Gillen regroups struggling UVa

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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In the last couple weeks, Virginia's basketball team seems to have a new look.

A tweaked lineup, a more patient offense, solid defensive play " all have been welcome changes for a team that was ensconced in a tailspin just two weeks ago.

And there are a few more victories " a 3-1 stretch that at least has made the Cavaliers' hopes for an NCAA tournament seem somewhat attainable instead of absurd and perhaps has taken some attention away from embattled coach Pete Gillen.

Virginia (13-10, 4-8 ACC) enters today's game against No.22 Maryland (15-8, 6-6) at University Hall seeking to build on a recent three-game winning streak that was snapped Wednesday by a predictably unpleasant visit to North Carolina. With a ranking of 43 in the RPI and a schedule ranked fifth in the nation by collegerpi.com, the Cavaliers certainly aren't out of the postseason mix.

Yet with home games against Maryland and N.C. State and road meetings with Wake Forest and Florida State remaining before the ACC tournament, Virginia's margin for error is slight. The Cavaliers probably need to win at least four games before Selection Sunday to a have a chance at an NCAA tournament bid.

Not that Gillen wants any part of such talk.

"We're just going to try to win as much as we can and let the experts, the writers and radio guys, let them determine what is needed," Gillen said earlier this week. "We're just going to try to do the best we can, ... try to win as many as we can, whatever that is, and try to do a good job in the ACC tournament."

It seemed like the Cavaliers would win plenty this season when they darted to an 8-1 start that included a thrashing of Pac-10 front-runner Arizona. Virginia was ranked for five weeks and, despite a youthful lineup, looked well on its way to an NCAA tournament berth.

That proved illusory. After losing their ACC opener, the Cavaliers edged Western Kentucky in double overtime before dropping four in a row. A two-point home defeat of league bottom feeder Clemson was a blip, followed quickly by a loss at Virginia Tech.

Some of the woes were brought on by injuries and unusual misfortune. Leading scorer Devin Smith missed three games with an ankle ailment, while sophomore center Donte Minter, expected to provide muscle off the bench, has been hampered all season, first by a dislocated kneecap and more recently by surgery on his left hand. Senior Jason Clark, who started 12 games at forward and averaged 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, was declared academically ineligible Jan.19. And freshman Adrian Joseph has missed the last five games with a quadriceps injury.