tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post416835718410467807..comments2023-12-27T18:04:21.987-05:00Comments on From Old Virginia: culture shockBrendanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10506945153264825303noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-73011231628594743032015-04-01T20:31:36.926-04:002015-04-01T20:31:36.926-04:00I've wondered the same thing, whether the effo...I've wondered the same thing, whether the effort required for the pack line slowly wears us down. May be the loss of Anderson was the real problem.<br /> I agree that it is crazy to be disappointed in a 30 win season and I'm not. I just think that the team peaked early and that I would happily trade 2 or 3 more losses in the regular season for 2 or 3 more wins in the NCAA tourney.Ruffian1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07406587638554263280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-60975983737139031322015-03-29T22:24:32.984-04:002015-03-29T22:24:32.984-04:00So Izzo moves on to join three of the best coaches...So Izzo moves on to join three of the best coaches in the country in the final four. And some think it does not take a special talent to succeed in March? I wonder if a guy like Izzo builds his season toward a March peak whereas CTB plays the whole season hard. And, does the pack line style of play just wear out the team by the time March rolls around?BostonHoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-47653914894146372022015-03-26T18:09:37.133-04:002015-03-26T18:09:37.133-04:00There's not much difference between a great te...There's not much difference between a great team and a good team. A 7 game series is statistically notorious as not being indicative of anything; you'd need around 35 games in a head-to-head series to get a 95% guarantee that the slightly better team would win. <br /><br />Point being, it's not March's fault, there's a huge amount of randomness involved. Kentucky played two overtime games in a row this year, their undefeated season is a sneeze away from having 2 losses. MSU misses a shot by a couple inches and Wisconsin is a 1 seed instead of us. We lose Anderson and go from a top five offensive eficieny to low-20s and we stall out at the end of the year. A loss in 1-game matchup with MSU doesn't prove anything. Just that it sucks to lose.<br /><br />So, thin margins. Does this mean there aren't great coaches? Of course there are, but their impact is probably overrated, as they get lucky and unlucky streaks attributed to their talents. What is certifiable is that Virginia is in a position to win. We won 30 games this year, all enjoyable, and could have won both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. We didn't. But I'll take the opportunity and enjoy the fun I have rooting. That's all anyone can realistically ask for, no matter how demanding a fanbase gets. <br /><br />SSFRAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-52440040671627556402015-03-25T20:20:52.793-04:002015-03-25T20:20:52.793-04:00"Learning to coach in March" is as ridic..."Learning to coach in March" is as ridiculous as "Virginia plays boring basketball" - it's parroting and it's lazy. <br /><br />As far as this season goes, don't underestimate the difficulty in reestablishing JA in the lineup. As we saw during the games he was injured, it takes a few games to adjust to a suddenly changed rotation. <br /><br />We seem to create "heroes" on other teams because it takes that kind of effort to beat us. And those "heroes" were created in FOUR of 34 games.Sandmeistrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-31199936580831924512015-03-25T17:11:49.408-04:002015-03-25T17:11:49.408-04:00A loss in the tournament brings about all the nega...A loss in the tournament brings about all the negative emotions out there. Here's my take:<br /><br />a) The simple thing with UVA all year long has been this - the defense should be decent-solid enough to win most night (hey, they weren't great in the game, but it was fine), but would they have enough scoring options to step up. <br /><br />In the first half of the season, with Brogdon performing well and Anderson draining threes, you only needed solid play from the other guys, and when a guy like Gill or Atkins stepped up, then UVA was great.<br /> <br />After Anderson went out, UVA's offense struggled to find a consistent option. The sad thing is, the potential is there. Perrantes flashes the three point shooting ability and the ability to run the pick-and-roll, but partially because of Brogdon needing the ball, he just isn't consistent enough. Tobey showed a few glimpses of solid offensive potential before disappearing too much. Shayok needs to find the balance within the system and his aggressiveness - sort of like Anderson in his first two year. Nolte was too inconsistent.<br /><br />In the game, everything wasn't clicking, and they couldn't generate offense. With Brogdon contained/limited, they didn't have a way to get anything going. Next year is the big year, and for things to go well, I think CTB needs to find a way to be more creative on offense, and I think, my hunch is, that entails giving Perrantes a bit more freedom and urge him to be a bit more aggressive.