finally get over the hump? The simple answer is Barry Parkhill.
Parkhill was the ACC’s leading scorer and became the first Virginia player to be named ACC Player of the Year. He barely missed first team All-American. In 1973, much of Parkhill’s supporting cast was gone, and he struggled at times, dropping to second team All-ACC. But the Cavaliers’ biggest problem that year was having to play 7 games against NC State, Maryland, and North Carolina – three of the five best teams in the country.
Hoot Gibson coached one more year before giving way to Terry Holland. It was 1979 before the Cavaliers had their second winning season in the ACC. Then Ralph Sampson arrived and they were on their way.