Rebound

“Nearly everyone dreams of making history in some way, but aspiring history-makers rarely consider the possibility of being the first to do something truly embarrassing. Virginia made history in 2018. The Cavaliers were the first No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament history to lose to a No. 16 seed. But that wasn’t all. Virginia was the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, and the Cavaliers lost to UMBC by 20.” It made for a painful offseason. It also set the stage for an epic redemption story. SI on March Madness: How Virginia Turned Torment to Triumph in One Year.

+ The Ringer: “Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers long had a reputation as NCAA tournament choke artists. They became champions by excelling in every dramatic, unlikely, and how-did-that-just-happen moment imaginable.”

+ On the flipside, The New Yorker on The Cruelty of Chris Davis’s Record Hitless Streak.