Proof of Progress: Virginia Earns Biggest Win of the Season at Clemson
Everything Virginia accomplished in its five-game winning streak was put to the test on Saturday at Clemson. This was the game that would determine how much progress the Cavaliers had actually made over the previous two and a half weeks as they strung together quality performances, but against largely unimpressive opponents.
Facing a Clemson squad that came in ranked No. 33 in the NET, a team led by ACC Player of the Year candidate PJ Hall, who would undoubtedly test the resurgent Jordan Minor on the defensive end, and playing in a hostile road environment, where the Cavaliers had struggled mightily for the first half of the season, questions about this Virginia team would be answered on Saturday, one way or another.
And while it wasn't a statement victory by any stretch, as the Cavaliers nearly coughed away a late lead and barely held on for a one-point win, there's no overstating the significance of this outcome, both for Virginia's NCAA Tournament resume, and for the validation it carries for the improvements UVA has made in the last few weeks.
Starting with the postseason resume, Virginia picked up just its second Quad 1 victory of the season, giving the Cavaliers a 2-2 record in Quad 1 games. UVA moved up two spots in the NET rankings to No. 42 and is gradually beginning to construct a profile worth of an NCAA Tournament participant. Still to come are games against Miami (NET No. 62), Pittsburgh (NET 64), Wake Forest (NET 41), Virginia Tech (NET 52), North Carolina (NET 9), and Duke (NET 19), plenty of opportunities for the Cavaliers to supplement their resume.
But perhaps more importantly, the latest in Virginia's six-game winning streak provided more apparent evidence than any of UVA's on-court progress. If you look at some of the glaring weaknesses and bad habits the Cavaliers had displayed in some of their worst losses earlier this season, Virginia has made tangible strides towards addressing almost all of them.
The rough starts that plagued the Cavaliers at Memphis, Notre Dame, and Wake Forest? Virginia built a lead as large as 11 points in the first half against Clemson and led by 12 at halftime. The inability to respond to big runs by their opponents, especially on the road? UVA withstood an 8-0 Clemson run in the first half, a 14-4 Clemson run early in the second half, and 10-2 Clemson run that temporarily gave the Tigers the lead with a little over five minutes remaining.
Some will reasonably point to the final minute of the game, when the Cavaliers nearly let the game slip away thanks to poor free throw shooting and a bad foul by Jordan Minor on PJ Hall in the act of shooting a three, as evidence that Virginia still has work to do. That much is true, but it's a lot better to try to improve while on a six-game winning streak than from a loss. And the fact that this team's biggest concerns are now free throw shooting and other small details rather than seemingly catastrophic problems like lack of front court depth, inconsistent offensive playmaking, and what was not so long ago a simple inability to be competitive in road games, is a sign that Virginia has turned a corner.
"Yes, I think we've matured," said Tony Bennett after the game. "We still faltered, we were wobbly... down the stretch, you know you gotta make free throws, come up with some plays. But you at least have to put yourself in that position and that's where we've matured and handled some runs and IMac [Isaac McKneely], I didn't mention it, but his four-point play was huge."
McKneely's four-point play with just over two minutes remaining was a pivotal moment on the path to UVA's eventual win, but there was no shortage of critical plays made by different players that shouldn't be overshadowed by the late run the Tigers made at the free throw line.
Ryan Dunn made a few of those plays, including one in which he threw his body out of bounds in order to save a loose ball, preserving a Virginia possession that eventually ended with a Jake Groves jumper with three minutes to go. Dunn had what was essentially the game-winning basket, soaring to the rim for a tip-in putback that put the Cavaliers up by four points with 37 seconds left. He then secured a big defensive rebound on Clemson's next possession. In a game that was ultimately decided by one point, it was those plays that had Tony Bennett raving about Ryan Dunn's five-point, ten-rebound game.
"Those are the winning plays, those are the x-factor plays. There's no question. That play he made to keep it in and to save it and going flying into the bench. And then that tip-in, I'll remember those for a long time because that's the stuff that's gotta be in here to do that," Bennett said of Dunn, gesturing to his heart. "He used his grit, his athleticism... those plays won us the game as much as the four-point play and some of those other things."
At the core of Virginia's resurgence over the last month are three players who didn't see the floor very much in the first half of the season for various reasons. Dante Harris missed nearly two full months with an ankle injury and has brought the Cavaliers tremendous value as an additional playmaker, ball-handler, and aggressive on-ball defender since his return. Taine Murray found himself stuck at the end of UVA's wing rotations and played sparingly in the fist half of the year, but has since given Virginia a huge lift off the bench, most notably in an 11-point performance in an overtime win over NC State. And finally, much has been made of the widespread ramifications of Jordan Minor's emergence as a key contributor at the center spot, but his impact has been undeniable.
"We needed the addition of Jordan Minor playing well and Taine giving us a lift and even Dante, who was hurt, so we almost have three guys that weren't playing in that stretch early on," said Bennett. "And I think, as every new team does, you settle in and, it doesn't guarantee success, but you get closer to your identity."
Minor's ability to handle the assignment of playing center, including the difficult task of guarding capable centers like PJ Hall, has also allowed Jake Groves to move back to his natural position at the four, indirectly leading to something of an offensive resurgence for Groves. After failing to score in double figures in eight-consecutive games, Groves hit six threes and had 18 points in UVA's win over Notre Dame on Wednesday and then followed that up with a 17-point game at Clemson, 13 of which came in the first half as he helped the Cavaliers build an early advantage.
"We're not a dominant interior scoring team... so we have to get it by stretching the floor, some drives. When Jake is stretching it from three, hitting some pull-ups, even had a little post-up play when they switched [Joe] Girard onto him, that was huge," Bennett said of Jake Groves. "He had two back-to-back really good games."
With the supporting cast of players like Groves and Minor playing their roles well, while the stars like Reece Beekman, Isaac McKneely, and Ryan Dunn make big plays at key moments, Virginia has gotten its season back on track, winning six-consecutive games to move to 17-5 overall and 8-3 in the ACC, good for second in the conference standings.
Virginia now faces a quick 48-hour turnaround as the Cavaliers host Miami on Monday at John Paul Jones Arena. Tipoff is set for 7pm on ESPN.
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