PHILADELPHIA (AP) — With Virginia burdened by years of early exits in the NCAA Tournament, first-year coach Ryan Odom played for his team the 2019 “One Shining Moment” highlight package from the Cavaliers’ national championship season.
Odom had one more surprise. He paired “One Shining Moment” with clips of this season’s Cavaliers to remind them of the heights he believed they could reach.
Surviving the first round was a pretty good moment.
Jacari White hit six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, and third-seeded Virginia avoided yet another early NCAA Tournament exit, beating a resolute Wright State 82-73 in the first round on Friday.
Maybe it’s time for another “Shining” video.
“Now we actually have some footage” of a tournament win, Odom said with a laugh.
The Cavaliers (30-5) will face sixth-seeded Tennessee in the second round in the Midwest Region on Sunday.
Virginia hadn’t won in March Madness since that 2019 title. The Cavaliers lost in the first round or the First Four in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and title-winning coach Tony Bennett abruptly retired before last season. Odom took over this season and quickly turned the program around.
Odom knows all about Virginia upsets in the tournament. He coached UMBC in 2018 when it was the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 — yes, Virginia.
The coach faced questions all season about his connection to one of March Madness’ most enduring games. Yet Odom, who won 30 games for the first time, never brought up that game in front of his players. He simply enforced their March potential by showing this season’s top plays.
“I wanted them to see themselves over the course of the season having tremendous joy, both on and off the court,” Odom said. “This is the culmination of the season. We’re all at the end here. We’re all trying to extend it as long as we possibly can.”
Wright State (24-11), a No. 14 seed, was an 18 1/2-point underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook but never looked out of step as it tried to pull off the shocker.
Michael Imariagbe scored 19 points and kept hope alive for that rare 14 seed win — there have been none in the tournament since 2024 — with a late 3 that pulled the Raiders within 78-73.
White — who thrilled his fans clad in military green who call themselves the “Jacarmy” — responded with a bucket that put to rest any thought of an early ride back home for the Cavaliers.
“I don’t think they wilted,” Wright State coach Clint Sargent said. “Virginia’s trying to win, too.”
Wright State, the Horizon League champion, made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022 and fifth overall.
Solomon Callaghan, who scored 18 points, hit three 3s early and buried another late in the half for a 39-36 lead. Wright State hit eight 3s in the half and Virginia made seven in a chuck-it-up game where the teams each finished with 13 overall.
TJ Burch added 15 points for Wright State. Sam Lewis, who suffered a hard fall and briefly left the game in the first half, scored 12 points for Virginia.
Odom returns to his Virginia roots
Odom grew up rooting for Virginia and noted how those ties meant a little more to him as he tried to put together a team that could go deep in March Madness.
Odom spent a good portion of his childhood in Charlottesville while his father, Dave, worked as an assistant under Terry Holland from 1982-89. Odom’s picture graced the cover of Holland’s camp one summer and Odom even served as a ball boy for the team.
He’s now an NCAA Tournament winner at the school.
Virginia is the fourth team Odom has led into he NCAA Tournament, after UMBC, Utah State and VCU.
Those programs should look familiar to anyone who filled out a bracket. All of them made this year’s field.
Wright State gets connected in Sargent’s second year
Sargent joined the Wright State staff in 2016 and was promoted to head coach ahead of last season. He called his rookie year “brutal” with a 15-18 record.
One season later, Wright State won the Horizon regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in program history.
“We were well connected off court, which brought it on court,” Callaghan said. “As you can see, we became a good team, made history here at Wright State.”
Up next
Virginia — which played in the 1981 Final Four in Philadelphia — goes for its first second-round win since 2019. The Cavaliers have won 14 of their last 16 games.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness