Despite late scare, UVa busts Syracuse's zone, now gets ready for N.C. State team with great potential
N.C. State at No. 3 Virginia, 6 p.m. ESPNU
That was almost a little too familiar.
The Cavaliers beat Syracuse on Tuesday, 68-61, but not before the Orange put a scare in Virginia fans. Devon Hall put UVa up, 64-50, with 1:24 left after two free throws. Somehow, by the time there was 29 seconds left, the score was 64-59. It was too reminiscent of Virginia's collapse against Syracuse in the Elite Eight two years ago, though that took place over a much longer amount of time. It was really more similar to a collapse in an ACC tournament game in Tony Bennett's second season in Charlottesville, when the Cavaliers led Miami by, I think, eight, with about 30 seconds left. Miami tied the game and won, 69-62 in overtime.
For some reason, even though Syracuse specializes in its 2-3 zone, its press gave Virginia fits once again. But UVa survived, and hopefully learned a good lesson. The Wahoos had no trouble carving up Virginia Tech's press, and has done well against others, so it was curious.
Virginia built that 14-point lead by outscoring the Orange by 11 to that point of the second half. The 'Hoos were led by Kyle Guy's 22 points, and he made 5 of his 11 3-pointers. De'Andre Hunter had 15 points, most in the first half when he did a great job of creating trouble in the middle of the zone with
both jumpers and drives to the hoop. Devon Hall was his normal solid self with 13 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. Ty Jerome was only 3 of 11 from the field, but the three field goals he made were huge, as he made three 3s in four possessions in the second half to help UVa distance itself from Syracuse. Isaiah Wilkins added four points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and an assist.
It was great seeing UVa attack the zone in two separate ways. It really struggled in the first half until Hunter got hot. He is really gaining confidence, and he even said -- I'm not sure if it was after this game or the UNC contest -- that his family told him to say something else after games than just saying he was more confident. But that's really what it was, he said -- more confidence. He's turning into a major cog on offense and a possible ACC sixth man of the year. And then in the second half, the 3s started raining. Virginia finished 9 of 27 from beyond the arc, with the 27 attempts being a season high. The 3s won't always be falling, like in the first half, so it's important for UVa to be versatile on offense and score in a variety of ways, or at least pose that threat enough.
Virginia gets another different challenge today in N.C. State, which has shown great potential in its first year under coach Kevin Keatts. Here's more on the Wolfpack:
Record: 12-5, 2-2 ACC
Scorers in double figures: Senior guard Allerik Freeman (15.2), junior guard Torin Dorn (13.1), sophomore center Omer Yurtseven (12.7), senior forward Lennard Freeman (11.3), freshman guard Braxton Beverly (10.2)
Leading rebounders: Dorn (7.2), Yurtseven (6.8), Lennard Freeman (5.4), senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu (4.8), Allerik Freeman (4.7)
Assist leaders: Sophomore guard Markell Johnson (6.6), Beverly (4.5), Allerik Freeman (3)
Notable: Johnson averages 8.7 points and 2.4 steals. Both Freemans, freshman guard Lavar Batts Jr.,
Dorn, and Beverly each average about one steal. Yurtseven averages two blocks, and Lennard Freeman one. Yurtseven is shooting an incredible 73.3 percent on 3-pointers, but only on 11 of 15 attempts. He made 5 of 6 against Clemson on Thursday. Overall, he is shooting 61.9 percent. At 7-foot, he is going to be tough to guard. The Pack's coaches probably want him to start shooting even more. Abu averages 7.2 points. Johnson was suspended in December but returned to the bench against Thursday and might play against UVa.
Best win: vs. then-No. 2 Duke, 96-85, last Sunday
Worst win: vs. Robert Morris, 81-69, on Dec. 19
Other wins: VMI, Charleston Southern, Bryant, Presbyterian, Arizona, Penn State, South Carolina State, Missouri-Kansas City, Jacksonville, Clemson
Best loss: It's tough to say. The Wolfpack lost to Tennessee, 67-58, in the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. The Volunteers have spent some time in the top 25 this year but are 11-4 right now and not ranked. Also, N.C. State has already played Clemson twice, and lost at Clemson, 78-62. The Tigers have lost just twice, with the second one coming Thursday to the same Wolfpack.
Worst loss: Against Northern Iowa in the Battle 4 Atlantis, 64-60. It came the day after the Wolfpack beat then No. 2-Arizona, 90-84.
