UVA Basketball (6-4) hosts #21 Memphis (9-2) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at JPJ.
Preview
Being a UVA Basketball fan, you threw yourselves into a fit when Memphis beat UConn in Maui last month.
The Tigers also have wins over Missouri, UNLV, Michigan State and Clemson, but it’s UConn that has you up at night.
Ignore the loss to Auburn – that slimeball Bruce Pearl has the best team in the country right now.
It’s hard to ignore the 13-point home loss to Arkansas State, though.
That one sub-KenPom 100 loss is enough to give you hope tonight.
First half
Starting lineup news: Jacob Cofie in for Blake Buchanan at forward, and Dai Dai Ames is back at point guard.
First TV timeout: UVA 5, Memphis 3, 15:57/1st
Different look in terms of the offensive sets. No mover/blocker. All ball screens and high screen and rolls.
Second TV timeout: UVA 12, Memphis 10, 11:39/1st
The offensive adjustments are spacing the floor a lot better.
Virginia is 5-of-12 from the floor, 2-of-5 from three, 1-of-4 at the rim.
Third TV timeout: UVA 21, Memphis 14, 7:31/1st
The crowd has a new fan favorite: Anthony Robinson. The Memphis big, Dain Dainja, was eating up the UVA post, so Robinson was inserted, and he’s got two stops on Dainja, a couple of rebounds, and he’s heading to the line for an and-one.
Final TV timeout of the first half: UVA 26, Memphis 16, 2:54/1st
Robinson has two points and six boards in six minutes.
Memphis is 6-of-24 from the floor and 1-of-13 from three.
Half: UVA 30, Memphis 21
Easily the best all-around half from this UVA team this season.
Shooting: 28 FGA, 4-of-10 from three, 5-of-11 at the rim.
Getting good shots.
Defense: Memphis is 8-of-28 from the floor, 2-of-14 from three, with seven turnovers in 29 possessions.
This is a Memphis team that scored 99 in the win over UConn.
Second half
First TV timeout: UVA 34, Memphis 31, 15:18/2nd
Strategic adjustment: Penny Hardaway is pressing full court and using halfcourt traps to try to speed the game up, and it’s working.
Ron Sanchez helped by benching Dai Dai Ames because Dai Dai had a dumb turnover early on.
The pace is slightly up: we’re on a 34-possession pace for the half.
Second TV timeout: Memphis 41, UVA 39, 11:57/2nd
Hardaway’s adjustment has completely flipped the script on this game.
It’s odd that he let the entire first half play out the way it did, considering.
Memphis is using its athleticism to hound Virginia on both ends.
Memphis is 7-of-12 from the floor, 5-of-8 at the rim, in the second half.
UVA is 3-of-9 with five turnovers.
Third media timeout: Memphis 47, UVA 44, 9:13/2nd
A lot to unpack here.
Dai Dai Ames was tackled on a drive to the basket, no call.
On the rebound, Elijah Saunders was called for a bogus push in the back, when what happened was, the Memphis kid tripped over Ames.
The refs looked at it for five or so minutes, and decided, common foul on Saunders, and technical foul on Ames.
Memphis hit three of the four free throws, then got the ball back.
Right now on the ledger, Virginia has 10 team fouls, Memphis five.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Memphis turned things around this half with its aggressiveness on both ends.
Somehow, they’re doing it without fouling, and the tentative UVA kids are fouling like there’s no tomorrow.
Final media timeout: Memphis 57, UVA 51, 3:26/2nd
Virginia is 6-of-18 from the floor in the second half.
Memphis has completely badgered Virginia out of its offense.
Final: Memphis 64, UVA 62
Good late rally by the ‘Hoos to make it close.
Withstood the physical play of Memphis in the second half.
Just not enough.
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Chris Graham
