What is it about Virginia?

[SchmidtyNole]

There's something about Virginia that makes good teams look bad. The way they muck the game up and make it a slugfest. Louisville is a good team but when they play Virginia it becomes a half court game and Virginia makes it tough to get a decent open shot the entire game and then they execute just well enough offensively to win the game.

We play them Saturday in Charlottesville and I am trying to think of what we can come up with to combat Virginia's style. We like to get out and run and push the pace and they make it hard to do that. Then with their pack line defense it is tough to execute well enough in the half court to get a lot of points in the paint. To me it is going to come down to being able to shoot the ball pretty well on the perimeter and hold our own on the boards.

I'll say this though: The competition in the ACC is going to make for a fun conference season.

 

[Morgantown Card]

First I will complement them: They are an excellent team, are very well-coached, and they run their game plan flawlessly. No one takes you out of your game plan like Virginia. Playing them in the NCAAT would suck because you know your scheme is useless and for 40 minutes you are just going to have to pick up the pieces of it and do what you can with that.

Now here is how I feel about them: I hate watching them play. It's the most boring style of basketball ever. It's like 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers, "run that football, 3 yards and a cloud of dust" etc etc and win every game 3-0 and bask in that. Being down by 10 feels like 20 against Virginia. Until Rick figures them out, I will of course hope for a win but generally expect to lose to them. It just is what it is. Based on the post game presser it seems like Rick feels this way about them as well.

 

[Cue Card]

There's something about Virginia that makes good teams look bad. The way they muck the game up and make it a slugfest. Louisville is a good team but when they play Virginia it becomes a half court game and Virginia makes it tough to get a decent open shot the entire game and then they execute just well enough offensively to win the game.

We play them Saturday in Charlottesville and I am trying to think of what we can come up with to combat Virginia's style. We like to get out and run and push the pace and they make it hard to do that. Then with their pack line defense it is tough to execute well enough in the half court to get a lot of points in the paint. To me it is going to come down to being able to shoot the ball pretty well on the perimeter and hold our own on the boards.

I'll say this though: The competition in the ACC is going to make for a fun conference season.

Virginia is very well coached. It's as simple as that. Bennett is able to get his kids to play a style that most simply don't like playing but once they see the results, they buy in because they know it works. I admire coach Bennett with his ability to connect with the players the way he does. His style of coaching is hard nosed defense and sharing the basketball while telling his kids to check the egos at the door. He's a great coach. Virginia is lucky to have him.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

They execute. But they lack a "next level" - they are what they are from December to March. Or lack an accelerated gear, however you want to put it.

Problem with that is they don't get a lot better if at all by the end of the year, it's the same product that it is early in the year.

Most team's have "ups/downs" and UVA is consistent.

They also developed a solid reputation that gets them the benefit of the doubt from refs in ACC games. They get away with a lot of physicality, but in some instances NCAA games are officiated differently, and they struggle to adjust when that happens.

Long story short, some teams excel in the regular season more so than others.

 

[nccardfan]

No the issue with VA is not that they don't improve. They play the same level and expect a high level of execution. Because of the way you play, their games are typically close because you have a limited amount of possessions. We made some terrible shot selections and found ourselves down too much but had we made our foul shots we would have been there right at the end despite being dominated. VA got too many easy put backs and second chances because our bigs were out of position most of the night.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

No the issue with VA is not that they don't improve. They play the same level .

If they play the same level, they aren't improving.

I agree they are reliant on low possession games - so to that point, they aren't diverse enough to win "any kind of a game" that gets thrown at them in the NCAAs.

 

[nccardfan]

If they play the same level, they aren't improving.

I agree they are reliant on low possession games - so to that point, they aren't diverse enough to win "any kind of a game" that gets thrown at them in the NCAAs.

What I meant by level is that they don't game plan for specific teams, they focus on playing their game to perfection. When they do, teams struggle against them.

 

[zipp]

Pure and simple, UVA tests you. They test your ability to execute what you're trying to do. And if you're only operating at 75% or so of peak performance, they'll beat you.

When you execute well, you will beat them because you have more talent than them typically.

We evidently had the added handicap last nite of not bringing our best effort. That's probably more a U of L issue than it will be for FSU...

 

[shadow force]

Besides many of the reasons stated above, certain teams/styles just give other teams fits. It's like a game of rock paper scissors best illustrated by the UofL/UCONN/Uk games in the last several years.

 

[BooneCo_Card]

There's something about Virginia that makes good teams look bad. The way they muck the game up and make it a slugfest. Louisville is a good team but when they play Virginia it becomes a half court game and Virginia makes it tough to get a decent open shot the entire game and then they execute just well enough offensively to win the game.

