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...

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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Free Fall

The Hoos are running on empty and a service station is nowhere in sight. From a physical standpoint, five games in eleven days has proven too much for a team that is, by the coach's own admission, thin and undermanned. From a mental standpoint, an overtime home loss to Wake combined with tough loss to arch-rival Va Tech in Bleaksburg appears to have broken (or at least severally damaged) the team's spirit. Last night, Virginia dropped it's sixth consecutive contest with a 74-62 road loss to Miami. It was their fourth consecutive double-digit setback, and sadly, the storyline for this one was no different than the previous three. It's as if the Hoos are stuck on repeat. Everyone knows Virginia's problems but it appears the squad is unwilling or unable to find the solution - likely a combination of the two with a hefty portion of the problem stemming from a lack of talent and ability. It's reminiscent of the morning after Foxfields when you're too damn hungover to turn off the stereo that has been playing the same Slackjaw song over and over again all night long. The night before you were too drunk to care, and by morning, you're too sick to move or too mentally drained to notice.

Not long ago, the talk was about finding a consistent third scorer. During Virginia's seven-game winning streak, Sylven Landesburg and Mike Scott were putting up consistent numbers and either Mustapha Farrakhan, Jeff Jones, or (mostly) Sammy Zeglinski were taking turns filling the third -scorer role. Now, the Hoos are simply looking for anyone other than Landesburg to score. Against Miami, Scott failed to score a point and Zeglinski managed only five. Meyinsse posted a solid 13 and Jones pitched in 11, but outside of Zeglinski, no one else managed more than two measly points. That won't cut it. According to Landesburg, it's as if the Cavs have simply forgotten how to win.

Recently this year's squad has started to resemble the Leitao-led Hoos of last season. Over the past several games, Coach Bennett has toyed with various lineups and followed inconsistent substitution patterns. Last night, Farrakhan logged a DNP for the first time this season and Jontel Evans saw little time. Scott was woefully ineffective and sat much of the second half while seldom-used Solomon Tat saw some action. Possibly a bit of desperation or maybe Bennett's way of trying to find a spark...something to jump-start his otherwise lethargic team. While the rotation moves prove interesting but somewhat understandable, the way in which Virginia has played recently is far too similar to last season. Down the stretch the Hoos have become porous on defense and the offense has become non-existent. Once again, teams are keying on Landesburg and no one is stepping up offensively to relieve the pressure. Landesburg posted only four points in a home loss to FSU and too few players stepped up to fill the void. Even though he went off last night, he got too little help from others. This squad simply lacks the offensive talent to compete in the ACC, and that's pretty evident when the Hoos start looking for more production from walk-on Will Sherrill. Take nothing away from Sherrill - he's a great story and does a lot of the intangibles that are so necessary for success. Every team needs a guy like Sherrill to provide that spark and do the dirty work, but when you are relying on him to produce offensively, it speaks volumes about the team's overall talent level.

For optimistic Virginia fans (are there any), where is the silver lining in all of this. Well, if you look hard enough, you can see one - or the potential for one. While it looks bleak, if the Hoos can win two of their last three (not impossible), that would give the Cavs a 7-9 ACC record and probably put them somewhere in the middle of the conference standings. Not bad for a team predicted to finish last. Furthermore, seven conference wins are nearly as many as the nine total ACC wins Leitao's squads collected over the previous two seasons. Going from 8 games below five hundred to a winning record and possible post-season play (NIT) is a nice turnaround from last season and likely more than anyone should have expected from this year's team. Things looked grim before the Hoos rattled off seven straight earlier this season, so it will be interesting to see if Bennett and the boys can regroup and find a way to end the season on an up-swing. It's not too late to salvage a respectable season, but in order to do so, Virginia will need to figure this thing out soon....somebody just has to get up off the couch and hit the stop button so we don't hear AFH for the 100th straight time.


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Bennett-Ball, With Better Players

Looking back on the game, its hard to see how Virginia could have played the system any better.  They only turned the ball over only nine times against a very tough Wake Forest defense.  They fought inside against an opponent with superior size and strength inside.  Jontel Evans ran himself ragged trying to keep Ish Smith out of the lane.  But in the end, the Deamon Deacons, playing a similar style to Bennett-Ball, was just too big, too strong, too good for the Hoos.