Other losses: UNC Greensboro, Notre Dame
What N.C. State does well: The Wolfpack score 83.1 ppg (33rd), nab 8.3 steals per game (28th), and do a good job of taking care of the ball, with an assist-turnover ratio of +1.3 (54th). It dishes out 15.5 assists per game (83rd) and just turns it over 11.9 times per game (58th) while forcing 16.1 per game (38th).
What N.C. State does poorly: The Wolfpack hasn't shot the ball that well. It is at 46.6 percent on field goals (101st), but just 34.1 percent from 3 (221st) and 70.1 percent on free throws (200th). State also hasn't been great at rebounding with just a +2.2 margin (136th). Rebounding remains an issue for Virginia, which was outrebounded 41-31 against Syracuse and owns a +1.8 margin (150th). Defense has been a bit of an issue as well, as the Pack allows 72.8 ppg (199th) and 44.4 percent shooting (220th). It has done better guarding the 3-point line at 32.5 percent (86th).
If Keatts' name sounds familiar, that's because he was the coach for three seasons at UNC Wilmington before coming to Raleigh. As you might remember, UNCW did a great job of taking Virginia to the brink in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. The Seahawks bolted out to a 15-point lead in the first half before UVa made a charge to lead, 29-28, at the half. The second half was pretty close the whole way, but the Cavaliers pulled out a 76-71 victory.
Keatts' team was very good at spreading out on offense to make lanes in UVa's Pack-Line. I'm expecting a similar style of play from N.C. State. That experience last year, plus some surprising results from this season, should help UVa be aware and ready of what the potential of its opponent is. The Wolfpack has been inconsistent this year, but does own three top-25 wins (UVa has one) against Duke and Clemson -- both at home in its two most recent games -- and Arizona on a neutral floor. It is just 0-2 on the road, both blowouts, against Clemson, 78-62, and Notre Dame, 88-58, with the Irish missing its best player, Bonzie Colson. N.C. State also has perplexing losses against Northern Iowa (64-60) and UNC Greensboro (81-76), which did challenge UVa in the opener this season, but the Cavaliers prevailed, 60-48.
N.C. State has been up and down, but it should definitely have UVa's attention given how close UNCW was to winning last season, and the fact that State has already made noise in 2017-18. Tony Bennett should have the guys ready and on guard. One advantage UVa has is rest. State beat Clemson on Thursday while the 'Hoos won Tuesday. But I'm expecting a close game. It's going to be hard for Virginia to keep up a high level of play, and N.C. State should be full of confidence coming off two victories over ranked teams in a row. It has struggled in its only two true road games, but I think it might be ready to be in a road game late against a good team.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
That was almost a little too familiar.
The Cavaliers beat Syracuse on Tuesday, 68-61, but not before the Orange put a scare in Virginia fans. Devon Hall put UVa up, 64-50, with 1:24 left after two free throws. Somehow, by the time there was 29 seconds left, the score was 64-59. It was too reminiscent of Virginia's collapse against Syracuse in the Elite Eight two years ago, though that took place over a much longer amount of time. It was really more similar to a collapse in an ACC tournament game in Tony Bennett's second season in Charlottesville, when the Cavaliers led Miami by, I think, eight, with about 30 seconds left. Miami tied the game and won, 69-62 in overtime.
For some reason, even though Syracuse specializes in its 2-3 zone, its press gave Virginia fits once again. But UVa survived, and hopefully learned a good lesson. The Wahoos had no trouble carving up Virginia Tech's press, and has done well against others, so it was curious.
Virginia built that 14-point lead by outscoring the Orange by 11 to that point of the second half. The 'Hoos were led by Kyle Guy's 22 points, and he made 5 of his 11 3-pointers. De'Andre Hunter had 15 points, most in the first half when he did a great job of creating trouble in the middle of the zone with
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| De'Andre Hunter really got the 'Hoos going in the first half by making some jumpers in the middle of Syracuse's zone. |
It was great seeing UVa attack the zone in two separate ways. It really struggled in the first half until Hunter got hot. He is really gaining confidence, and he even said -- I'm not sure if it was after this game or the UNC contest -- that his family told him to say something else after games than just saying he was more confident. But that's really what it was, he said -- more confidence. He's turning into a major cog on offense and a possible ACC sixth man of the year. And then in the second half, the 3s started raining. Virginia finished 9 of 27 from beyond the arc, with the 27 attempts being a season high. The 3s won't always be falling, like in the first half, so it's important for UVa to be versatile on offense and score in a variety of ways, or at least pose that threat enough.