<br /><br />b). For all the talk about next year as the big year ... the loss of Atkins shouldn't be under-estimated. Atkins and Mitchell gave us the athletic big that could aggressively double and react in time. The development of Wilkins is going to be huge, as he's the most likely guy to fill that role unless Killeya-Jones (or Diakite) step up. I don't know what to hope from Tobey - there are moments where it's clear he has the offensive ability to be a force, but he's so inconsistent offensively and defensively, it's hard to know what to expect.<br /><br />c) One other option to play with on offense - post our guards more. We've got big, strong guards, and they rarely were utilized enough in the post. I'd like to see some reverse movement that creates post-up opportunities for them.<br /><br />d) Still, much as I have never been huge on CTB's offenses, at the end of the day, you gotta make shots, and you gotta hit free throws. We had some shots, and it took a colossally bad game from almost everyone for us to lose that badly. <br /><br />e) Anderson staying would be a big boost for next year, and I think he should stay. He's probably a fringe first rounder right now, and another year could really boost him up. Reminds me of a Kawhi Leonard/Jimmy BUtler type. That said, I can understand if he goes if he gets a first round guarantee. Coming off an injury and with his stock relatively high compared to the previous two years ... I could understand it. If he came back, that pushes Nolte/Shayok/Hall/Stith further back, enough to make me wonder if a transfer or two may happen. A transfer could happen even if he leaves, as the wing depth will limit PT for guys.<br /><br />(if all of them stay, I hope they can find a way to redshirt BJ Stith. If Anderson leaves, I hope Shayok can improve enough to jump Nolte for the starting gig.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-8647348389828124092015-03-25T11:18:49.698-04:002015-03-25T11:18:49.698-04:00And, where are our guys who suddenly start draini...And, where are our guys who suddenly start draining rainbows to snatch up wins? We seem to create heroes on the other team at a fairly regular pace. No I do not think CTB has it all figured out yet. Until Black Saturday I thought it was all about defense. Now I realize a little offense is required from time to time. I hope CTB comes to the same realization in the off season.BostonHoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-79049944388690043902015-03-25T11:13:50.867-04:002015-03-25T11:13:50.867-04:00Consider that of the five ACC teams that made the ...Consider that of the five ACC teams that made the Sweet 16, Virginia beat four of them and only ND and Dook may have better personnel. To me that says CTB has not learned how to coach in March. BostonHoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-67690088135284059412015-03-25T10:14:46.744-04:002015-03-25T10:14:46.744-04:00If Izzo outcoached Bennett because Trice hit two 2...If Izzo outcoached Bennett because Trice hit two 25 footers and a step through 3 with no time on the shot clock, then yes, he outcoached Bennett and Izzo is awesome. Otherwise, poop on that narrative. <br /><br />We lost four games this year in which something extraordinary had to happen. Duke - smoked the last five minutes of a game in which they'd shown no hint in the first 35 that they could. Ville - an 0 for February guy hits a contested 12 footer. UNC - a frosh shooting 26% from deep hits four of five. MSU - Trice as described above. Sadly, this last one happened in the big one.<br /><br />Sandmeistrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-71905963332153328172015-03-24T23:59:46.184-04:002015-03-24T23:59:46.184-04:00Totally agree with you, Bostonhoo. When the bracke...Totally agree with you, Bostonhoo. When the brackets came out and I saw that MSU matchup I did not think, great, wel'll beat them this year. Instead I thought, crap, we're screwed. Then when I saw 3 ACC teams made it to the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday, I was immediately worried that we'd be the only ACC team to lose. I was still surprised at how lifeless most of the players were, no energy, no confidence, no swagger. Hopefully, there is a learning curve and they will, eventually, succeed in March. CTB has been out coached twice by Izzo, I hope that, too, will change.Ruffian1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07406587638554263280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193007137551439191.post-81321689489201025812015-03-24T11:14:50.042-04:002015-03-24T11:14:50.042-04:00Brendan, I agree with you to a point. UVa has not ...Brendan, I agree with you to a point. UVa has not learned how to win in March. Our team was great in December, January, and February. Then March happened, and our guys could not answer the bell. Why did our team show up so unfocused in the first half of so many games? Is there something wrong with how they are prepared? Or how they prepare themselves? Don't fall behind by 11 points before you are even sweating and you might have a chance. How come we have a 7 foot Pillsbury Doughboy playing center who regularly gets out muscled by smaller guys? No, I think Atkins had it right. I don't think the Hoos with their gaudy 30 win season were ready to play in crunch time. There needs to be a lot of soul searching by the staff and players this off season.<br />Sure, I congratulate the Cavs on their great season, but I also feel deeply saddened and, yes, a little angry because they could have done so much more.BostonHoonoreply@blogger.com