The Virginia Cavaliers were expected to contend for an NCAA Tournament spot last season, but they did so much more than that. Now that teams are expecting Virginia’s best shot, how will the Cavs respond?
2013-14 Recap
The Cavaliers did not endure a lot of hardships last season. The journey was as good as Virginia possibly could have hoped, short of a Final Four appearance.
Coach Tony Bennett had been struggling preiously in Charlottesville. He got the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, but the team took a big step back in 2013, leading to a lot of worries and uncertainty when the 2013-2014 season started.
However, it soon became apparent that Virginia was a nicely integrated team that had learned how to play together. The Cavaliers’ ability to fuse their talents into an effective and much larger whole was manifested at the defensive end of the court. Virginia played lockdown defense, holding opponents to very low shooting percentages across the board.
Opponents hit under 39 percent of all field goals, under 42 percent of two-point field goals, and under 33 percent of three-point field goals. Virginia was easily the best defensive team in the Atlantic Coast Conference by most metrics, and the Cavaliers also had one of the best rebounding percentages in the nation at 54.4.
You will sometimes see teams that play great defense but then aren’t able to rebound, either because they lack the great big man in the middle or because they are simply too spread out across the perimeter. Virginia, though, combined great position defense with great rebounding, and that’s why the Cavaliers went 16-2 in the ACC during the regular season, followed by a three-game run to the ACC Tournament championship, culminating with a win over Duke and Mike Krzyzewski in the tournament final in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Bennett has always prided himself on coaching defense and solid technique. His methods finally sank in last season, and now Virginia’s players can think they are on track for many more seasons to come.
Virginia played really well on defense throughout the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers ultimately lost in the Sweet 16 only because a skilled Michigan State team was able to play equally good defense in what was one of the more entertaining and thrilling games of the tournament. Michigan State dug out a 61-59 victory. Virginia didn’t get enough baskets, but there weren’t many regrets for this team.
Offseason Changes
The Cavaliers lost two of their core players, Akil Mitchell and Joe Harris. Mitchell was a very effective banger at the forward spot, and Harris was an excellent tall shooting guard who came through in the clutch for the Cavaliers while also stretching defenses due to his three-point shooting ability.
Projected Finish
The Cavaliers will be a powerhouse on defense once again, and they used a nine-man rotation last season, which means that several players from 2013-2014 will be able to be even better this season. Virginia should chase Duke throughout the season in the ACC. This team will get back to the Sweet 16.
Pick: 2nd In The ACC, Sweet 16 In NCAA Tournament
