Maryland-Baltimore County coach Ryan Odom says his program and Virginia will be “forever connected.”
CLOSE SportsPulse: Instead of repressing the memory of arguably the most embarrassing loss in sports history, coach Tony Bennett's team embraced it. Now they're on the cusp of one of the best comeback seasons ever. USA TODAY
After every Virginia win in this year’s NCAA tournament, including Saturday's over Auburn to put it in the national championship game Monday against Texas Tech, the Cavaliers have been asked about their redemption story. They’ve embraced the narrative. “I think I speak for a lot of folks who love basketball and stories like this,” Odom told USA TODAY by phone Sunday. “You have a team and a staff that experienced a ton of heartbreak. To see them having that joy and success right now is what you want. You don’t want people to hurt. You want them to experience joy together. For me personally, I love seeing it.
“You can’t really get away from that," Odom said. "We were asked about it every game, too. There’s nothing to complain about. It’s great for shining a light on our program. Last year was such a historic event that it didn’t just mean a lot to UMBC, it meant a lot to the country or anybody who loves sports or the underdogs.”
“Now, honestly, it needs to be about Virginia and what they’ve been able to accomplish this year, with a lot of pressure on them because of our upset. They’ve made it to obviously the pinnacle with one game left to determine whether they’re champs.” Asked if he saw Virginia’s chances of cutting down the nets on Monday as karmic payback, Odom says he believes UVA’s winning has more to do with the character of the program and the way Bennett and the team handled last year’s heartbreak with “grace.”
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