Teel: On a flawless senior day, all contribute as Virginia earns a share of another ACC title

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Jayden Gardner couldn’t hide the emotions. As he strolled onto the court for Virginia’s Senior Day ceremony, the Cavaliers’ No. 2 scorer and leading rebounder wept openly.

Coach Tony Bennett wasn’t surprised but did pause a beat and wonder how Gardner would respond once Saturday’s game against Louisville tipped off. Not to worry.

His deft mid-range touch on full display, Gardner continued his late-season surge with 16 points and 4 rebounds in a 75-60 victory that gives Virginia a share of the ACC regular-season title.

“It matters to all, but that’s a passionate young man,” Bennett said of Gardner, a transfer forward from East Carolina in his second season with the Cavaliers. “He had scored a lot of points [at ECU] and had an accomplished career for sure, but he wanted to play in this league and have a chance to win a championship, a conference championship, and get into the NCAA tournament. ...

“He put his work in, and he’s got such a huge heart, and he tries hard. I love it. He’s a tryer, and he’s gifted, and he’s a great teammate.”

Gardner ceded the postgame interview stage to less heralded senior teammates Francisco Caffaro and Chase Coleman, each of whom took a star turn on an afternoon Bennett couldn’t have scripted much better.

Caffaro played a scant nine minutes, matched up exclusively against fellow wide-body Sydney Curry, but dunked twice, scored 6 points and helped force 2 turnovers with physical, low-post defense. This the native of Argentina did with his mother and stepfather in the arena.

“Just playing in front of people I love was great,” Caffaro said.

And straight from a screenplay, Coleman, who came to Virginia as a walk-on, closed UVa’s scoring with an off-the-dribble, step-back 3-pointer in the final minute, the fourth of his four-year career. He called the moment “surreal” and one he’ll share with future generations.

Coleman, Caffaro and Gardner weren’t alone among the seniors excelling.

Armaan Franklin made two beyond-the-arc jumpers, plus a jump hook in the paint after a grown-man offensive rebound, en route to 16 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Ben Vander Plas went 3 for 6 from the field, his first game at 50% or better since Feb. 7.

Presented a commemorative basketball honoring his myriad program records, fifth-year starting point guard Kihei Clark contributed 6 assists and suffocating defense on last-place Louisville’s best player, El Ellis (3-of-12 shooting).

Virginia shot a season-high 58% and passed for a season-best 25 assists on 29 field goals. Junior Reece Beekman had 11 of those dimes without a turnover.

So for all the occasional chatter this season about the Cavaliers’ flaws — name a team without warts — they close the regular season 23-6, 15-5 in the ACC and tied atop the conference standings with Miami.

This marks the sixth time in Bennett’s 14 seasons that Virginia has won or shared the regular-season ACC title.

The demise of the double round-robin conference schedule that accompanied expansion in 2004 has changed the calculus. The annual schedule rotation inevitably creates imbalances — witness this season, when neither Miami nor Pitt visited JPJ, where the Cavaliers went 10-0 against the league and 15-1 overall, falling only to top-ranked Houston.

All that aside, finishing atop the standings of your conference is meaningful, and this year’s feat elevates Bennett to rare air.

Only four other coaches have led teams to at least a half-dozen ACC regular-season titles: Dean Smith (17 in 36 years at North Carolina), Mike Krzyzewski (13 in 42 at Duke), Roy Williams (nine in 18 at UNC) and Frank McGuire (six in a combined 15 ACC seasons at North Carolina and South Carolina).

“So happy for everyone,” Bennett said after the Cavaliers had cut down a net, “because everyone is a part of this. ... I think the league’s better than a lot of people say it is, and to be able to be one of those teams after 20 games, to get a championship, I’m very thankful. ... That’s a goal you want to get, and they’ll get to have that and put it on a banner.”