No. 4 Virginia (13-0, 1-0) at Boston College (9-4, 0-1), 9 p.m. ESPNU
The Cavaliers' first top-10 opponent was not a top-shelf challenge.
UVa wiped the floor with Florida State, 65-52, on Saturday in Charlottesville, and that score wasn't close to reflecting the beatdown the Wahoos put on the Seminoles. A 16-0 FSU run at the end of the game when it was playing hard still -- no problem there -- but oddly very intense and pressing UVa's bench warmers was weird, but led to the final score being more palatable. But make no mistake, Virginia dominated.
The Cavaliers had a pair of 20-point scorers in Kyle Guy with 21 and Braxton Key with 20. Key's total was his highest as a Cavalier and fourth-highest in his career. He surpassed all his high marks from last season at Alabama. His top-three scoring efforts all came during his freshman campaign in Tuscaloosa. The junior made 2 of his 5 3-pointers and 7 of 11 from the field overall while adding six boards. Guy, meanwhile, could not miss from beyond the arc, making his first five before his one and only miss, finishing 5 of 6. He added five rebounds and three assists to his effort. Mamadi Diakite finished with six points and six rebounds, and De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome recorded six points each as well, as both experienced off shooting games. Jerome did, however, have six assists and just one turnover. UVa was well on its way to a 20- to 30-point win before the final run, and that was with two of its best players not playing well. That shows you what kind of depth Virginia boasts. Even after the Big Three of Guy, Jerome, and Hunter, Key can go off, as can Diakite, and Clark is capable as well. Key has been an excellent addition, as he has sort of melded together the best parts of Hunter, Devon Hall, and Isaiah Wilkins into one player. I don't know if he does any one thing better than those players, but he does quite a lot very well, such as defense, rebounding, and shooting.
Perhaps most impressively, no FSU player scored in double digits. A top-10 team did not have anyone who scored at least 10 points. Amazing. Had Virginia kept up its intensity level, it definitely would've scored 70 points and 45 would've been a stretch for the 'Noles. As I mentioned in my preview, Virginia did give a few press looks to FSU, but once the game got out of hand, UVa backed off. It was good to see the Cavaliers start to apply extra pressure beyond the Pack-Line, though, as they get into ACC play. That shows Tony Bennett won't be afraid to mix it up a bit and try some new things even in conference play. The experience could be valuable down the road.
Next up, Virginia goes on the road for the first time in ACC play to face Boston College. Here's a look at the Eagles:
Scorers in double figures: Junior guard Ky Bowman (20.4), freshman guard Wynston Tabbs (14.6), junior forward Nic Popovic (13.5), senior guard Jordan Chatman (13.1)
Leading rebounders: Sophomore forward Steffon Mitchell (8.5), Bowman (7.8), Popovic (7.4), freshman forward Jarius Hamilton (5.2), Tabbs (4.3)
Assist leaders: Bowman (3.6), Tabbs (3), Chatman (2.1), Mitchell (2)
Notable: Bowman is just 6-foot-1, so it is pretty crazy he is the team's second-leading rebounder. Hamilton averages 6.6 points. Mitchell is at 5.2 ppg. Freshman guard Chris Herren Jr. is recording 5.4 ppg. Eight players average double-figure minutes. Bowman averages 1.6 steals, and Mitchell 1.5. Popovic blocks 1.2 shots per game.
Best win: vs. Minnesota, 68-56, on Nov. 27. The Golden Gophers were 5-0 then and are 12-3 now.
Worst win: vs. Fairfield, 77-67, on Dec. 16. The Stags are 4-11.
Other wins: Milwaukee, St. Francis (N.Y.), Wyoming, Loyola-Chicago, Sacred Heart, Columbia, DePaul
Best loss: at then-No. 10 Virginia Tech on Saturday, 77-67
Worst loss: vs. Hartford, 79-78, on New Year's Eve. The Hawks are 7-8.
Other losses: Providence, IUPUI
What BC does well: The Eagles are only allowing teams to shoot 39.1 percent from the field (34th) and 30.9 percent from beyond the arc (66th). They don't turn it over a ton at 12.7 times per game (111th), are +2.6 in rebounding margin (126th), and they also make 70 percent of their free throws (173rd). BC scores 76.5 ppg (118th).
