This year's Virginia team could go down in history - and I do mean down

Virginia basketball is bad this season. Really, really bad. But exactly how bad?

I wanted to find out, and it was totally worth it.

Turn out, Dave Leitao's fourth team has a chance to be special. These Cavaliers could be the worst bunch since what I have deemed the beginning of the modern era, Terry Holland's first year as coach in 1974-75.

Sure, I could rate the team on the obvious: A 7-11 overall record and a half-game from last in the league standings. Four of six ACC losses by 10 or more points (and counting). One player on the roster who looks like he could start for any of the 11 other ACC teams. Or that Virginia is 12th of 12 in (we're gonna need a bullet list for this):

• Scoring defense
• Scoring margin (the only team getting outscored)
• Field goal percentage
• Field goal percentage defense (that's an impressive two-fer, by the way)
• 3-point field goal percentage

The Cavs are also second-to-last in:

• 3-point field goal percentage defense (thanks Maryland)
• Assists (thanks Florida State)

And, they're third-to-last in:

• 3-point field goals made (Georgia Tech, Wake Forest are worse - somehow)
• Blocked shots (Assane Sene and Jeff Allen single-handedly hold off Miami and N.C. State)
• Assist-to-turnover ratio (Georgia Tech and Florida State; how the hell has Florida State won 17 games?)

But, still, all that bumbling just proves that Virginia is really bad this year. The point of this time-waster is, how does Virginia rate among cruddy Virginia and ACC teams of years past?

Quite well, turns out.

I've narrowed the list of the three worst Virginia teams of the last 34 years to these:

• 1976-77 team that went 12-17 and 2-10 in ACC, seventh of seven teams
• 1997-98 team that went 11-19, 3-13 in ACC, ninth of nine teams
• 1998-99 team that went 14-16, 4-12 in ACC, ninth of nine teams

The '08-09 bunch is almost certain to move to the top of that list. I mean, bottom. Currently, Virginia is 7-11 and 1-6, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say the 11-win futility mark of '97-98 is doomed. There is no way this team will win even three more games. Will Leitao's crew also set the mark for fewest league wins? A strong, strong chance.

Now, I've been surprised at late-season surges before (seems that the '98-99 crew had one) and it could certainly happen again, but assuming this team keeps stumbling along at its current no-sign-of-getting-it rate, we can chalk down six more losses right now: at North Carolina, at Florida State, Clemson at home, at Clemson, Wake Forest at home, first round of ACC tournament.

That leaves the Hoos at 7-17, 1-11. I know, I know, Wake has lost some weird games lately and Virginia will be in the play-in round in Atlanta, but the Deacs will not get embarrassed again and Virginia never wins in the ACC tournament, ever.

So let's move to the four slim chances at wins: Virginia Tech at home, at N.C. State, Miami at home, Maryland at home. The Hokies are 14-7 and much more talented than the Cavs, but it is a rivalry game and Virginia did play them tough in Blacksburg. Still, I don't see it happening. State is just 2-5 in the league and reeling, but the game is in Raleigh. Virginia wins on the road barely more than it wins in the ACC tournament (witness the unreal choke losses two years ago that cost the Cavs the league title). Again, don't see it happening.

We're left with the Hurricanes and the Terps. Miami is 15-7, but the Hurricanes stink on the road almost as much as Virginia and are prone to Georgia Tech-like bouts of stupid shots and turnovers. Maryland handled Virginia in College Park, but since then Gary Williams' team is in flame-out mode and this, too is a rivalry game. I'm going to go as high as 40 percent that the Cavaliers win one of these games.

That means a final record of 8-20, 2-14. Definitely the school's worst of my arbitrary modern era. How would that rate with ACC's collective worst?

Right up - I mean, down - there, my friend.

Single-digit season wins is select company, as are 20 losses. Only six teams have pulled the latter feat and eight the former. The list:

Most overall losses

• Georgia Tech, 23, 1981
• Wake Forest, 21, 1986
• Miami, 20, 2007
• North Carolina, 20, 2002
• Maryland, 20, 1989
• Clemson, 20, 1983

Fewest overall wins

• Georgia Tech, 3-23, 1981
• Wake Forest, 8-21, 1986
• North Carolina, 8-20, 2002
• N.C. State, 8-19, 1993
• Georgia Tech 8-18, 1980
• Maryland, 9-20, 1989
• Georgia Tech, 9-18, 1997
• Maryland, 9-17, 1987

As you can see, 8-20 would tie UNC for, percentage-wise, the third-worst record in ACC modern history. Georgia Tech's 3-23 is untouchable, but, if Virginia can somehow go 0-fer through March, Wake's 8-21 of 1986 is going down. Still, I think you have to take into account ACC record when gauging the worst teams because it's the only constant, and thanks to Georgia Tech back in December Virginia is assured of not joining this group:

• Maryland, 0-14, 1987
• Wake Forest, 0-14, 1986
• Georgia Tech, 0-14, 1981

You can't really make a case that Virginia is, or would be, as bad as those winless charity cases, so, kudos, Cavs - you're out of that doghouse. But don't unpack just yet; this one is still available:

• Maryland, 1-13, 1989
• Georgia Tech, 1-13, 1980

It doesn't seem like it at first glance, but there's a big difference in how history would judge 8-20, 2-14 compared to 7-21, 1-15. Fifteen league teams have won two games, making that a pretty pedestrian group of stinkiness that you could join with relative anonymity. But 1-15 in the ACC would go down as the fourth-worst ever, while one one team has won less than seven games or lost more than 21.

I'm one of these guys who prays for every hurricane to reach Category 5 and for every blizzard to drop three feet of snow, so I won't lie: I say we've come this far. Let's go down this road until we're eaten by some kind of giant spider. If nothing else, the chance a fourth-worst team in ACC history will give me a reason to watch for the next month.

And, lord knows, as a Virginia fan I have so little.