UMBC's Odom Makes History with Virginia

0:00On March 18th, Ryan Odom is making NCAA tournament history come full circle. Eight years ago, he coached UMBC to the first ever 16-over-one upset against Virginia. Now in his first year leading the Cavaliers, the number three seed in the Midwest region, they face number 14 Wright State on Friday afternoon. Virginia enters with a strong 29 wins and five losses after a 14-win jump from last season's interim coach. They nearly grab the ACC title, falling just short to top-rank Duke. This comes after Tony Bennett's sudden retirement and Virginia's string of early tournament exits since their national championship run. The team still plays solid defense but is sped up the pace and shoots more threes, with nearly half their shots from deep. Eight players have drained at least 20 triples this season. Standouts include Malik Thomas with 18 points in the ACC final in the IS to Ritter, averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.

1:01Meanwhile, Wright State earned their spot by winning the Horizon League regular season in tournament, taking seven of their last eight games. Pick seventh preseason, they boast a balanced attack with seven different leading scores and rank high in three-point shooting and offensive. Rebounds, perfect upset tools. Both squads know the stakes, as underdogs have stunned before. Odom calls Wright State a tough matchup full of confidence, setting up an intriguing opener in Philadelphia. Made in AI.