A Golf Clap and a Groan

For the first time in several games, the Hoos gave an effort worthy of at least a golf clap. Yes, in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, Virginia fans are in the business of looking for moral victories. Saturday's hard-fought 74-68 loss to ACC regular season co-champion Maryland qualifies. Keep in mind, Sylven Landesburg missed the game after being suspended for the remainder of the season. In addition, Mike Scott played only 15 minutes and tallied just two points. So, with that type of storyline, conventional wisdom suggests the game should have been a blow out. However, the short-handed Hoos competed, played hard, and even when facing a 14-point deficit, failed to fold. The Cavs posted a gutsy performance and a handful of unlikely heroes stepped up and played well

• Jerome Meyinsse posted a near-perfect senior night and capped off what has been a very nice season from the senior center. It could easily be argued Meyinnse is the only player on this year's squad who has exceeded expectations. Sammy Zeglinski has certainly shown progress but has faded as of late. On the other hand, Meyinsse has continued to improve throughout the season - hitting his stride down the stretch. He went out in style on Saturday and led UVa in scoring with 17 points. Even with the loss, if nothing else, you have to at least feel good for a guy who has worked hard both on the court and in the classroom.
  
• Speaking Zeglinski, he and Jeff Jones finally showed up. Zeglinski shot 50% from beyond the arc and tallied 14 points while Jones was a blistering 4-6 from downtown en route to a 16-point outing. Mutsapha Farrakhan chipped in 8 points and Will Sherrill added a solid contribution off the bench with 9 points. Interesting to see all of these guys step up with Mike Scott having an off night and Landesburg out for the year. Wonder how much their inconsistency is due to having Landesburg carrying so much of the focus offensively? Michael Jordan succeeded only when the Bulls surrounded him with guys who could contribute and knew their role within the system. It's clear these guys have yet to truly figure out how they fit in (night after night) to an offense that runs through Landesburg nor has the group been able to develop any sort of consistent chemistry.
• Coach Tony Bennett picked a fine time to garner his first career technical foul. With just over 38 seconds remaining and UVa down by one, Bennett slammed his jacket on the floor in protest of a tough blocking call. Replays showed Meyinsse did lean/slide slightly to the right as Maryland's Sean Mosley barreled into him. However, with time winding down on the shot clock, Mosley lowered his head and went to the hoop with little regard for anyone or anything in his way - a player control foul certainly was not out of the question. No doubt it was a tough call (especially after Gary Williams had just finished getting in the ear of the officials regarding a previous charge called on star Greivis Vasquez) though Bennett's technical proved a back-breaker.
  
• Speaking of Greivis Vasquez, did anyone else notice his first name appears to be a combination of his father's name Gregorio and his mother's name, Ivis? Hoo knew.
• So, an already bizarre season just got a little weirder Saturday morning with the announcement of Landesburg's season-ending suspension. Early reports are that Landesburg wasn't going to class which only further adds fuel to the "leaving for the pros" fire. Skipping class seems to fit the M.O. of a guy who has checked out and started looking ahead to next season - why go to class when you won't be there next year? What's the point? Regardless of what might eventually happen, the one thing that is clear right now is Bennett's commitment to doing things according to the established rules. It is obvious Bennett is establishing a new culture, and in light of the various suspensions throughout the year, it appears he runs a tighter ship than his predecessor.
  
• Props to the announced crowd of 13,431 who showed up to catch the Hoos' last home game of the season. Virginia fans have certainly earned a reputation for being a bit fair-weathered (a fair assessment in some cases) though Saturday's showing was extremely strong in light of the circumstances (an eight-game losing streak to be exact). Juxtapose that against the game two days earlier in Chestnut Hill when less than 4,000 people showed up to catch Boston College host the Cavs. The two teams have extremely similar records and both are struggling, yet Virginia's fan support proves miles ahead. Maybe UVa fans are looking beyond this season and buying into Bennett's efforts to rebuild the program for long-term success.
  

On the court, this season has been underwhelming to say the least, yet the one thing that has not been lacking is drama. Various story lines have run throughout, and it's scary to think what might happen next. Remember to keep your hands inside the ride at all times because the roller coaster that is Virginia basketball is not ready to return to the station and shut down for the year.
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Wishful Thinking

Yesterday's argument was that a win against Boston College could help provide a shred of hope, and from a statistical standpoint (especially in conference), a victory over the Eagles would help tell the story of progress. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that includes changing perspective in order to find or even manufacture a silver lining. Unfortunately, the lowered expectations and new focus were not met with different results. Last night the Hoos dropped their eighth straight contest - a 68-55 loss to BC. Once again the Hoos fell behind early and never recovered - talking about this squad is really starting to sound like a broken record. It's the same stuff night in and night out.

• Welcome back Mike Scott. After getting blanked the last two games, Scott finally showed up and nearly posted a double double. Sylven Landesburg also returned to action and notched 13 points as well. Jerome Meyinsse, as he has done all season, played beyond expectations and chipped in 12 points. So, those three accounted for 70% of Virginia's 55 total points. That's not enough offensive distribution to be competitive. Sammy Zeglinksi missed every shot he took, ended the night with a goose egg and has all but disappeared. Same goes for Jeff Jones. Mustapha Farrakhan notched 8 points, and normally that would be a respectable contribution, but when nobody else shows up, it's far too little.
• Houston, we have a problem. Losing eight straight is no small feat and there is no doubt something has gone terribly wrong with this squad. Blame it on lack of overall talent, chemistry problems, fatigue, transition to a new system, or whatever else you want to identify, but regardless of the causes, it's getting ridiculous. The wheels have fallen off and now the Cavs can't even manage to dig deep and find enough pride to be competitive against (let alone beat) another ACC bottom feeder.
• Chalk this season up as a loss in the name of change - at least, that's what Hoos fans hope to be saying 2-3 years from now if and when the program has once again become competitive. At this point, Virginia is staring at the real possibility of finishing the season on a 10-game losing streak, which will make it difficult to discern much of anything from this season. Finding true signs of lasting progress, wholesale change, or the building of a foundation for success still remains a big question mark.
• This summer is shaping up to be just as full of intrigue as last summer. Questions abound regarding freshman Tristan Spurlock, and the recent commitment from Billy Baron only adds fuel to the fire. Six commits with only five available scholarships means something has got to give - will Spurlock transfer, is Landesburg bolting for the NBA, or are all of the recent lineup changes not our of sheer desperation, but instead, Bennett's way of having everyone tryout/audition for their scholarship. Hoo knows, but at this point, it appears there are just as many questions after Bennett's first year as there were last summer when he was entering his first year in C'ville. Ideally things should start (even if in only small ways) to be coming together instead of becoming more unsettled.....again, maybe you have to deconstruct this thing and build it back up in order to accomplish real change.
  

Oh the life of a Virginia hoops fan......are we having fun yet? Continue reading this post...

A meaningless game with meaning?

An oxymoron? Yes. A must-win game? Probably not. A chance to halt the skid and show one more sign of progress? Absolutely. The idea that how Virginia finishes the season will carryover to next year is probably a bit much. To think that the Hoos will carry any momentum into next year from mini-winning streak to end this year seems unlikely - does anyone ever really look back at the last couple of games of any given season as a source of inspiration? However, if the Cavs end up losing out - finishing the season on a dreadful 10-game slide - that would likely leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth and set the tone for a long offseason. While UVa's season is likely all but over (barring a surprise run and invite to the NIT), tonight's contest against Boston College does present an opportunity to help solidify that things are moving in the right direction.

Coach Bennett has cautioned that rebuilding Virginia's basketball program is a work in progress - a task that will take some time. The optimists here at the Society were hoping he was sandbagging, but, sadly, he wasn't. The reality is Hoos fans should be looking for signs of progress and any expectations beyond that are likely too much. To be fair, early success in conference play got most fans a bit distracted and the focus shifted to pipedreams of postseason play and challenging for a spot in the top-half of the ACC. Bennett did his best to temper expectations, but Hoo nation is starved for success, and a brief stint as the league leader was like tossing a bucket full of chum in shark-infested waters.

The recent slide has put things back in perspective, and tonight's game against BC presents a chance for Bennett and his squad to display another example of how they are slowly but surely building a foundation for success. A win against the Eagles would, first and foremost, put a halt to a very dejecting losing streak - no one likes to lose regardless of the expectations. Furthermore, a victory tonight would serve as UVa's sixth conference win of the season which would be more than either of the previous two seasons. A win tonight would also represent the Hoos' third conference road win of the year - a feat last accomplished in 2006-07 when Virginia advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

So no, the trip to Chestnut Hill will not impact the ACC conference championship nor will it have any bearing on NCAA seedings. However, it does have meaning to Virginia fans and to a Virginia basketball program looking to rebuild and return to its former status as a regular NCAA tourney team. It could serve as a sign of progress, a step in the right direction, and another brick in the foundation. Small wins and moral victories, that's what Hoo fans can reasonably expect, and a win tonight fits that description. Continue reading this post...

No upset alert

Not even close. Without Sylven Landesburg, Virginia didn't stand a chance. Kyle Singler, John Scheyer and the rest of the Dookies got the memo. It appears the Hoos also read the writing on the wall and bought into their own demise before the game even started. Duke immediately opened the game with a 20-4 run and never looked back. Both teams knew the storyline and played their roles accordingly. The weekend produced a handful of upsets in college basketball, but sadly, this one went exactly as scripted. Not a whole lot to say about this one, but here are few random musings following the debacle.

• Entering the season, the Society thought the cupboard might not be all that bare and that Tony Bennett had inherited more talent than the 4th estate realized (given they predicted the Hoos to finish last). Landesburg's absence last night presented a good opportunity for some others to step up and prove their mettle. Jerome Meyinsse came to play and posted a career high 21 points. Yet, you know it's likely not a good sign when a guy who has seen very little action prior to this year scores nearly 50% of the team's points for the game. No one else could muster double figures. For the second game in a row, Mike Scott was shut out. Bottom line, the cupboard is bare, and this Virginia squad is remarkably devoid of ACC-caliber talent. Guys like Sammy Zeglinski, Mustapha Farakhan and Jeff Jones all show flashes which leads fans to think these guys could blossom into solid scorers and make Virginia a dangerous team. Zeglinski has done the best of the three, showed some nice improvement to start the season, but has seemingly disappeared down the stretch - only a sophomore, there's still time. Farakhan will likely finish out his career as a streaky hot and cold player while, by all accounts, Jones looks destine to be an overall bust. Mike Scott continues to improve year-over-year (statistically) but still seems to be continuing a pattern of fading towards the end of the season. Meyinsse has been a very nice surprise this season - had Cav fans been saying similar things about Zeglinski, Farakhan, and Jones, this season might have turned out a little differently.

• Recently, Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times suggested he was "not going to let first-year head coach Tony Bennett off the hook" in terms of his role in Virginia's recent skid. Hey, the Hoos have lost seven straight, so certainly everyone involved in the program deserves some portion of the blame. Doughty notes the team has regressed - fair assessment - and that a coaching getting 1.7M a year should get the most out of his players. The latter view appears to be a slippery slope....Mike Scott has failed to make a basket in the past two games. Last time I checked, the coaches don't play the game (though the Hoos would likely get a big boost offensively if Bennett suited up - he looks like he can still knock it down). Can coaches get players to make shots? Last night marked the third time Virginia has failed to crack 50 points in a game - the last time that happened was 25 years ago. Again, it's sort of a chicken or the egg - some will blame coaching, and some will blame talent. What is more tangible is recruiting (many argue it's all about the Jimmies and Joes not the X's and O's), and even when faced with a shortened recruiting cycle, Bennett put together a class that exceeds anything assembled by Leitao. That combined with the fact UVa could still likely finish the season better than most expected gives the impression that coaching might not be the biggest issue.

• With all that said, Virginia does need to find a way to stop the bleeding. The Hoos made strides to start conference play, yet the recent slide has nearly wiped out the earlier accomplishments. Finishing the year on a 10-game skid (dropping the next two and bowing out in the first round of the ACC) would make for an extremely long offseason. If the Hoos can show some life and muster a couple of wins to end the season on a positive note, it would go a long way in providing the slight glimmer of hope Virginia fans so desperately need. For those lukewarm on Bennett, a couple of wins could help prove the coach can find a way to reverse the fortunes when the chips are down. For those convinced the squad is too undermanned, ending the season on a winning streak would show the team's got a little pride left. Either way, for the most part, we all want to believe, and we had reason, but now it appears to be slipping away. Just give us something to hold on to - any signs of life will do.

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A Fine Line

Two weeks ago, with Virginia standing a surprising 3-0 in the ACC, the Hoos welcomed in 6-12 UNC-Wilmington.  It was a game that a front-running ACC team should have handled easily at home, but the Cavaliers needed a late Sylven Landesberg jumper to eke out a two-point win.  After the game, Tony Bennett cautioned that his team, while improved, would continue to walk "a fine line" between winning and losing. 

That fine line reared its head last night against N.C. State, a team Virginia handled on the road just three weeks ago and standing at a lowly 2-5 in the ACC.  But with Landesberg struggling to find his shot, and having trouble slowing the Pack's inside tandem of Tracy Smith and Richard Howell, Virginia simply wasn't good enough to cruise at home, even against an inferior opponent.

Thankfully, the Hoos remembered the line they have to walk in time to win the game.  The inside lanes that were open in the first half closed down in the second.  Virginia reasserted control of the glass.  And the Wolfpack, who had shot 46% in the first half, could no longer crack the code.  Keyed by a six-plus minute run midway thru the second half in which the Hoos held N.C. State scoreless, Virginia pulled away and (almost unbelievably) into a tie atop the ACC.

It wasn't pretty (except for Mustapha Farrakhan's right-handed, and-1 dunk, which was pretty sweet), but Bennett-Ball usually isn't.  Still, after surrendering 28 in the first half, Virginia gave up only 19 in the second.  It doesn't matter how much your leading scorer scores (Landesberg only had 7 on 2-10 shooting) if you hold your opponent to 47 points.

So despite having to walk that fine line, Tony Bennett's charges have ascended to a share of the lead in the conference.  If they keep that line in mind, there's no limit to how well they can do in a down ACC.  Continue reading this post...

Bouncing Back in a Big Way

No one saw that one coming. Definitely not anyone wearing a UNC uniform. A 15-point win in Chapel Hill goes a long way in helping rid the painful memories of Thursday's loss to Va Tech. Where the Hoos failed to finish against the Hokies, UVa always had an answer last night against North Carolina. Everyone knew, or at least felt, the Tarheels would make a run in the second half, yet the Cavs kept them at arms-length (and then some) after they built a big lead early in the second half. Sylven Landesburg played lights out, and Sammy Zeglinski shot extremely well from beyond the arc. Jerome Meyinsse posted another solid outing and played a big role in keeping UNC bigs Ed Davis and Deon Thompson in check. He and Mike Scott hounded the tandem all night long making it difficult for either of them to find any type of rhythm on offense. UVa's front court either blocked or altered their shots on numerous occasions and held Davis and Thompson to a combined 11 points on the evening.

Against Va Tech, Virginia struggled to hit big shots when the Cavs needed points the most, yet last night was a completely different story. UVa responded every time it looked as if UNC might mount a run and knocked down several key baskets to maintain control of the game. As Jeff White notes, Virginia's performance at Chapel Hill was impressive especially given what happened last Thursday night against the Hokies.

