Virginia notched another nice win for its NCAA tournament resume Monday by beating No. 4 Louisville, right after the Cardinals garnered their highest ranking of the season and had won seven of eight. Virginia has beaten Louisville five out of the six times they've met since the Cardinals joined the ACC. Virginia has won four of those five by double digits, and the other came earlier this year by eight points, that after the Cavaliers had built a 22-point lead. The one Louisville victory came at the end of the 2014-15 season when UVa was playing without Justin Anderson. The Cardinals needed a 17-foot jump shot from Mangok Mathiang, not a great shooter, to win by one in the closing seconds.
Of course, Mathiang, Deng Adel, and Quentin Snider were all out of Monday's matchup, something that might have helped Virginia. Nevertheless, it was a top-five victory for UVa. I did not think the Wahoos played very well in the first half, getting down by seven at one point to undermanned Louisville. They seemed to come out of halftime with a lot more spunk and energy, and ended up cruising by the Cardinals, outscoring them 39-21 in the second half on the way to a 71-55 final margin. London Perrantes led the team with 18 points, and Isaiah Wilkins notched his first career double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) after flirting with one about five times this season. He added five blocks to his very strong night. Darius Thompson had 10 points, his first double-figure effort since scoring 12 against Boston College on Jan. 18.
I often talk about Virginia's opponents in previews, so I want to reset and review the Cavaliers in a similar format since they are off until Sunday, when they travel to face Virginia Tech.
Record: 18-5, 8-3 ACC (third); North Carolina is 9-3, and Virginia still has to face the Tar Heels twice. Florida State is second at 9-3, having lost to UNC. FSU beat Virginia in its only matchup this season and would have the tiebreaker if they end up with the same record. Syracuse is fourth at 8-4 and beat Virginia, so it would have the tiebreaker. Louisville (7-4), Duke (6-4), and Notre Dame (7-5) all come next. The Cavs have the tiebreaker over Louisville and Notre Dame, and plays Duke for the only time this season Wednesday.
NCAA tournament projection: I don't usually include this for other teams, but I figure it is relevant for this post, and may be for future opponent posts as well. Virginia is a No. 3 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's latest projection, which came out today.
UVa has fluctuated between a No. 2 seed and a No. 4 since brackets began coming out, depending on
the publication and predictor. A No. 1 seed is still in play should Virginia play well enough down the stretch, though it could need some help. Click here for ESPN's latest bracketology.
The actual NCAA selection committee is, for the first time in its history, releasing its top 16 teams ahead of time Saturday, much like how the College Football Playoff committee released its top four each week late in the season. This is the same group that will determine all 68 teams on Selection Sunday, which is March 12. So on Saturday, we will see, at the moment, where Virginia is slated. The 'Hoos will probably be in the top 16 as either a 3 seed or a 4. This is the only time the committee is releasing the top 16 ahead of time before March 12. That means between Saturday and Selection Sunday, all the projections for the top 16, and for the last four in and first four out, will come from bracketologists.
Leading scorers: Senior guard London Perrantes (12.2), junior guard Marial Shayok (9.6), junior guard Devon Hall (8.6), junior forward Isaiah Wilkins (7.7)
Leading rebounders: Wilkins (6.1), Hall (4.4), sophomore center Jack Salt (3.7), Perrantes (3.1)
Assist leaders: Perrantes (4), junior guard Darius Thompson (2.6), Hall (1.9)
Notable: Ten Cavaliers are averaging double-figure minutes. In addition to who's been mentioned, freshmen Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and Mamadi Diakite are seeing a decent amount of playing time. Jerome's recent emergence has gotten attention, and Guy had a nice start to the season but slowed recently. He did, however, lead the team with 14 points at Syracuse. Sophomore forward Jarred Reuter is also at more than 10 minutes per game. Wilkins, Shayok, and Thompson each average about one steal. Wilkins and Diakite each average one block.
Best win: at then-No. 6 Louisville, 61-53
Worst win: I'll say the 63-61 home win over Ohio State. The Buckeyes are struggling at 15-10 and 5-7 in the Big Ten, probably not headed to the NCAA tournament. Virginia was down 32-16 in that game at one point.
Other wins: UNC Greensboro, St. Francis (N.Y.), Grambling State, Yale, Iowa, Providence, East Carolina, Robert Morris, Cal, Wake Forest, Clemson, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Louisville at home
Best loss: at Villanova, 61-59. Despite a 24-3 disadvantage in free throws attempted, the Wahoos at one point led by 13 against the defending champion Wildcats.
Worst loss: at Pittsburgh, 88-76 in OT. This edges out a couple of the home losses because it did end up as a 12-point loss against a team that is now 2-9 in the ACC and immediately lost eight in a row after beating the Cavaliers. Virginia allowed the Panthers to shoot 13 of 21 from 3 (61.9 percent).
Other losses: West Virginia, Florida State, Syracuse
What Virginia does well: Defense, of course. The Cavaliers lead the nation in points per game allowed at 54. That's a full two points per game more than second-place St. Mary's (56.6). The Cavaliers give up 39.1 percent shooting (17th in the nation) and 31.7 percent from 3 (43rd). They block 4.3 shots per game (tied-74th), and they outrebound opponents at a clip of +5.5 per game (44th). They take care of the ball and are +1.51 in assist-turnover ratio (eighth). So it makes sense Virginia ranks fairly high in assists (15.2 per game, 81st) and very high in fewest turnovers (10 per game, third). Virginia is below 200th in actually forcing turnovers but is +3 in turnover margin (36th). Because of UVa's slow pace, its offense, in terms of points per game, isn't going to break any records, but it once again rates as one of the most efficient in the nation, scoring 118.3 points per 100 possessions (14th). The 'Hoos do rate highly in shooting percentage overall, 49.5 (ninth), and from beyond the arc, 39.8 (22nd).
What Virginia doesn't do well: UVa is shooting 71.7 percent from the line (115th), which isn't too bad, but has only shot 315 free throws (345th out of 347). As has been discussed here before, Virginia hasn't always seemed to get calls, especially in losses, but it could probably stand to be more aggressive as well.
Remaining schedule: at Virginia Tech, vs. Duke, at North Carolina, vs. Miami, at N.C. State, vs. North Carolina, vs. Pittsburgh
Lastly, if you find the who's a lock, who's in, who's out of the NCAA tournament interesting like me, then the many "bubble watch" weekly or twice per week features are good reads. Here's ESPN's latest installment: click
Of course, Mathiang, Deng Adel, and Quentin Snider were all out of Monday's matchup, something that might have helped Virginia. Nevertheless, it was a top-five victory for UVa. I did not think the Wahoos played very well in the first half, getting down by seven at one point to undermanned Louisville. They seemed to come out of halftime with a lot more spunk and energy, and ended up cruising by the Cardinals, outscoring them 39-21 in the second half on the way to a 71-55 final margin. London Perrantes led the team with 18 points, and Isaiah Wilkins notched his first career double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) after flirting with one about five times this season. He added five blocks to his very strong night. Darius Thompson had 10 points, his first double-figure effort since scoring 12 against Boston College on Jan. 18.
I often talk about Virginia's opponents in previews, so I want to reset and review the Cavaliers in a similar format since they are off until Sunday, when they travel to face Virginia Tech.
Record: 18-5, 8-3 ACC (third); North Carolina is 9-3, and Virginia still has to face the Tar Heels twice. Florida State is second at 9-3, having lost to UNC. FSU beat Virginia in its only matchup this season and would have the tiebreaker if they end up with the same record. Syracuse is fourth at 8-4 and beat Virginia, so it would have the tiebreaker. Louisville (7-4), Duke (6-4), and Notre Dame (7-5) all come next. The Cavs have the tiebreaker over Louisville and Notre Dame, and plays Duke for the only time this season Wednesday.
NCAA tournament projection: I don't usually include this for other teams, but I figure it is relevant for this post, and may be for future opponent posts as well. Virginia is a No. 3 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's latest projection, which came out today.
