Monday Motivation: MALCOLM BROGDON DAY!

Happy Malcolm Brogdon Day, Wahoo fans! Technically, it is President’s Day, but since Malc IS The Prez, it couldn’t be more fitting. Tonight, Virginia will recognize one of the best players in men’s basketball history as they retire Brogdon’s number (#MB15Forever) prior to the matchup at JPJ with Miami. He’s just the best, but more on him later. First, let’s get to the wins! There were A LOT, so let’s make it quick.

Rapid Fire

-Mike Tobey, on his second 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets, got his first NBA basket! Congrats, Big Mike!

-Dox Aitken and Tanner Scales earned offensive and defensive ACC Players of the Week, respectively, for their performances in the season-opener at Loyola. Virginia won the game 16-15 thanks in part to four goals from Aitken and Scales’s lock down defense on Loyola’s Pat Spencer (no goals, two assists, four turnovers).

-I miss Anthony Gill.

-The 2017 Baseball season kicked off with a bang as the Hoos won three games in as many days in Charleston, South Carolina at the Charleston Crab House Challenge. In the season opener against Liberty, #16 Virginia cruised to a 10-2 victory behind 13 hits.

In game two, the Hoos got a strong debut from Evan Sperling as he pitched six innings with no earned runs en route to a 10-6 UVA win.

Game three was a little more dramatic as the Hoos needed some late offense to come back from a 6-0 deficit over the last three innings against Kansas to snag the win and improve to 3-0. Ernie Clement (forever my hero for the CWS-sending hit against Maryland in 2015) knocked in the game-tying run and a two-run home run by Pavin Smith gave the Hoos the 9-6 win.

-Women’s Softball picked up three wins this week (two over ETSU and one over Elon) in the Charleston Southern Buccaneer Invitational. The Hoos are now 5-6 to start the season under new head coach Joanna Hardin.

-Leah Smith won both the 1,650 and 500 free events at the ACC tournament, completing the four-time sweep in each event. She finished her ACC career with nine individual titles, second in ACC history. Congrats!

-Men’s Golf continued their winning tear as they won the John Burns Intercollegiate in Hawaii (must be nice), leading from start to finish. The #4 Hoos shot 29-under par for the event, 11 strokes ahead of second place #18 Texas A&M.

This is Virginia’s fourth win out of five events on the season, and will travel to South Carolina to play in the Palmetto Classic in early March.

-The #7 Men’s Lacrosse team improved to 2-0 to start the season after defeating Drexel in their home opener. Mike D’Amario led the way with seven goals on eight shots as the Hoos had another high scoring victory, 18-14.

For his performance, D’Amario was named the ACC offensive Player of the Week for THIS week, making it back to back weeks that a Cavalier has held the honor. Next up, Virginia host Siena on Tuesday.

-Former Virginia Tennis great Jarmere Jenkins retired after a fantastic career. Thanks for the fun times, JJ!

-Congratulations to Virginia Club Ice Hockey!

-Women’s Basketball had a hellUVA week with a HUGE upset of #4 FSU and a road win at Virginia Tech (for the season sweep!)

Check out the highlights for FSU:

To continue their big week, the ladies went into Cassell Auditorium and handed the struggling Hokies an L, 63-55, earning Virginia another half-point in the Commonwealth Clash.

Breyana Mason hit a career milestone this week, too!

Wahoo of the Week

I think it’s clear this week was always going to be Malcolm Brogdon. Tonight, at 6:40pm before the matchup with Miami, Virginia will raise the number 15 into the rafters at John Paul Jones Arena to commemorate one of the best players or people to ever put on a Virginia jersey.

I can’t say enough about Malcolm, who, to me, is the epitome of what you want from a Virginia athlete. I know how hyperbolic that sounds, and I’d agree with anyone else. But for Malcolm...I can’t wait for the chance to vote for him someday.

Team of the Week

Sorry, Women’s Basketball you were sooooo close with your wins, but I took too long to post and the Men’s Tennis Team went and won a National Championship, so here we are.

The #1 ranked Cavaliers defeated Utah State, #7 UCLA, and #5 UNC to earn a spot against Ohio State in the finals. Against the Buckeyes, Virginia cruised to a 4-1 victory for their sixth ITA Indoor title.

Congrats, guys...go get the three-peat!

Go Hoos!