The one tweak we’ve seen from UVA Basketball coach Ron Sanchez has been his move to go three forwards, two guards in his starting lineup, a departure from Tony Bennett’s preferred three guards, two forwards.
Sanchez started Friday’s Hall of Fame Series game with Villanova in Baltimore with his new three-forward, two-guard lineup, but he made a switch at the first media timeout, after the Wildcats, who started three guards and two forwards, had jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, subbing 6’6” guard Andrew Rohde in for 6’9” forward TJ Power.
Rohde hit the first of three first-half threes less than a minute later, helping fuel an extended 18-2 run that put UVA in control.
“Right now, our personnel is, we’re still trying to figure some things out, and I think we’re going to do that most of the season. We’re going to end up matching up to opponents depending on how they play,” Sanchez told reporters after the 70-60 Virginia win.
The new head coach revealed his thinking before the game that had him going with the bigger lineup at the outset.
“Villanova is a very physical team. Kyle (Neptune) does a great job of coaching his guys to play downhill, to play off two feet in the lane. So, we felt that our size and, you know, strength, maybe could wall up in the middle of the paint some,” Sanchez said. “You can tell even with that size, they were still able to get in there, so I give them a lot of credit for that. But, you know, we had enough defensively to do it. And when I watch the film, I’ll probably will see a little more.”
I think what we saw here in this one is the way Rohde, who Sanchez had started at the point in the season opener last week, can best help this team – as the first guard off the bench, in a combo guard role.
With Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames going 36 minutes at the one spot, Rohde slid nicely into one of the off-guard slots opposite Isaac McKneely, moving the ball on the perimeter, getting looks as a spot-up shooter, and finishing off a couple of late-shot-clock possessions with runners in the lane.
Rohde finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 3-of-5 from three, and four assists in 28 minutes off the bench.
“Coming off the bench, it doesn’t really matter, just coming in, trying to play my role and help our team get a win,” Rohde told a small group of reporters after the win.
“Andrew has worked hard in the offseason, and he helped us handle the ball, he got iMac some shots, he created some stuff, he hit some threes. If he can continue to continue to play that way, he will really help us,” Sanchez said.
“What we’re trying to get him to do is just to be a little more sure-handed, you know, and to take care of the ball,” Sanchez said. “He is so unselfish, and he’s got great feel for the game. And we want him to use those things to, you know, as often as he can, so he can continue to help the roster.”
McKneely, at the other off-guard spot, had 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 6-of-6 from three.
Sanchez has been on McKneely to shoot more, wanting the 6’4” junior to get into double-digits on shot attempts more often.
McKneely didn’t get there in the Villanova win, but Sanchez will take 23 points on nine shots.
“We need iMac to be aggressive. We need him to want to shoot, you know, we need him to be OK missing shots,” Sanchez said. “I think today he did a really good job of hunting his shots. He took some, you know, that were a little unconventional, but he made them, and I think iMac, as long as he has confidence in what he’s capable of doing, we’re happy with him shooting the ball.”
Virginia got makes from three in the ‘Nova win from McKneely, Rohde and Ames in the backcourt, and from Power, 6’9” freshman Jacob Cofie and 6’8” junior Elijah Saunders in the frontcourt.
“The beauty about this group is that not only our guards can shoot it, but our forwards can shoot the ball as well, and it allows us to take advantage of defense, different ball screen coverages. At times, Villanova was kind of playing a drop coverage or low show, so we allowed Elijah Saunders to separate, and I think that opened up the floor some for him,” Sanchez said.
“You know, we’re a team that, I think that we have good enough shooting, and if guys have room and rhythm shots, we’re going to encourage them to shoot the ball. They work hard at it, and most of them have earned the right to shoot the ball in games. So, we’re just encouraging them to share the ball, to be unselfish, and if you get a room and rhythm shot, to shoot it with confidence,” Sanchez said.
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Chris Graham