UVa has fluctuated between a No. 2 seed and a No. 4 since brackets began coming out, depending on
The actual NCAA selection committee is, for the first time in its history, releasing its top 16 teams ahead of time Saturday, much like how the College Football Playoff committee released its top four each week late in the season. This is the same group that will determine all 68 teams on Selection Sunday, which is March 12. So on Saturday, we will see, at the moment, where Virginia is slated. The 'Hoos will probably be in the top 16 as either a 3 seed or a 4. This is the only time the committee is releasing the top 16 ahead of time before March 12. That means between Saturday and Selection Sunday, all the projections for the top 16, and for the last four in and first four out, will come from bracketologists.
Leading scorers: Senior guard London Perrantes (12.2), junior guard Marial Shayok (9.6), junior guard Devon Hall (8.6), junior forward Isaiah Wilkins (7.7)
Leading rebounders: Wilkins (6.1), Hall (4.4), sophomore center Jack Salt (3.7), Perrantes (3.1)
Assist leaders: Perrantes (4), junior guard Darius Thompson (2.6), Hall (1.9)
Notable: Ten Cavaliers are averaging double-figure minutes. In addition to who's been mentioned, freshmen Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and Mamadi Diakite are seeing a decent amount of playing time. Jerome's recent emergence has gotten attention, and Guy had a nice start to the season but slowed recently. He did, however, lead the team with 14 points at Syracuse. Sophomore forward Jarred Reuter is also at more than 10 minutes per game. Wilkins, Shayok, and Thompson each average about one steal. Wilkins and Diakite each average one block.
Best win: at then-No. 6 Louisville, 61-53
Worst win: I'll say the 63-61 home win over Ohio State. The Buckeyes are struggling at 15-10 and 5-7 in the Big Ten, probably not headed to the NCAA tournament. Virginia was down 32-16 in that game at one point.
Other wins: UNC Greensboro, St. Francis (N.Y.), Grambling State, Yale, Iowa, Providence, East Carolina, Robert Morris, Cal, Wake Forest, Clemson, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Louisville at home
Best loss: at Villanova, 61-59. Despite a 24-3 disadvantage in free throws attempted, the Wahoos at one point led by 13 against the defending champion Wildcats.
Worst loss: at Pittsburgh, 88-76 in OT. This edges out a couple of the home losses because it did end up as a 12-point loss against a team that is now 2-9 in the ACC and immediately lost eight in a row after beating the Cavaliers. Virginia allowed the Panthers to shoot 13 of 21 from 3 (61.9 percent).
Other losses: West Virginia, Florida State, Syracuse
What Virginia does well: Defense, of course. The Cavaliers lead the nation in points per game allowed at 54. That's a full two points per game more than second-place St. Mary's (56.6). The Cavaliers give up 39.1 percent shooting (17th in the nation) and 31.7 percent from 3 (43rd). They block 4.3 shots per game (tied-74th), and they outrebound opponents at a clip of +5.5 per game (44th). They take care of the ball and are +1.51 in assist-turnover ratio (eighth). So it makes sense Virginia ranks fairly high in assists (15.2 per game, 81st) and very high in fewest turnovers (10 per game, third). Virginia is below 200th in actually forcing turnovers but is +3 in turnover margin (36th). Because of UVa's slow pace, its offense, in terms of points per game, isn't going to break any records, but it once again rates as one of the most efficient in the nation, scoring 118.3 points per 100 possessions (14th). The 'Hoos do rate highly in shooting percentage overall, 49.5 (ninth), and from beyond the arc, 39.8 (22nd).
What Virginia doesn't do well: UVa is shooting 71.7 percent from the line (115th), which isn't too bad, but has only shot 315 free throws (345th out of 347). As has been discussed here before, Virginia hasn't always seemed to get calls, especially in losses, but it could probably stand to be more aggressive as well.
Remaining schedule: at Virginia Tech, vs. Duke, at North Carolina, vs. Miami, at N.C. State, vs. North Carolina, vs. Pittsburgh
Lastly, if you find the who's a lock, who's in, who's out of the NCAA tournament interesting like me, then the many "bubble watch" weekly or twice per week features are good reads. Here's ESPN's latest installment: click
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