Ty Jerome
2017: (5) Virginia lost to (4) Florida in Second Round
2018: (1) Virginia lost to (16) UMBC in First Round
2019: (1) Virginia won championship (defeated Texas Tech)
Ty Jerome’s success in the 2019 NCAA tournament is likely a large reason the Phoenix Suns drafted him in the first round.
His Virginia Cavaliers meandered through the field, hit some huge shots, and won the 2019 NBA championship. Now with the 2020 tournament canceled, they will hold the rare distinction of being reigning champions for two years without having won back-to-back titles.
But before this great achievement, there was 2018: the year Virginia made history for the wrong reason. They became the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed in the first round.
Jerome played decent in this game, putting up 15 points and getting four steals, but destiny was on the side of the mighty UMBC Retrievers, and they won by 20.
Virginia, of course, got their redemption in 2019. During their impressive tourney run, Jerome 16.5 points, 6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. That run impressed James Jones who made a clear effort to acquire winners this offseason.
Who says college kids can’t earn money?*
* Kidding. College players should definitely get paid.