What BC doesn't do well: The Eagles don't turn it over too much, but still, their assist-turnover ratio is just +.94 (214th), and they average only 12.3 assists (tied, 271st). Shooting is an issue as well:
The Eagles make 44.9 percent of their field goals (179th) and 30.6 percent of their 3s (308th). Defensively, BC gives up 71.3 ppg (185th).
The main player BC lost from last season is Jerome Robinson, who scored 20.9 ppg and shot 48.5 percent from the field, 40.9 percent on 3-pointers, and 83 percent from the line. His loss appears to have set BC back a bit, but Bowman, Chatman, and Popovic are three very solid returners, especially Bowman. Meanwhile, Tabbs has been excellent as a freshman, and Hamilton has been good. Herren Jr. is the team's best 3-point shooter at 38.5 percent, and Tabbs is at 34.1 percent and Bowman 33.3 percent. The Eagles' resume blemishes came against IUPUI and Hartford, and I'm sure they'd say those should have been wins.
Last year, BC topped then-No. 1 Duke at home, 89-84. A couple of weeks later, Virginia had to scrape by the Eagles at JPJ, 59-58. Jerome scored 31 points to rescue the 'Hoos. Guy did not play well, and Hunter didn't play much -- this game was Dec. 31, before Hunter took off and became the probable NBA draft pick we know now. Robinson went 12 of 22 from the field and scored 29 points in BC's loss, and Chatman had 18 points while making 4 of his 5 3s. Interestingly, Chatman's 3-point percentage has come down a lot, from 41.7 percent two seasons ago to 39.5 percent last year, but just 28 percent this year.
I believe Boston College is still better than the team from a couple of seasons ago that struggled to get to 10 wins, but still, there are growing pains. Bowman is excellent, but BC needs a bit more out of its other players. BC will have to hit some 3s to beat UVa, and that is a weakness of the team, but maybe Chatman can locate his shot. The Eagles' ability to play some defense could keep the game close, but I think Virginia should pull away in the end. It will also be interesting to see what the energy of the crowd is for such a late tip. Fans could be fired up to welcome a top-five team and cheer hard for another upset, but Virginia just doesn't have the same pull yet as facing a team such as Duke.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 10-15 points.
The Cavaliers' first top-10 opponent was not a top-shelf challenge.
UVa wiped the floor with Florida State, 65-52, on Saturday in Charlottesville, and that score wasn't close to reflecting the beatdown the Wahoos put on the Seminoles. A 16-0 FSU run at the end of the game when it was playing hard still -- no problem there -- but oddly very intense and pressing UVa's bench warmers was weird, but led to the final score being more palatable. But make no mistake, Virginia dominated.
The Cavaliers had a pair of 20-point scorers in Kyle Guy with 21 and Braxton Key with 20. Key's total was his highest as a Cavalier and fourth-highest in his career. He surpassed all his high marks from last season at Alabama. His top-three scoring efforts all came during his freshman campaign in Tuscaloosa. The junior made 2 of his 5 3-pointers and 7 of 11 from the field overall while adding six boards. Guy, meanwhile, could not miss from beyond the arc, making his first five before his one and only miss, finishing 5 of 6. He added five rebounds and three assists to his effort. Mamadi Diakite finished with six points and six rebounds, and De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome recorded six points each as well, as both experienced off shooting games. Jerome did, however, have six assists and just one turnover. UVa was well on its way to a 20- to 30-point win before the final run, and that was with two of its best players not playing well. That shows you what kind of depth Virginia boasts. Even after the Big Three of Guy, Jerome, and Hunter, Key can go off, as can Diakite, and Clark is capable as well. Key has been an excellent addition, as he has sort of melded together the best parts of Hunter, Devon Hall, and Isaiah Wilkins into one player. I don't know if he does any one thing better than those players, but he does quite a lot very well, such as defense, rebounding, and shooting.
Perhaps most impressively, no FSU player scored in double digits. A top-10 team did not have anyone who scored at least 10 points. Amazing. Had Virginia kept up its intensity level, it definitely would've scored 70 points and 45 would've been a stretch for the 'Noles. As I mentioned in my preview, Virginia did give a few press looks to FSU, but once the game got out of hand, UVa backed off. It was good to see the Cavaliers start to apply extra pressure beyond the Pack-Line, though, as they get into ACC play. That shows Tony Bennett won't be afraid to mix it up a bit and try some new things even in conference play. The experience could be valuable down the road.
