Cavaliers Now

The SEC v ACC Plus/Minus: Virginia Men’s Basketball Stomps Texas

Virginia played its most complete game of the season jumping out early at Texas and cruising for the 88 – 69 win.
Val Prochaska|
Virginia's Johan Grunloh posts up Texas' Matas Vokietaitis
Virginia's Johan Grunloh posts up Texas' Matas Vokietaitis | Virginia Athletics

Plus

A win is a win is a win, only this win came on Texas’ home court and was part of the ACC v SEC Challenge.  That it came against a Longhorns team that had hung 102 points earlier this season on NC State, coached by the sleaziest guy in the ACC, makes the win doubly satisfying.

Plus

The story of the game was Virginia’s three-point shooting, which I predict, will be the story of Virginia’s season.  Head coach Ryan Odom wants shots at the rim and three-pointers, and Virginia fans got to see plenty of the latter here.  Eight different Hoos converted from deep as the team shot 50% (12/24) on the night.  Chance Mallory had a triple, matched by Uganna Onyenso, and Jaccari White hit a pair back-to-back all in a 2:18 span as part of a 12 – 0 run that blew the game open.  Virginia was in full control from that point on.

Plus

Virginia never let up, eventually opening a 27-point lead.  Texas had a single 6 – 0 run the rest of the game as Virginia never let the Longhorns back into the game.  Virginia’s pressure was unrelenting.

Plus

Texas’ Matas Vokietaitis is leading the country in forced fouls, drawing 7+ a game.  (He drew nine this game.)  Hard to see why: he was 2/7 from the field and 3/9 from the charity stripe and he grabbed just four rebounds.  He certainly had Virginia’s attention though.  While he did cause Johan Grunloh to pick up four fouls, I was impressed with Grunloh’s strength in the block.  Onyenso, showing deft hands, twice forced turnovers on in-bounds to Vokietaitis by reaching around him.

Plus

Speaking of Onyenso, he might be Odom’s most underrated pickup in the portal.  He had nine points, a block and a steal in 20 minutes.  It is a luxury to have a seven-footer, as backup, who covers as much floor as he does and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to do damage.

Minus

Free-throw shooting is still spotty.  The Cavaliers shot 69% despite Mallory’s 8/9 night.  Grunloh was 1/3 and Malik Thomas was 2/5.  Hard to understand Thomas’ woes as he led the country with 184 made free throws last year.  He looks anxious at the line, fidgeting and shifting from foot to foot.  And his pre-shot routine is different with every attempt.  He can get to the line – he took just seven shots yet went to the line three times – so this ought to be an area of strength.  Yet, right now, it’s not.

Plus

Grunloh had his best night as a Hoo scoring 15 points on 2/3 shooting from deep.  He played the part of a stretch-4 on offense was banging down low on defense.  He also slipped coverage twice and showed Mamadi Diakite-like explosion on three dunks.

Plus

Tony Bennett has left the JPJ, but Virginia’s defense, especially in the first half, would have made him proud as Texas scored just 27 points.  Note:  Texas has breached 90+ six times in their nine games.

Plus

Shout out to Ryan Odom’s mom (and also the wife of Dave Odom) who “suggested” that Ryan look the part of the coach and dress up a bit.  Odom wore a sports jacket while Texas’ Sean Miller wore a Texas half-zip.  The old adage is “look how you want to play” and Odom showed out.  Interesting to maybe only me, but Tony Bennett never won another NCAA game after he ditched his jacket for coaching athleisureware.

Plus

Virginia’s ball-handling was superb up and down the lineup.  Virginia had 18 assists on 28 made baskets and only turned the ball over seven times.  I know that Virginia Nation is clamoring for Mallory to start over Dallin Hall, but Hall was flawless against Texas and the ball just doesn’t stay in his hands for very long.  Which is what you want when you have six players score nine points or more.

That’s Hall grabbing an offensive board and finding Jaccari White very quickly.

Plus

And what about White?  His off-ball movement is incredible and what a quick release.

Minus

Virginia’s social media gang.  Preferred walk-on Carter Lang got into the game and promptly drained a three and Virginia couldn’t be bothered to post the clip.  Shame.   If there is one thing we learned for the champion season, it’s how important the walk-on moment can be.  Well, I learned it at least.  Virginia’s athletic department needs a refresher:

https://www.si.com/college/virginia/a-tony-bennett-moment-grant-kersey-makes-basketball-fun-again

Next Up:  Virginia just happens to be traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, December 6th to take on Dayton.  Why Charlotte?  I have no idea.  And the game will surely be overtaken, fan-interestwise, by what the football team is doing that same day, in that same city.  Game time is 12 noon and the game will be on ESPN2.

Published | Modified
Val Prochaska
VAL PROCHASKA

Val graduated from the University of Virginia in the last millennium, back when writing one's senior thesis by hand was still a thing. He is a lifelong fan of the ACC, having chosen the Tobacco Road conference ahead of the Big East. Again, when that was still a thing. Val has covered Virginia men's basketball for nine years, first with HoosPlace and then with StreakingTheLawn, before joining us here at Virginia Cavaliers on SI in August of 2023, continuing to cover UVA men's basketball and also writing about women's soccer and women's basketball.

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