Speaking of winning at the Dean Dome, last night marked only the third time Virginia has ever won at the Smith Center and it was Virginia's first victory in the last six tries against the Tar Heels. For many UVa players, this marks one of the biggest victories of their college careers.

A surprising 4-2 in ACC play, tied for second in the league standings, has Virginia coach Tony Bennett starting to garner some attention for ACC Coach of the Year honors.

There's no question the Hoos caught UNC on an off shooting night, and even Bennett acknowledged as much in both his halftime and post-game tv interviews. Certainly some of that was due to UVa's defense (especially inside where seemingly almost every shot was contested) and some was due to the Tarheels having a tough outing. Couple that with a very strong offensive performance from the Cavs and it effectively created a near-perfect storm. Regardless, a win in Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels is huge and to finish the game so emphatically after blowing a 10-point lead against Va Tech makes the win that much more impressive. Without a doubt, Sunday's win was just what the doctor ordered and it showed this years' squad has the moxie to shake off a tough loss. This week the Hoos take on two more teams from North Carolina, and if Virginia can hold serve at home, the whispers of postseason play will certainly grow louder.
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What Virginia Tech Has ... You Don't Want

In recent years, as Virginia basketball struggled through more than one 4-12 ACC season and only one winning ACC season since 2001, it was a common refrain amongst Hoo Nation that Virginia Basketball doesn't need to be great; it should simply strive for what for what Virginia Tech has. 

It was not necessarily a surprising plea, as it was hard to watch Virginia falter as its arch-rival maintained a surprising level of respectability.  Despite predictions that Tech would wilt in a superior basketball conference, Seth Greenberg's charges have almost always been respectable, only once really bad.  Since joining the ACC in 2004, Tech was 38-42 in ACC play entering this season, and finished no worse than 7-9 in every season but one.  During that same span, the Cavaliers were 31-49, and three times were 5-11 or worse. 

But while I applaud the job Seth Greenberg has done in Blacksburg, you don't want what he's selling.  While Tech has overall been better than Virginia since joining the ACC, the two schools are nonetheless even on the only measure that really matters -- postseason success.  Despite always being respectable, Tech has been to the NCAA Tournament only once as an ACC member.  That was in 2007, when a senior-laden team earned a No. 5 seed, defeated Illinois 54-52 in a first round game that set back offensive basketball fifty years, and then politely folded to mid-major S. Illinois, 63-48.  That same season, however, Virginia also made its only trip to the Dance since Tech's arrival in the ACC.  The Hoos were a No. 4 seed, overwhelmed a supposed upset-special Albany squad, 84-57, and bowed out to a good Tennessee team, 77-74, in a Round 2 game whose outcome likely would have been different if J.R. Reynolds was not injured in the midst of a lights-out performance.  So despite the six-game disaprity in ACC records, its the Cavaliers who have the more impressive NCAA resume during that same span, a 1-1 record that could easily have been better, not a 1-1 record that could easily have been worse. 

Would you prefer 7-9 instead of 4-12?  Of course you would.  But let's not excuse respectable for acceptable.  Respectable is nice, and avoids your program being the butt of bad Washington Post jokes, but it is not the foundation upon which basketball programs survive, at least here at Virginia.  Just ask Jeff Jones, whose teams hovered around .500 in ACC play throughout his career but was canned after a disastrous 3-13 season in 1997-98.  No, you want what Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao tried (unsuccessfully) to build, and what Tony Bennett looks well on his way to establishing -- a national program with an occasional chance at greatness.

Perhaps they'll tolerate seasons of good but not great, interchangeable 7-9 and 9-7 ACC records, and life on the NCAA bubble but more likely headed to the NIT, down in Blacksburg.  But that's never been good enough in Charlottesville, and I hope I never see the day that it is.  Thankfully, I don't think that's what Tony Bennett has in mind either. 
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Two wins and counting...

It wasn't too long ago that many Virginia fans might have been expecting two ACC wins for the entire season.  After all, the Hoos had struggled in preseason play, with Coach Tony Bennett was preaching patience early and often and some even suggesting things wouldn't turn until he got "Bennett-Ball" players on campus.

Now that the Cavs have won six straight, including their first two ACC contests (something they haven't done since the Jeff Jones era), Hoo nation will be understandably jubilant.  Of course, let's keep in mind that Virginia's two ACC wins came against a N.C. State team that is likely to struggle all season and a young Ga. Tech team that, while talented enough to bury Duke at home, still has no idea how to consistently win on the road.  As Winston Wolf would say, "Let's not start..."

Still, two ACC wins is two ACC wins.  Its a league, unlike the one Bennett came from, where there are no free conference wins (since the Whack-10 always has one or two doormats, Oregon State filling the role in recent years, that any decent team can bank two wins against).  And hey, in the early season game of chance that is the ACC standings, Virginia stands alone at the top.