A few observations from the Hoos' second OT loss at home:

• He struggled at times, but Sylven Landesberg was the best player on the court when he had to be, and single-handedly kept Virginia in the game late.  With no one else scoring in the second half, Landesberg's tireless drives, runners, and clutch free throws were impressive, even in a losing effort.
• Evans made some key stops on Ishmael Smith in the second half as Virginia pulled even late, but looked gassed on the penultimate possession when Smith beat him left and got to the basket for a layup.  He also seemed to have nothing left for the extra session.  Don't worry, Jontel, the kid you were trying to stop is a senior.  In three years, you're going to be him, maybe better.
• The Hoos fought on the glass, even getting some key minutes off the bench from the oft-forgotten Assane Sene, but Wake was just too big and too good on the offensive glass, an area Virginia has limited this season despite generally playing a smaller lineup.  Aided by Smith's penetrating drives to the basket that broke down the Virginia defense, Aminu, McFarland, Williams, and Woods were relentless finishing around the basket and on the offensive glass. 
• Mike Scott was good in the first half, utterly frustrated in the second.  He's been a key second option for the Hoos, but Wake's bigger defenders made life miserable for him down the stretch.  
• The Deacs also did a nice job closing out on shooters, holding Virginia to 5-19 from three.  Sammy Zieglinski in particular struggled to get good looks while played by bigger defenders (while his more logical defender, Ish Smith, was used on Landesberg to try to keep him out of the lane).  Get used to it Sammy.  As a non-threat to get to the basket, you're going to start seeing face up defense by bigger players the rest of the way.
• Virginia's last possession left a bit to be desired, but was more the result of a tired and frustrated team.  Landesberg's contested three was followed by a horrific hoist by Will Sherill, who looked like he was trying to be a hero instead of finding a better shooter with a few ticks left on the clock.  But I'm not going to pick on Sherill too much.  He played tough and smart despite being physically outmatched.  And the fact that anyone's nitpicking on Sherill tells you how far he's come as a ball player.

Finally, a shout-out to the 11,972 that braved the reported 30 or so inches of snow in the Charlottesville area.  Virginia sent out an e-mail a while back soliciting opinions how to fill the building like it had been in its inaugual season.  Not surprisingly, the crowds have returned in lockstep with winning basketball.  Still, Craig Littlepage was right to thank the crowd for coming out.  The fact that Virginia had any homecourt advantage (which UNC notably did not have just a week ago under less dire weather conditions) speaks volumes about the health of the program, even on a day in which the program showed how far it still has to go to match the talent-level of a team it hopes to look a little more like in the near future.     Continue reading this post...

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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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.         

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Deja Vu

At the conclusion of Monday night's game against Auburn, one crafty college student held up a dry-erase board with "Deja Vu" written on it. While he was likely referencing the resemblance between the Tigers' recent last-second victory to the one last season in C'ville, the phrase seems to appropriately reference UVa's last two games. Last week, the Hoos dropped a close game to Penn State in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, and Monday's loss to Auburn was certainly a bit of deja vu. A late flurry of three's from Sammy Zeglinski wasn't enough to complete the comeback against the Nittany Lions. The three free throws he converted after being fouled while shooting a deep three during Virginia's final possession also weren't enough. In both games UVa gave up leads. Each time the Cavs clawed their way back and put themselves in a position to steal the victory, yet they ultimately fell short both times.

Penn State guard Talor Battle erupted for a career high 32 points - a sadly familiar feeling since he only adds to the long list of players who seem to put up career efforts against the Hoos (happens in football too). In the second half of Monday's game, the Tigers twice crashed the offensive boards for impressive stick-back dunks. So, it felt way too familiar when Brendon Knox followed up DeWayne Reed's off-balance runner from the lane for the game winning, yep, you guessed it, put-back with 1.4 seconds left. After both games, terms such as "heartbreaker," and "gut-wrenching" were used to describe the losses. That seems to be a bit optimistic. Both Penn State and Auburn will likely fall somewhere in the middle to bottom of the pack in their respective conferences, and both were squads Virginia should have handled with relative ease.

Offensive Droughts:

Landesberg finished the Auburn game with one assist, three defensive rebounds, and no steals which shows he has yet to figure out a way to contribute when he's not scoring. No assists means he's not creating open shots for his teammates (i.e. drive and kick or slash and dish). Sadly, he is surrounded by shooters like Jeff Jones and Mustapha Farrakhan who struggle to create their own shots and would benefit from a guy who could draw defenses in and help get them open looks. No steals means he is not doing a whole lot to generate offense out of defense or spark the team with some hustle plays. No offensive rebounds means he's not crashing the boards for some stick backs and second-chance points, which can be huge lifts when nothing seems to fall from the outside. When Landesburg goes cold, Virginia's offense becomes very stagnant - it's almost as if everyone starts standing around wondering, "what the hell do we do now?" Everyone always says great players find a way to make the players around them better. Landesburg is good, but at this point, he's not great. Since the offense runs through him, these lulls will continue until he finds a way to contribute outside of scoring, get others involved, and make those around him better.