We play them Saturday in Charlottesville and I am trying to think of what we can come up with to combat Virginia's style. We like to get out and run and push the pace and they make it hard to do that. Then with their pack line defense it is tough to execute well enough in the half court to get a lot of points in the paint. To me it is going to come down to being able to shoot the ball pretty well on the perimeter and hold our own on the boards.

I'll say this though: The competition in the ACC is going to make for a fun conference season.

They defend high pick and roll and high ball screen better than most. For a team like the Cards who rely heavily on both, they are kryptonite.

 

[SchmidtyNole]

Well we got it done today. Beat Virginia 60-58. It was a great College Basketball game. Only Virginia's 2nd home loss in their last 37 Home Games. Dwayne Bacon scored 29 points and pretty much carried the team to victory. He hit the game winning three pointer with 2.0 seconds left to give us the win.

Congrats on your win against Indiana today. Another real signiture Non-Conference win for the ACC.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Yep, Mr. Bacon won't be flying under the radar much longer. Congrats on the W your team is STOUT!

 

[nccardfan]

Wow, Duke, UNC and Virginia all go down in conference play. This is going to be an interesting year in the ACC!

 

[HiStepper]

Well we got it done today. Beat Virginia 60-58. It was a great College Basketball game. Only Virginia's 2nd home loss in their last 37 Home Games. Dwayne Bacon scored 29 points and pretty much carried the team to victory. He hit the game winning three pointer with 2.0 seconds left to give us the win.

Congrats on your win against Indiana today. Another real signiture Non-Conference win for the ACC.

Just watched some of the replay of the game. That 3 by Bacon at 2 seconds was great just after UVA hit a 3 to take the lead.

 

[zipp]

Well we got it done today...

Congrats. A lot of clutch play down the stretch by FSU in that game. This conference is crazy.

And props on the Michigan win as well. Helluva weekend for the Noles!

 

[Louisvillian]

There's something about Virginia that makes good teams look bad. The way they muck the game up and make it a slugfest. Louisville is a good team but when they play Virginia it becomes a half court game and Virginia makes it tough to get a decent open shot the entire game and then they execute just well enough offensively to win the game.

We play them Saturday in Charlottesville and I am trying to think of what we can come up with to combat Virginia's style. We like to get out and run and push the pace and they make it hard to do that. Then with their pack line defense it is tough to execute well enough in the half court to get a lot of points in the paint. To me it is going to come down to being able to shoot the ball pretty well on the perimeter and hold our own on the boards.

I'll say this though: The competition in the ACC is going to make for a fun conference season.

You tell us and then we'll both know

 

[JohnKBA]

Bennett will never win a title. There comes a point in every tournament where you just have to be able to outscore the other guys.

 

[earsky]

Bennett will never win a title. There comes a point in every tournament where you just have to be able to outscore the other guys.

He's become very aware of this I think.He's a smart guy.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

In addition to style questions, UVA appears to lack interior scoring from the 4/5 position.

All that said, Ears brings up a good point. Bennett isn't asleep at the wheel here.

I may amend my doom/gloom on them. They aren't my choice, but they are a well-coached team for sure.

 

[ULGrad09]

They do one thing EXTREMELY well, that is they hedge the hell out of screens on ball and then rotate back beautifully. Which disrupts our whole offense has a very heavy reliance on effective screening both on ball and off, and not a whole heck of a lot else offensively.

Since they hedge our screens and cause us to dribble very high, most of the time 5-6 feet beyond the three point line we are always struggling to make a dent and get a good shot. Until we figure out how to run and offense that doesn't rely on heavy ball screen action they will have our number. At least that is the way I see it.

IMO, we need a secondary offense that we run that is less screen focused, not necessarily implement a whole offense, but an option that gets us out of so many screening actions.

 

[Cue Card]

They do one thing EXTREMELY well, that is they hedge the hell out of screens on ball and then rotate back beautifully. Which disrupts our whole offense has a very heavy reliance on effective screening both on ball and off, and not a whole heck of a lot else offensively.

Since they hedge our screens and cause us to dribble very high, most of the time 5-6 feet beyond the three point line we are always struggling to make a dent and get a good shot. Until we figure out how to run and offense that doesn't rely on heavy ball screen action they will have our number. At least that is the way I see it.

IMO, we need a secondary offense that we run that is less screen focused, not necessarily implement a whole offense, but an option that gets us out of so many screening actions.

Good post, and yes I agree. I would like to see some high/low offense with Anas playing the high post position and either Johnson or Spalding playing down low. I also miss the days when we would post our guards down low. Can't do that with 6 foot guards.

 

[ACCCard]

Havent they lost two games ACC now?