I won't pretend to know how they did it -- last night's tilt didn't even merit ESPN360 treatment -- but we can go around the Fourth Estate to get their thoughts:

• Hootie credited the win to matching the Yellow Jackets' inside presence.  In particular, Jerome Meyinsse, while he's still little more than a black hole offensively, was the most impressive, fighting off Tech's Gani Lawal all night.  For the second straight game, the Hoos fought for post position, an off-the-ball defensive key often lost under Leitao and Gillen.  Virginia simply didn't let Tech's big men catch in favorable spots, something they also did effectively against N.C. State's Tracy Smith.  Its something they'll have to continue to do, since their most effective lineup is still probably going small and their most legit big man -- Assane Sene -- still appears lost in Bennett's system.  On Tuesday, they outrebounded a much bigger Tech team 36-33 for the game.
• David Teel credited the Cavs' clutch three-point shooting.  As Teel notes, Virginia finished a pedestrian 5-for-14 from distance, but PG Sammy Zieglinski notched a pair of timely triples.  The first to cut the Tech lead to one at 55-54, and then, off a huge Landesberg offensive rebound, Zieglinski nailed another to put the game away at 72-63.
• Doug Doughty noted the Hoos' proficiency at the line.  So did the RTD.  Virginia was 23-of-26 from the charity stripe, a few days after going 19-of-20 at N.C. State.  Their opponents, meanwhile, let the Hoos hang around by failing to capitalize on those "free" points.  N.C. State was 16-for-26 from the line on Saturday, keeping the Hoos in the game when they may have had a chance to put it away.  Ga. Tech was worse, finishing a dreadful 3-for-11 from the charity stripe.  If you're perhaps undermanned, you have to find every advantage you can.  Bennett's charges have found one at the free throw line through two ACC games.  
• Resident Yellow Jacket killer Mustapha Farrakhan had another solid outing.  A year after stunning Tech with a couple of dagger threes in an OT win, Farrakhan scored 15 points off the bench in last night's triumph.  The junior guard is far from the most gifted player on the squad, but he's been its toughest player since his arrival three years ago.  And he's a perfect fit for how his new coach wants to play.

Virginia looks for ACC win No. 3 at home against Miami Saturday.  A day after mulling lowering ticket prices and sending an e-mail around (I know I got one) seeking suggestions on how to re-fill the JPJ like its 19 ... er 2006.  Yes, the lower ticket prices for nosebleeds would help -- it makes little sense that a seat in the last row cost as much as one twenty rows lower.  But if you build it - the program, not the building - they will come.  We'll see if that holds true with the Hoos 2-0 in the ACC and a Saturday night tilt against Miami coming up.    Continue reading this post...

Transforming Before Our Eyes

The win itself isn't necessarily significant.  Virginia won its ACC opener on the road last season too (an 88-84 OT win at Georgia Tech). But its the way they won 70-62 against N.C. State that, while not necessarily portending great things this season (that's still very unlikely), does give the Cavalier faithful some hope that the program is again moving in the right direction.     

• In just 13 games, Tony Bennett has gotten this group to do what Dave Leitao couldn't - play rock solid halfcourt defense.  The Cavaliers closed down driving lanes, fought gamely for post position, and outrebounded the Wolfpack despite playing with four guards most of the second half.
• Playing small (something Leitao tried at times last season) only works if everyone boxes out and all five players hit the glass.  The stats say N.C. State had eight offensive rebounds, but I didn't see many that were caused by a missed box out or a guard waiting for someone else to get the board, two things that plagued the Hoos frequently last season.  Virginia outrebounded the Pack 36-30 for the game.
• On the offensive side of the ball, the Hoos were rarely spectacular, but very efficient.  JP Sports flashed a graphic that Virginia had gone from 242nd last season to top 10 in least turnovers committed so far this season.  That looked like it might be the product of a soft preseason schedule after the Cavs committed eight in the first half and then another on the first possession of the second half.  But they only had one more the rest of the way.  Amazing what a few more possessions ending in shots can do for a team that still struggles at times offensively.
• It took him a year (two if you count his medical redshirt season) for Sammy Zieglinski to understand that he simply can't finish around the rim at his size in the ACC.  His drive and kickout for a Jeff Jones' three cut the Wolfpack lead to one at 53-52 with 4 1/2 minutes left.  Last season, Zieglinski throws something up at the rim on that play.  Saturday, he took four shots, two were threes, both of which he made.  That's how Zieglinski (generously listed at 6-0) needs to play to be successful in this league.
• Speaking of Jones, it took him two years to figure out his role at this level.  Jones has trouble creating his own shot, and still disappears for stretches.  But if he catches in space, Jones is a deadly shooter.
• Mike Scott spent a little too much time around the perimeter for my liking in the first half.  But he went inside when it mattered most in the second half.  His drive and dish to Landesberg gave Virginia a 54-53 lead it would never relinquish.  Then, his turnaround from the right block stretched the lead to 58-53.  On the defensive end, Scott also fought off Tracy Smith in the post with no possibility of help (surrounded by nothing but guards).  Simply put, Scott doesn't complete that effort last season. 
• Its easy to single out Landesberg, but people will do it anyway.  He was the best player on the court in the second half.  But he should have been.  Landesberg is capable of going both right and left, but teams have picked up that, like most players, he isn't nearly as strong going to his off hand (he's almost unstoppable going right).  But his runner going left to make it 60-55 (after N.C. State briefly broke out of an offensive funk with two points) was a dagger in the heart of the Pack.
• I close with one final observation.  Its often said that college basketball teams adopt the personality of its head coach.  In contrast to Leitao, who was often erratic and frenetic on the sideline, Bennett is the picture of cool.  The team followed his lead.  Throughout Virginia's second half run, the players (bench included) rarely overreacted - a few fist pumps here and there, but no jumping up and down.  They looked methodical - just like their coach, and just like the win.  I like it.         

