Associated Press

Virginia post player Jerome Meyinsse scored 17 points in a home loss to Maryland last Saturday.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- In Tony Bennett's first season as Virginia men's basketball coach, the Cavaliers got what they always wanted: a team on a par with North Carolina's.

Unfortunately for both teams, UVa and UNC finished in a tie for ninth place in the ACC regular-season standings.

Virginia (14-15 overall, 5-11 ACC) captured the No. 9 seed by virtue of its 75-60 victory over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill and will meet eight-seeded Boston College (15-15, 6-10) at noon today in the first round of the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.

"If somebody had told me that we would finish in a tie with Carolina, I would have thought we'd be pretty high up there," UVa junior Sammy Zeglinski said.

The Tar Heels, reigning ACC and NCAA champions, were picked second in the ACC before the season.

"I'd have taken that," Bennett said.

As late as the first week of February, the Cavaliers were contenders for the ACC regular-season title. They stood 14-6 overall and 5-2 in the ACC after a 59-47 victory over North Carolina State, then proceeded to lose their next nine games.

During one stretch, Virginia lost six straight games by double figures, including a 68-55 setback March 3 at Boston College.

Not much time has elapsed since that date, but a lot has changed. Boston College coach Al Skinner isn't sure how much can be gained from watching the first game.

"We've discussed that already amongst my staff," Skinner said. "It's a different team than we played nine days ago, missing two players that I think were part of the successes they had.

"We're not exactly sure what to expect."

He can expect not to see Sylven Landesberg, a second-team All-ACC selection and the Cavaliers' leading scorer, who was suspended for the remainder of the season after missing class.

Landesberg's teammates learned hours before their game Saturday with ACC co-leader Maryland that Landesberg would be unavailable and proceeded to play their best game in more than a month.

Maryland prevailed 74-68 after taking a one-point lead into the final minute.

"They had some stretches in the Maryland game when they played really well," Skinner said. "They were always within striking distance."

Senior post man Jerome Meyinsse made seven of eight shots from the field and finished with 17 points, his fourth consecutive game with double-figure points. Prior to that, Meyinsse boasted four double-figure scoring games in his career, no two in succession.

"The thing about it is, he knows he's going to get the ball now," Skinner said. "He's a senior. He's playing with a lot of confidence. They've got to give him the ball much more than they had in the past. He's demanding the basketball now."

Meyinsse has led the Cavaliers in dunks this season and had a pair of slams Saturday, but he also displayed a deadly half hook.

"It was kind of a go-to shot for me in high school," said Meyinsse, a three-time ACC All-Academic selection. "I really haven't had a chance to use it during my collegiate career. As I've gotten more confident and more aggressive, I've gone to it a lot. My teammates are definitely looking for me in the post."

The absence of Landesberg meant increased minutes for the trio of Mustapha Farrakhan (31 minutes), Sammy Zeglinski (30) and Jeff Jones (22). Landesberg was ninth in the ACC in playing time, with 33.2 minutes per game and those minutes had to come from somewhere.

Another perimeter player, Calvin Baker, had started 40 games in his career. Virginia announced earlier this week that Baker, who was averaging 16.3 minutes per game, had left the team to attend to an illness in the family.

"You think about it," Jones said. "Me, Sammy and [Farrakhan] all came in to be scorers. That's just in our blood. So, when there's a call for us to step up and score points, that's nothing new to us."

They combined to make 13 of 27 shots from the field against Maryland, and Zeglinski and Jones were a combined 8-of-14 on 3-pointers.

UVa shot 53.1 percent from the field and the 68 points represented the Cavaliers' highest scoring output in 10 games, and that was with second-leading scorer Mike Scott contributing one field goal, a dunk with 18:20 remaining in the first half.

"This is our last guaranteed game," said Scott, who has scored 15 points in the last four games, 13 of that coming at BC.

"We've got to be aggressive on both ends and leave it all out there."