Next up, Virginia goes on the road for the first time in ACC play to face Boston College. Here's a look at the Eagles:
Scorers in double figures: Junior guard Ky Bowman (20.4), freshman guard Wynston Tabbs (14.6), junior forward Nic Popovic (13.5), senior guard Jordan Chatman (13.1)
Leading rebounders: Sophomore forward Steffon Mitchell (8.5), Bowman (7.8), Popovic (7.4), freshman forward Jarius Hamilton (5.2), Tabbs (4.3)
Assist leaders: Bowman (3.6), Tabbs (3), Chatman (2.1), Mitchell (2)
Notable: Bowman is just 6-foot-1, so it is pretty crazy he is the team's second-leading rebounder. Hamilton averages 6.6 points. Mitchell is at 5.2 ppg. Freshman guard Chris Herren Jr. is recording 5.4 ppg. Eight players average double-figure minutes. Bowman averages 1.6 steals, and Mitchell 1.5. Popovic blocks 1.2 shots per game.
Best win: vs. Minnesota, 68-56, on Nov. 27. The Golden Gophers were 5-0 then and are 12-3 now.
Worst win: vs. Fairfield, 77-67, on Dec. 16. The Stags are 4-11.
Other wins: Milwaukee, St. Francis (N.Y.), Wyoming, Loyola-Chicago, Sacred Heart, Columbia, DePaul
Best loss: at then-No. 10 Virginia Tech on Saturday, 77-67
Worst loss: vs. Hartford, 79-78, on New Year's Eve. The Hawks are 7-8.
Other losses: Providence, IUPUI
What BC does well: The Eagles are only allowing teams to shoot 39.1 percent from the field (34th) and 30.9 percent from beyond the arc (66th). They don't turn it over a ton at 12.7 times per game (111th), are +2.6 in rebounding margin (126th), and they also make 70 percent of their free throws (173rd). BC scores 76.5 ppg (118th).
What BC doesn't do well: The Eagles don't turn it over too much, but still, their assist-turnover ratio is just +.94 (214th), and they average only 12.3 assists (tied, 271st). Shooting is an issue as well:
The main player BC lost from last season is Jerome Robinson, who scored 20.9 ppg and shot 48.5 percent from the field, 40.9 percent on 3-pointers, and 83 percent from the line. His loss appears to have set BC back a bit, but Bowman, Chatman, and Popovic are three very solid returners, especially Bowman. Meanwhile, Tabbs has been excellent as a freshman, and Hamilton has been good. Herren Jr. is the team's best 3-point shooter at 38.5 percent, and Tabbs is at 34.1 percent and Bowman 33.3 percent. The Eagles' resume blemishes came against IUPUI and Hartford, and I'm sure they'd say those should have been wins.
Last year, BC topped then-No. 1 Duke at home, 89-84. A couple of weeks later, Virginia had to scrape by the Eagles at JPJ, 59-58. Jerome scored 31 points to rescue the 'Hoos. Guy did not play well, and Hunter didn't play much -- this game was Dec. 31, before Hunter took off and became the probable NBA draft pick we know now. Robinson went 12 of 22 from the field and scored 29 points in BC's loss, and Chatman had 18 points while making 4 of his 5 3s. Interestingly, Chatman's 3-point percentage has come down a lot, from 41.7 percent two seasons ago to 39.5 percent last year, but just 28 percent this year.
I believe Boston College is still better than the team from a couple of seasons ago that struggled to get to 10 wins, but still, there are growing pains. Bowman is excellent, but BC needs a bit more out of its other players. BC will have to hit some 3s to beat UVa, and that is a weakness of the team, but maybe Chatman can locate his shot. The Eagles' ability to play some defense could keep the game close, but I think Virginia should pull away in the end. It will also be interesting to see what the energy of the crowd is for such a late tip. Fans could be fired up to welcome a top-five team and cheer hard for another upset, but Virginia just doesn't have the same pull yet as facing a team such as Duke.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 10-15 points.
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