Quietly, Virginia is playing its best basketball of the ACC conference season.
The Cavaliers (12-12, 5-8) have won three of its last four games, with the only loss coming home against Virginia Tech, 75-74.
If the Cavaliers want to continue their solid play, they must avenge their loss against the Hokies (11-13, 6-7).
Keys:
Dai Dai Ames:
Has the Virginia coaching staff finally figured out how to play Ames?
In the last two games, Ames scored 27 points at Pitt and 18 against Georgia Tech.
Ames isn’t going to be a traditional lead-ballhandler. He’s a combo guard in a traditional point guard body. That might not be the ultimate fit for Virginia’s mover-blocker concept, but the roster is what it is, and it isn’t going to change.
When Ames can play this way, the Cavaliers can have his ball-handling on the floor for extended minutes, which helps Andrew Rohde play more off the ball.
Opening up for McKneely and Buchanan:
Isaac McKneely had 19 points in the first meeting but didn’t feel like it.
The Hokies had multiple players cover McKneely with freshman, Ben Hammond, getting the assignment the most.
With Ames playing as a consistent second-scorer, McKneely’s impact on winning increases.
At Pitt, Virginia won despite McKneely shooting an inefficient 3-11 from the field.
In the win over Georgia Tech, McKneely shot 8-14.
Blake Buchanan has also made his mark. With increased spacing because of Ames and McKneely, Virginia gets the most out of Buchanan’s skill set. In the first meeting against the Hokies, Buchanan had four points, four rebounds, and three fouls.
Buchanan has averaged 8.5 points and 11 rebounds in the last two games.
Why the increase?
With the floor spread out, Buchanan’s weaknesses and lack of athleticism is somewhat neutered.
Shutdown Schutt:
Jaden Schutt was the difference in the first meeting.
His three-point proficiency (4-8) helped him score 18 points and open up Tobi Lawal (17 points).
Defending Schutt starts with running him off the three-point line. Make Schutt a playmaker off of the dribble.
The other way to limit Schutt is by pressuring Hammond. Good on-ball defense will make Hammond chew up more of the shot clock, plus a bigger body on him will take away some of his vision.