    Continue reading this post...

Another 2nd Half Collapse

After Virginia's first two ballgames, one thing is absolutely crystal clear - Coach Bennett's efforts to temper expectations were not a case of sandbagging. If you read our fearless predictions, it's easy to see we at the Society bought into the excitement and promise of a new coach coming in to guide a team with the ACC freshman of the year and all five returning starters. With what appeared to be a decent and relatively talented foundation in place, surely Bennett was simply setting expectations low and under-promising in order to over deliver, or so we thought. It looks like that simply wasn't the case. The build-up to the season was exciting, but so much for the afterglow.

After an underwhelming and somewhat troubling win against Longwood, Virginia took on the University of South Florida last night and continued their complete incompetence in the Sunshine State (the Hoos last win there came during the 2000-2001 season when Roger Mason hit a last-second shot to down FSU). For the second straight game, Virginia posted another dismal second-half performance, and a four-point game at half time turned into a 17-point blowout. All night the offense was beyond anemic, and Virginia continues to work out the kinks with Bennett's new defensive system.

It's hard to win basketball games when you only score 49 points, and after only two games, some trends that plagued Virginia last year seem to be rearing their ugly heads again this season. The Hoos shot a woeful 32.7% from the field, and just like last year, finding offensive consistency from anyone not named Sylvan Landesburg proves challenging - even he struggled with just 2 points after the break. Sammy Zeglinski and Mustapha Farrakhan both posted nice outings in the opener against Longwood, and yet the two absolutely disappeared against the Bulls. The two combined for a mere 5 points on the night. Virginia fans truly want to believe Jeff Jones can and will begin to live up to the promise and expectations that once surrounded the highly-regarded recruit, but sadly, the wait continues. Once again the junior guard turned in a disappointing performance with 7 meaningless points all after USF had the game well in hand. While it's still very, very early, freshman Tristan Spurlock has shown no signs he will be able to contribute right away(or at least this year) - sure, there is still plenty of time, but Spurlock's first two games raise a slight cause for concern. Mike Scott failed to hit double-digits, yet, in his defense, with Virginia's front-court under-manned and under-sized, he simply couldn't do it all.

At first glance, 66 points doesn't seem like a horrendous defensive effort, and to some degree it wasn't. Bennett's defensive system is designed to make opposing teams shoot late in the shot clock, and thus, reduce their total number of shots. The fact USF shot over 53% from the field and eclipsed 45% from beyond the arc yet still only managed 66 points serves as evidence that part of the defensive scheme is taking hold. Of course, the other part is of the approach relies on defenders doing something, actually anything, to disrupt shots and keep shooting percentages far south of 50%. So far it seems as if UVa has yet to grasp that crucial element of Bennett's defensive philosophy.

The absence of Assane Sene and Jamil Tucker is likely partially to blame for Virginia's inability to keep South Florida's shooting percentage in check as the big men played well for the Bulls. Foward/Centers August Gilchrist and Jarrid Famous put up 18 and 12 respectively. In addition, both nabbed 8 rebounds a piece helping USF post a 33-21 advantage on the boards. To a large degree, a scoring and rebounding disparity was a bit expected given Virginia's thin front-court, yet that made shutting down the guards (specifically their go-to guy Dominique Jones) all the more important. Sadly, he dropped a game-high 22.

Coach Bennett harps on the idea that it is going to take time to get his system totally in place (that includes getting guys who can play his style). Sure, his approach is different and will take some time, but asking basketball players to play a different brand of defense is not quite the same as asking Gaylord Focker and a bunch of his male nurse friends to become heart surgeons. Fundamentally, several key defensive principles always apply. Even if it is a case where the players concentrate so hard to correctly execute Bennett's new defense that is causes lapses in more fundamental areas, getting that fixed only solves half the problem. Like last season, Virginia still can't find players able to step up on offense and produce night in and night out (Landesburg excluded). Without a doubt it was fun getting caught up in the hype and optimism prior to the season, but after two games, it's starting to look like maybe the players aren't the only ones still trying to learn Bennett's approach. It appears he wasn't bluffing when he warned that turning the program around was a true work in progress. Maybe there's still hope he overestimated the timetable.


Continue reading this post...

A Mixed Start

I'm sure many of us would have liked to have seen the first game of the Tony Bennett era.  Alas, games against Longwood don't move the meter.  Thankfully, even with new paper budgets shrinking everywhere, a few brave souls were there too tell us a bit about the Hoos' opening night 85-72 win.

Virginia closed the first half on a 27-9 run to take a 49-27 lead into halftime, and the issue was never really in doubt.  But the second half was a bit disconcerting, with Longwood shooting 55% and getting as close as nine.  With every quote, Bennett appears to be tempering expectations - is it too late to revise my fearless prediction?

