Sylven Landesberg, Mike Scott seek redemption against Wake Forest

Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg and forward Mike Scott both spoke with unprompted excitement about an opportunity for redemption in Saturday's game against Wake Forest. If you remember the Cavaliers' loss to Demon Deacons on Jan. 23, Scott and Landesberg both picked up two fouls in the first half.

With Virginia's top two players on the bench, Wake Forest extended a four-point lead to 19 points at halftime. That was too deep for the Cavaliers to overcome, leading Coach Tony Bennett to answer a week worth of questions about his philosophy of what to do with a player who has two first-half fouls.

"Oh man, we got to get back at them," Landesberg said. "That was tough for me. Hopefully, the same circumstances don't happen again."

Landesberg and Scott are the team's top two scorers, and the best at creating their own shots. The team needs at least one on the court to remain competitive. If both are absent, the Cavaliers are inferior to anyone in the ACC.

The Cavaliers exude a confidence that was absent last season. It's the byproduct of winning games that few outside the program expect them to win, which allows the team to recite the oft-discussed, but seldom-warranted underdog role.

"The same way we feel about Wake Forest is the same way N.C. State probably felt about us," Scott said, alluding to Wolfpack trying to avoid a season sweep against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. "I know personally, I didn't play good. The team didn't play good."