Defensive lapses:

At times Virginia's guards, especially Zeglinksi, continue to struggle defending the drive and allow too much dribble penetration. In the second half of the Penn State game, no one could stop Battle as he did just about anything he wanted on his way to setting a JPJ scoring record. During the Auburn game, the Tiger guards continually got to lane in the second half which triggered defensive breakdowns. On a couple of occasions, center Assane Sene stepped up and aggressively went for the block, and while he effectively altered the shot, he also left the basket wide open for easy, uncontested stick backs.

The on-the-ball screen at the top of the arc also continues to plague the Hoos. Often, the ball defender doesn't fight through the screen well enough, meaning the big man helping has to hedge too long and both players end up out of position. Other guys sag in to help, and at this point the defense is simply chasing in order to find the open man. This combined with easy guard penetration leads to wide open looks from three, and opponents have been taking advantage. Auburn shot nearly 40% from behind the arc the other night.

While close, Virginia's last two losses were disappointing setbacks to teams they could have and should have beaten. Unfortunately, it is starting to look like another long season is a real possibility, and most Hoos fans would agree that, as Yogi Berra would say, "it's like deja vu all over again."

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Kickin' it in Cancun

Tonight Virginia takes on Stanford in the third round of the Cancun Challenge, and on paper the Hoos match up well against the Cardinal (the nickname refers to one of their school colors and not the bird, but regardless, the singular is really annoying) . The two teams only share one common opponent, Oral Roberts, and Stanford dropped a heart breaker to the Golden Eagles last Wednesday night when Roderick Peterson hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer . UVa beat Oral Roberts by 21 this past Saturday. Both Virginia and Stanford hosted Oral Roberts on their home floors. In addition, Oral Roberts' head coach Scott Sutton (yes, son of famed basketball coach Eddie Sutton) left Charlottesville Saturday evening thinking the Hoos featured a stronger offense with more inside presence than Stanford. It's not everyday you hear someone suggest Virginia has an advantage inside. Lastly, Coach Bennett spent the previous six seasons coaching in the Pac-10 (three as a head coach), so he is pretty familiar with the Cardinal.

Despite the apparent advantage, all that goes out the window when it comes to games like these. Cavalier fans are well aware of Virginia's recent struggles in warm, sunny settings that often feature a beachfront nearby - most notably the entire state of Florida and Puerto Rico. Maybe the fact the contest is being played at the Moon Palace Resort might help the Hoos forget they are in the tropical paradise of Cancun. The gym will likely be near empty and the atmosphere will almost certainly be devoid of any energy. While either of these factors sets the stage for the Hoos to come out flat and listless, the prevailing thought is tonight's contest is as good a chance as any for UVa to kick the recent trend.

In addition to the loss against Oral Roberts, Stanford also fell to San Diego in their season opener. Head coach Johnny Dawkins (the former Duke player and long-time Duke assistant coach) boasts a relatively young squad, though senior guard/forward Landry Fields is the player to watch for the Cardinal. Fields nearly averages a double-double with 22.5 points and over 8 rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Jeremy Green also knows how to put the ball in the basket averaging 14.5 points per contest.

Stanford player statistics aside, tonight's affair is really about Virginia and whether or not the Hoos can get off the snide when it comes to games like these - playing down south against a statistically inferior team in front of a sparse crowd in a stadium with little to no energy. Assane Sene scored a career high in his season debut against Oral Roberts, and Mike Scott has looked solid as of late, so the Hoos should be able to out man Stanford in the post. Virginia's guard play has been nicely balanced as of late, and with so many threats, UVa's front court should overpower the Cardinal. Again, the stats favor the Cavaliers, but the setting lends itself to a flat, uninspiring performance against a lesser opponent - one that is far too familiar for Hoo fans. If looking to get the monkey off their backs isn't enough motivation, a win gives the Cavaliers an opportunity to go against a Kentucky squad that ranks among the nation's elite. This game serves as an early chance for Bennett and his squad to show things might just be changing in C'ville. It's a game UVa should win, but recently, contests like these have been no day at the beach. 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.


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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...