As Bennett promised, the offense did not hold the ball.  Virginia started four guards, and got a nice lift from Mustapha Farrakhan.  Freshman Jontel Evens played 20 minutes off the bench, impressing Bennett with his on-the-ball defense and ball-handling.  Could be nice complement to Smmy Zieglinski.  The other freshman - Tristan Spurlock - played only three minutes.

But playing small ball without C Assane Sene and F Jamil Tucker (who were both on the bench in street clothes), a pair of Longwood big men abused the Cavs' D on 14-18 shooting.  That will be even more of a problem against upcoming Big East foe S. Florida.

In other news, Bennett spoke highly of his incoming recruiting class (would have been nice to land top PG prospect and O'Connell product Kendall Marshall, but that was probably a pipe-dream).  Continue reading this post...

Fearless Predictions - Hoops Edition

As we've already noted, the national media isn't too peachy on Virginia hoops this season.  As part of the annual ACC media poll, Virginia was picked 11th.  Collegehoops.net has an interesting high-low projection, picking Virginia to finish anywhere from 7th to 12, but ultimately peg the Cavs at 10th.  Baseball Prospectus' little brother is a little more optimistic, predicting Virginia to finish 8-8 in the ACC, as noted over at the Sabre.  I share BP's optimism.  My colleagues, not so much, although they certainly have more than the national media.  Our predictions are after the jump.  Feel free to chime in with your own in the comments section.  The schedule can be found here.


red4z: As I’m already on the record as saying, 2009-10 will be a turnaround team for Virginia basketball. For all the flack Dave Leitao took for his lack of recruiting acumen, he doesn’t leave the cupboard bare for the incoming Tony Bennett. And unlike football, the administration didn't wait one year too long to pull the plug on a coach that needed to go.

There are few things I expect immediately with Coach Bennett taking the reins. First, no more embarrassing losses. He’s too good a coach, and his teams are characteristically too disciplined for a slip up. So no more losses to Liberty. Second, an established player rotation. As a former NBA player, Bennett understands the importance of everyone knowing their roles. A few players will invariably be left without minutes in the process, but that’s better than players looking over to the bench for the hook every time they make a mistake. Finally, Bennett is a player’s coach. Expect a few guys who wilted under Leitao’s in your face style to flourish under a new voice. Jeff Jones, I’m looking in your direction.

The Hoos will surprise throughout their pre-conference schedule. They’ll drop a game to a loaded Kentucky squad (say hello to John Wall) in Cancun, but will steal a road win at South Florida or Auburn. And the Hoos will take care of business against Penn St. in the ACC Invitational (better known as the ACC/Big Ten Challenge). The Hoos will enter conference play unranked, but 11-2 and people will be wondering just how good they are.

Virginia is well-positioned to start strong in ACC play, and in general. The Cavs open at NC State, home to GT and Miami, at WF, and at home to Va. Tech. They also get UNC and Duke only once each. Its too early to expect wins against those traditional powers, but the Hoos will break through against the ACC’s second tier. My heart says 9-7; my head says 8-8. Either way, without a true marquee win, Virginia is left out of the dance. Disappointing at the time, but in the big picture, a successful first season for Bennett.  Prediction: 19-10, 8-8. NIT berth.

cjhoo99: The energy of a new head man, the opportunities that accompany change, and the benefits of new schemes often produce some sort of positive results in year one. Certainly the idea is for the momentum of the first year to carry forward to years two, three, and four, yet, for whatever reason, that part of the puzzle seems to have eluded Virginia’s last two previous basketball coaches. Without a doubt, Hoo fans would like new headman Tony Bennett to find a way to break the recent trend plaguing UVa’s basketball program while still maintaining a little of that “beginner’s luck.” On paper at least it appears modest improvement over the complete debacle that was last season proves well within reason.

Virginia’s non-conference schedule proves very reasonable. If Bennett’s defensive system takes hold early, that should help keep some member of the opposing team from setting a new career-best in scoring against the Cavs (something that happened far too often under both Gillen and Leitao). By simply minimizing the bad losses that have been commonplace in recent years, the Hoos should finish the non-conference portion of the schedule at no worse than 8-5. If everything falls into place early on, it’s not completely inconceivable that Virginia travels to Raleigh sitting at 11-2, and should be 10-3 starting conference play.

Virginia plays a home and home series with N.C. State, Maryland, Va Tech, and Miami, and winning six of those eight games is not out of the question – that means the Hoos sweep either the Wolfpack or Miami while splitting with Maryland and Va. Tech. Certainly possible. An upset over Ga. Tech at home (second ACC game) or Wake Forest could be in the cards, and a road win over either Clemson or Boston College can’t be ruled out. Heck, even a shocker over Duke is not impossible – the Blue Devils tend to bring out the best in Virginia, especially in C’ville. Going .500 in the ACC would be a minor miracle while anything below 5-11 would prove disappointing.

A trip to the Big Dance seems a bit unlikely, though an NIT birth represents a reasonable goal. Getting back to post-season play (the CBI or any other b-grade tourney excluded) would certainly be a nice start to the Bennett era. Prediction: 17-12, 7-9, NIT berth.

