Ryan Odom and the two players the UVA Athletics media people gave us after the 90-61 win over NC State on Tuesday night all swore that the fracas early in the second half that led to a State player being perp-walked off the floor was no big deal.
OK.
“The refs handled it, you know, well, and handled it the way they needed to handle it. You know, obviously, they looked at the film, you know, I think, you know, it’s a hotly contested game,” Odom told reporters, trying to change the subject.
ICYMI
“I think, just, two really competitive teams who really want to win, especially at this time of year, and got a little high. But I thought everyone handled it well. The refs, you know. We knew that our job is to go out there and play basketball, so we just had to turn the chapter quick,” Virginia point guard Dallin Hall said.
“It was, like, just basketball, two teams, as Dallin said, two competitive teams going at each other. But I think we kept it cool afterwards. That’s what was a big point of Coach, like, focusing on the game and leaving that behind,” freshman center Johann Grunloh said.
It would have been hard for any of you reading this to keep it cool after seeing a State bench player, Scottie Ebube, a 6’10” scrub on his third school in four years, has been on the floor for all of 10 minutes in ACC action, with 11 DNP-coach’s decisions in the Pack’s 15 conference games, bumrush Sam Lewis at the scorer’s table and shove the junior guard a good 10 feet, ahead of getting tossed and perp-walked off the floor by security.
Virginia was up 41-28 at the 17:38 mark after a Paul McNeil three at the moment.
That one was the third straight made three for NC State to start the second half, after a 2-of-16 shooting effort from long-range in the first 20 minutes.
First time out between these two, Virginia led by 20 at the break, but State made it interesting, cutting the margin to eight on, as coincidence would have it, a Paul McNeil three.
During that stretch, Odom took one for the team, getting a technical foul after jawing with the refs over what he perceived (correctly) to be the latest in a series of bad calls.
Virginia rode the energy to push the lead back into the twenties before closing out a 76-61 win in Raleigh back on Jan. 3.
ICYMI
- UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos rebound from three-OT loss at Tech, defeat NC State, 76-61
- UVA Basketball: Virginia blows out NC State, 76-61, in Saturday ACC matinee
- Notebook: Ryan Odom talks with the media after UVA Basketball win
The aftermath of the dumb sequence involving the kid whose only contribution to the cause was getting thrown out and escorted to the showers was the extinguishment of whatever momentum the Pack was trying to build.
Malik Thomas made one of the two technical free throws, and on the ensuing possession, Hall drained a three, getting the lead back to 17.
NC State got as close as 12 a couple of times, before a 22-5 run over a six-minute stretch got the bus warming up.
“We’re not built to beat a team like Virginia,” said State coach Will Wade, who left his starters on the floor after Odom subbed in his garbage-time unit with 1:43 to go, because that’s the level of class that Coach “Strong Ass Offer” has.
There were loads of people who would write to me about how Boo Corrigan, the athletics director at NC State, needed to be the AD at Virginia.
Corrigan hired this clown to bring his clown show to Tobacco Road.
Says all you can imagine about both of them.
ICYMI
“Unfortunately, sometimes you get a report card on where you are, and it’s kind of where we are,” Wade said in an interview with the NC State radio network after the game. “We can compete with some teams in this league, but not the upper crust of this league. We’re not there yet. And tonight, it was very, very obvious.”
Wade’s interview and his main postgame presser were both about throwing his guys under the bus, because, again, class.
Like when he called timeout four minutes in after a turnover by Qadir Copeland, then got in Copeland’s face to the point where the two had to be separated by State coaches and players.
I mentioned that there were people telling me that they wanted Boo Corrigan as the AD at Virginia.
I got several emails from readers this time last year putting a good word in for UVA hiring Will Wade.
What a joke.
“If we played them 10 times, I’m not sure we can beat them. Maybe once, get lucky on a neutral court, maybe once. They’re just flat out better than us,” Wade said. “We can sit here and pontificate about anything else you want. They’re flat out better than us, and they’re better coached. Odom has done a much better job than I have. They’re better than us. From the bench to their team, they’re better. I don’t know how else I can put it any more simply than that.”
OK, to be fair, Wade threw himself under the bus there, too.
Player notes
Block party
Going to start here on the defensive end, with Johann Grunloh, and his eight blocked shots, and Ugonna Onyenso, with his four blocks, finishing way back in second on the night.
“I mean, when they can clean up, you know, a shot or somebody on a downhill, it can turn into offense for us on the other side,” Odom said.
“Johann was unbelievable tonight, having eight blocks, that’s impressive,” Odom said. “And he was just very clean with it, like, he was there with his body and in between them, in the basket and and a couple times came out of nowhere.”
Running wild
Thijs de Ridder had 19 points, 15 in the second half, on 7-of-10 shooting (1-of-2 3FG).
Three of his makes were fast-break finishes at the rim; he also had a nice drive and kickout for an open three for Jacari White on a break.
Wade on TdR: “We didn’t guard him in transition. Even I can score one-on-zero.”
What a guy there, that Will Wade.
The guards
- Sam Lewis: 16 points (7-of-11 FG, 2-of-4 3FG)
- Jacari White: 15 points (4-of-6 FG, 4-of-5 3FG, 3-of-3 FT)
- Malik Thomas: 12 points (3-of-8 FG, 1-of-5 3FG, 5-of-6 FT), five rebounds, three assists
- Chance Mallory: 11 points (3-of-8 FG, 1-of-4 3FG, 4-of-4 FT), five boards, four assists
- Dallin Hall: eight points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 3FG), team-high seven rebounds, four assists
Team notes
Torrid
Virginia shot 70 percent (21-of-30) in the second half, connecting on 7-of-14 from three.
Do the math there: seven of the nine misses were threes.
The ‘Hoos were 9-of-10 at the rim, 4-of-5 on paint jumpers, and made their only midrange jumper.
That’s printing money, right there.
Odd night in the rebound numbers
UVA had just seven offensive rebounds, but converted those into 13 second-chance points.
State had 16 offensive boards, but those led to six second-chance points.
Defense
State was 7-of-8 from the floor to start the second half, though, fat lotta good that did ‘em, they lost ground by a point during that stretch – it was 32-19 Virginia at halftime, and 53-39 ‘Hoos after the Ven-Allen Lubin make that finished that run out for the Pack.
From there: State was 7-of-26.
The issue: weary legs.
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Chris Graham