Virginia gets another different challenge today in N.C. State, which has shown great potential in its first year under coach Kevin Keatts. Here's more on the Wolfpack:
Record: 12-5, 2-2 ACC
Scorers in double figures: Senior guard Allerik Freeman (15.2), junior guard Torin Dorn (13.1), sophomore center Omer Yurtseven (12.7), senior forward Lennard Freeman (11.3), freshman guard Braxton Beverly (10.2)
Leading rebounders: Dorn (7.2), Yurtseven (6.8), Lennard Freeman (5.4), senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu (4.8), Allerik Freeman (4.7)
Assist leaders: Sophomore guard Markell Johnson (6.6), Beverly (4.5), Allerik Freeman (3)
Notable: Johnson averages 8.7 points and 2.4 steals. Both Freemans, freshman guard Lavar Batts Jr.,
Dorn, and Beverly each average about one steal. Yurtseven averages two blocks, and Lennard Freeman one. Yurtseven is shooting an incredible 73.3 percent on 3-pointers, but only on 11 of 15 attempts. He made 5 of 6 against Clemson on Thursday. Overall, he is shooting 61.9 percent. At 7-foot, he is going to be tough to guard. The Pack's coaches probably want him to start shooting even more. Abu averages 7.2 points. Johnson was suspended in December but returned to the bench against Thursday and might play against UVa.Best win: vs. then-No. 2 Duke, 96-85, last Sunday
Worst win: vs. Robert Morris, 81-69, on Dec. 19
Other wins: VMI, Charleston Southern, Bryant, Presbyterian, Arizona, Penn State, South Carolina State, Missouri-Kansas City, Jacksonville, Clemson
Best loss: It's tough to say. The Wolfpack lost to Tennessee, 67-58, in the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. The Volunteers have spent some time in the top 25 this year but are 11-4 right now and not ranked. Also, N.C. State has already played Clemson twice, and lost at Clemson, 78-62. The Tigers have lost just twice, with the second one coming Thursday to the same Wolfpack.
Worst loss: Against Northern Iowa in the Battle 4 Atlantis, 64-60. It came the day after the Wolfpack beat then No. 2-Arizona, 90-84.
Other losses: UNC Greensboro, Notre Dame
What N.C. State does well: The Wolfpack score 83.1 ppg (33rd), nab 8.3 steals per game (28th), and do a good job of taking care of the ball, with an assist-turnover ratio of +1.3 (54th). It dishes out 15.5 assists per game (83rd) and just turns it over 11.9 times per game (58th) while forcing 16.1 per game (38th).
What N.C. State does poorly: The Wolfpack hasn't shot the ball that well. It is at 46.6 percent on field goals (101st), but just 34.1 percent from 3 (221st) and 70.1 percent on free throws (200th). State also hasn't been great at rebounding with just a +2.2 margin (136th). Rebounding remains an issue for Virginia, which was outrebounded 41-31 against Syracuse and owns a +1.8 margin (150th). Defense has been a bit of an issue as well, as the Pack allows 72.8 ppg (199th) and 44.4 percent shooting (220th). It has done better guarding the 3-point line at 32.5 percent (86th).
If Keatts' name sounds familiar, that's because he was the coach for three seasons at UNC Wilmington before coming to Raleigh. As you might remember, UNCW did a great job of taking Virginia to the brink in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. The Seahawks bolted out to a 15-point lead in the first half before UVa made a charge to lead, 29-28, at the half. The second half was pretty close the whole way, but the Cavaliers pulled out a 76-71 victory.
Keatts' team was very good at spreading out on offense to make lanes in UVa's Pack-Line. I'm expecting a similar style of play from N.C. State. That experience last year, plus some surprising results from this season, should help UVa be aware and ready of what the potential of its opponent is. The Wolfpack has been inconsistent this year, but does own three top-25 wins (UVa has one) against Duke and Clemson -- both at home in its two most recent games -- and Arizona on a neutral floor. It is just 0-2 on the road, both blowouts, against Clemson, 78-62, and Notre Dame, 88-58, with the Irish missing its best player, Bonzie Colson. N.C. State also has perplexing losses against Northern Iowa (64-60) and UNC Greensboro (81-76), which did challenge UVa in the opener this season, but the Cavaliers prevailed, 60-48.
N.C. State has been up and down, but it should definitely have UVa's attention given how close UNCW was to winning last season, and the fact that State has already made noise in 2017-18. Tony Bennett should have the guys ready and on guard. One advantage UVa has is rest. State beat Clemson on Thursday while the 'Hoos won Tuesday. But I'm expecting a close game. It's going to be hard for Virginia to keep up a high level of play, and N.C. State should be full of confidence coming off two victories over ranked teams in a row. It has struggled in its only two true road games, but I think it might be ready to be in a road game late against a good team.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
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