There is one thing that Virginia's unbelievable late game collapse in the ACC tournament assured--the Cavaliers four year NCAA tournament drought will all but certainly be extended. But Virginia coach Tony Bennett hopes that the loss doesn't eliminate his team's chances for postseason play.

"We'll see," Bennett said. "I'll talk with the administration and see where we're at. Obviously, I think the NCAA is not an option. You hope the NIT. Finishing 7-9 in the league and above .500 -- I don't know if that's good enough."

If the Cavaliers don't make the NIT cut, there still are options for them. Virginia played in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational in 2008, and it's even possible that they could receive an invite from the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament.

"Certainly, there are the other tournaments, but that's a conversation you have with the administration." Bennet said. "You hope for that opportunity. That's why I thought [Thursday's game against Miami] was very important. We'll just see what shakes out."

For the players, the sudden shift of expectations from gearing up for a matchup with North Carolina, to facing complete uncertainty about postseason play has been jarring.

"It's kind of a shock," senior F Will Sherill said. "The fact that I might have just played my last game, it certainly feels weird. The fact it ends like this, it hurts a lot. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt a lot."

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