Last night, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon collected a historic NBA Rookie of the Year award. The former Virginia Cavaliers standout was the first player not drafted in the first round (modern era) to win the honor. Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves by adding an additional note of... “distinction.”

Brogdon is also first player to cough up a 16-point lead to Syracuse in Elite 8, and then go on to win NBA ROY https://t.co/zwM1Aq2tbz — NunesMagician.com (@NunesMagician) June 27, 2017

As you’ll recall, the Hoos were riding high and smelling fingers in the first half of the 2016 Elite 8 in Chicago, with a 16-point lead (seemingly insurmountable against that pack line defense). Then the Syracuse Orange press arrived, Virginia was knocked off its game and SU eventually took home the win (and a trip to the Final Four).

Adding insult to injury, the Orange would mount another double-digit comeback at the Carrier Dome this past February. After three straight losses to UVA, Syracuse suddenly has Virginia’s number (for now, anyway).

Brogdon took home 64 of the 100 Rookie of the Year awards, and 414 of the possible 900 points in the voting. The Philadelphia 76ers’ Dario Saric was a distant second, with 266.

So there you have it. Virginia can’t hold a 16-point lead. But a 148-point lead? All’s safe in Charlottesville (or at least it is for Brogdon).

(Post-script: Congrats to Malcolm, and to our UVA pals, this does not ruin our strong bonds forged at 4 a.m. in Downtown Manhattan)