On the surface, Virginia’s record isn’t anything to worry about.
The Cavs are 10-2 as the season heads into conference play full-time, but sometimes things aren’t what they seem.
Looking at Virginia’s two non-conference losses tells a different story.
The losses to Wisconsin and Memphis showed Virginia’s offensive limitations, partly because Reece Beekman is being depended on too much because of the roster.
Beekman has been the primary ballhandler without a compliment out of necessity. Can Beekman be a primary ballhandler full-time? Absolutely. Can Virginia go deep in March with Beekman playing that role with this roster? The jury is still out.
Last season, Beekman had Kihei Clark to work in tandem with, and frankly, the roster was better. Not only did Virginia lose Clark, but they also lost Jayden Gardner and Aarman Franklin.
That means that when Isaac McNeeley and Andrew Rohde aren’t stretching the floor, Beekman gets put in more screen-and-roll situations.
In Virginia’s two-point win over Northeastern, head coach Tony Bennett credited an increase in paint touches to putting the ball in Beekman’s hands and giving him a ball screen.
Beekman has seen dips from last season in % shots at the rim, % assisted at the rim, and %assisted 2pt J. The lower percentages suggest that Beekman is tasked with creating more of his shot attempts.
As the season wears on, the question becomes whether Beekman can physically carry this team deep into March playing this way.
Of course, the simplest solution is to get consistent perimeter shooting for McNeeley and Rohde. That would open up driving lanes for Beekman and allow him to be more efficient with the time the ball is in his hands.
What also could help would be the return of Dante Harris. The Georgetown transfer has been hurt in the last few games. Harris would provide the second primary ballhandler that Clark provided last season, even though it could be argued that Clark is a better fit than Harris.
The Cavalier’s defense will cover up a lot of offensive efficiency during the regular season, but March is a different beast, and a worn-down Beekman will only carry Virginia so far.
