CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - ACC regular-season and tournament champion Virginia is the NCAA Tournament's overall No. 1 seed and top seed in the NCAA South Region. UVA will make its school-record fifth straight and 22nd overall NCAA Tournament appearance. The No. 1 seed marks the third in the past five seasons and sixth overall for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers will face No. 16 seed UMBC (24-10) in an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday, March 16 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Tipoff time and the television information is still to be announced.
The winner of the Virginia's first-round game will meet No. 8 seed Creighton (21-11) or No. 9 seed Kansas State (22-11) in the second round on Sunday, March 18. The other pod of teams competing in Charlotte includes squads from the West Region. Those matchups are No. 2 seed North Carolina (25-10) vs. No. 15 seed Lipscomb (23-9) and No. 7 seed Texas A&M (20-12) vs. No. 10 seed Providence (21-13).
This is Virginia's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance under three-time National and ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers have compiled an all-time record of 29-21 in 21 NCAA tournaments. UVA advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1981 and 1984. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA second round last year after earning a No. 5 seed. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2016, NCAA third round in 2015 and NCAA Sweet 16 in 2014.