Inside the Numbers: #8 Virginia defeats #12 Villanova, 86-75

Undervalued

The polls had this one as #8 Virginia against #12 Villanova. The KenPom.com power rankings had these two teams in the top five nationally.

And Villanova, in defeat, is still in the top five, at #5. Virginia maintained its #1 ranking in the KenPom.com power rankings.

 

Boring?

KenPom.com has the UVA offense ranked #1 in the nation in offensive efficiency, scoring 1.192 points per possession.

In Saturday’s win, the Cavs scored 1.43 points per possession against the Wildcats, the 16th-ranked defense nationally.

 

Flawless game for AG

Anthony Gill has an 187 ORating on KenPom.com with his 22-point effort. Gill was 8-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line in 33 minutes.

Malcolm Brogdon had a 164 ORating with his 20-point, six-assist performance. Brogdon was just 3-for-8 from the field, but Villanova coach Jay Wright cited his team’s issues with keeping Brogdon out of the lane, which contributed to him getting to the line 12 times.

The KenPom.com Player of the Year rankings has the duo in the top 10 nationally. Brogdon is third with a 1.546 KPoY rating; Gill is seventh with a 1.362 rating.

 

Virginia Team Notes

• Virginia is now 5-2 all-time vs. Villanova and 24-32 against schools currently hailing from the BIG EAST Conference
• UVA is 127-36 in 10 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena, including 89-20 under Tony Bennett
• Virginia’s last win over ranked non-conference opponent at JPJ was 70-58 against No. 14 Michigan on Nov. 29, 2011 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It marks UVA’s third win over a ranked non-conference team at JPJ (No. 10 Arizona, 2006)
• Virginia gave up 75 points for the first time since Miami tallied 80 in a double-overtime loss to UVA on Jan. 3, 2015, in Coral Gables
• UVA allowed 75 points at JPJ for the first time since March 27, 2013, a 75-64 setback to Iowa in the NIT
• Virginia scored 80 points or more for the sixth time this season and fell one point shy of its season high, set against Long Beach State (11/20)
• Virginia twice held Villanova scoreless for over four minutes
• UVA went on a 14-0 run and held Villanova scoreless for a span of 4:41 in the second half, turning a 43-41 deficit into a 55-43 lead with 9:13 remaining
• Virginia went on an 11-0 run and held Villanova scoreless for 4:41 in the first half to take a 27-20 lead at the4:20 mark
• After attempting just two 3-pointers in the first half, Virginia went 7-for-10 in the second half from behind the arc
• UVA committed 11 turnovers over the first 24:08, but did not commit another until 58 seconds remained in the game
• Virginia is now 8-0 this season when leading at the half
• Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hit for 23 points, most by a UVA opponent since Michigan State’s Travis Trice scored 23 points on March 22, 2015, in the NCAA Tournament
• Virginia hit a season-high 26 free throws on 30 attempts. UVA hit 17 (on 26 attempts) in the season opener against Morgan State

 

Virginia Player Notes

• Malcolm Brogdon (20 points) has hit double figures in nine straight games and now has 1,306 career points
• Isaiah Wilkins made his first career start (38th career game) and played a career-high 30 minutes
• Darius Thompson scored 11 points and has reached double figures in each of his last five games
• Anthony Gill scored a season-high 22 points and reached double figures in scoring for the 10th straight game this year
• London Perrantes scored a season-high 19 points. He recorded 16 in the win over George Mason (11/20)