Malcolm Brogdon reflects after crushing finale to Virginia career

Malcolm Brogdon sat in the press room in a state of stun, like he was trying to grasp what had just happened.

No. 1 Virginia was minutes removed from coughing up a 16-point lead to No. 10 Syracuse in the Elite Eight. In the biggest game of his career, Brogdon registered just 12 points on 2-of-14 shooting, but the fifth-year senior was digesting something bigger.

"You know, it is difficult, but at the same time, you start to reminisce," he said Sunday after the heartbreaking defeat. "You start to remember all the good times you've had, and you start to realize how special these guys sitting next to you and on the court with you are, how much they mean to you, how much your coaches mean to you, how much you've learned from them, and just how much you've enjoyed your experience and your college career."

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Brogdon accomplished several feats in his time with the Cavaliers, but walks away from Virginia without hanging a single Final Four banner in the John Paul Jones Arena. Rather than dwelling on what could have been, however, the ACC Player of the Year reflected on what was.

"Sometimes we get caught up so much in playing the game, trying to win every game, being so focused," he said. "I'm a very locked-in guy, rather than just smelling the roses, and now we can smell the roses. We can enjoy what we've established."

The Brogdon era at Virginia includes two ACC regular season championships and one ACC conference tournament title. He helped turn the Hoos into a powerhouse in arguably the most difficult conference in the country, and accumulated several individual accolades along the way.

There's just one thing missing.