ACC COY: Virginia has a new coach with a better system but still does not have very many good players. It's reasonable enough that if the players buy into Bennett's system and work hard, they can surprise a few teams, particularly at home, on the first leg of the home-and-homes. I doubt, however, that they would be able to beat many decent teams on the road, particularly when the opponent has already seen them once or has sufficient tape. Since the ACC is filled with decent to good teams, this is probably going to be a long season for the Wahoos.

I'd guess 6-10 in the ACC, with one or two big upsets and a growing reputation as a tough out, particularly in JPJ. Maybe one win in the ACC tournament, and all that is possibly enough to get into the NIT, which I think should be considered a major accomplishment considering how bare the cupboard is.

This isn't like Pete Gillen inheriting three bona fide ACC players in Adam Hall, Chris Williams and Donald Hand,* or Leitao getting JR and Sean Singletary. Virginia has exactly one legitimate top-shelf ACC player in Sylven, and maybe another two or three other guys that would be rotation regulars in a good ACC lineup. If this team even gets a sniff at .500 in the conference, Tony Bennett should hit Littlepage up for a 10-year extension with an extensive buyout. Prediction: 16-13, 6-10, NIT Berth.

*---I doubt anyone expected those three to be as good as they were, but doesn't it strike you in retrospect how for two years Virginia had a starting lineup of Williams, Hall, Hand, Watson and Mason (not to mention brief flashes of Mapp and some other guys), all of whom had legitimate professional careers in the minors, overseas or in the NBA, and never won a tournament game? Astounding. What would you give for that rotation right now? If Majestic Mapp does not hurt his knee, you have to figure they make it to the Sweet 16 at least once, right? Wow.

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Thank God for Hoops Season

Amidst what appears to be another meh football campaign, buzz has been building all fall for the start of hoops season, which for true junkies starts Friday with the beginning of practice.  The buzz surrounding Virginia, of course, begins and ends with new coach Tony Bennett, the latest coaching savior brought over from a major conference school (albeit a lower tier school in said conference) to bring the Hoos back to the level they were in the 80s and early 90s under Terry Holland and, for a time, Jeff Jones. 

This is nothing new, of course.  The same buzz surrounded the fast-talking Pete Gillen and "we're going to play the right way" Calhoun-disciple Dave Leitao.  Anyone that tells you the buzz is any greater this time around is lying (and anyone that tells you that they're glad Virginia at least didn't go the mid-major route again is an idiot, since Gillen and Leitao came via the Big East from Providence and DePaul respectively).  Still, that hasn't stopped the Fourth Estate from the obligatory renewed optimism and different feel pieces in advance of the season.

We've also seen a number of pieces praising Bennett's superior recruiting efforts, here and here for example.  But let's not shortchange his predecessors, although it was popular to do so while they were here.  Leitao brought in, just last season, consensus top-25 prospect Sylven Landesberg, top-100 center Jon Brandenburg, and another highly-sought after big man (just ask UConn fans in particular) Assane Sene.  Before that, Leitao landed a highly-praised 2007 class, highlighted by top-100 guard Jeff Jones and in-state get Mike Scott.  Leitao also lined up top-100 SF Tristan Spurlock before he left.

My point is not relitigate the decision to fire Leitao (a decision I agreed with), or to caution against crowning Bennett as a crackerjack recruiter just yet based on getting LOIs from five kids, only two of which are top-100 players (but let's keep it in perspective, OK?).   

No, the point is that the cupboard is not exactly bare in Charlottesville.  So its possible, and maybe even likely, that Bennett will be able to avoid the obligatory rebuilding year that Gillen experienced in 1998-99, when he famously held open tryouts in his first season to fill out the roster (remember Raleigh "the Bartender" Harbour) and went 14-16, or that Leitao experienced in 2005-06, when he only had seven scholarship players and went 15-15.  Instead, Bennett should be able to skip right ahead to the second-year surge (like when Gillen finished 19-12 and just missed the tourney, or Leitao went 21-11 and didn't).  Both were based, in larger part for Leitao, on inheirited players (Leitao inheirited Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds from Gillen, just as Gillen benefitted from Jones-recruits Chris Williams and Adam Hall).  Even more than Gillen or Leitao, Bennett will benefit from the recruiting fruits of his predecessor.  He'll have five returning starters, including an all-ACC performer in Landesberg, a double-double machine in Mike Scott, and number of potentially emerging talents in SG Jeff Jones, PG Sammy Zieglinski, and C Assane Sene.  The only "meaningful" loss from last year's roster is Mamadi Diane, who averaged all of six points per game and was puzzlingly pulled in and out of the lineup by Leitao, and he should be easly replaced in the rotation by Spurlock. 

So if he can coach, and he won in Pullman, WA, a dumptruck of a college basketball town, so you know he can coach, things should get interesting, and exciting, real fast this season.  I'm reserving judgment on whether Bennett is the right fit long term (remember that Gillen and Leitao also spiked early in their careers, but couldn't continue the momentum).  But you should feel free to ignore early season prodictions of gloom for Virginia, like here for example, and those that are likely to come in the near future from the national media.  The Hoos will be good, and should contend for an NCAA bid this season.  Just remember that you heard it here first. 

And then, like I said, thank God for hoops season.   Continue reading this post...