If I’m first-year UVA Basketball coach Ryan Odom, I’m borderline incensed at what I saw from my team tonight in the 81-62 win over NC Central on Friday night.
Virginia led 36-10 inside of seven minutes to go in the first half, and then, just stopped executing.
Credit goes there to NCCU coach LeVelle Moton, who went to a 2-3 zone to try to neutralize the Virginia offense, which made seven of its first 13 from three and was 12-of-22 from the floor overall.
The Virginia kids didn’t seem to know what to do against the zone, missing 10 of their final 12 shots in the final 7:09 of the first half, enduring a five-and-a-half-minute stretch without a point, to go into the locker room up 42-25.
Moton came back out of the break in man, but went back to the 2-3 after Virginia opened the second half making four of its first six shots, three makes at the rim, one from three.
Jacari White hit an open three on Virginia’s next possession, and then, things got choppy again.
The ‘Hoos were 9-of-20 with seven turnovers in the final 15:29.
Twelve turnovers for the game, 14-of-36 from three, 11-of-19 from the line.
On the way to 36-10, Virginia led 15-2 five minutes in, 26-5 nine minutes in, and I was writing on my live coverage blog, why do you even play these games?
NCCU is here to get the paycheck, to answer for their side.
For Virginia, we got our answer: you want to find out that your team needs work against the zone against NC Central, before you run into somebody who can use your utter ineffectiveness against the 2-3 against you.
It was simple, what they weren’t doing right: not attacking the paint at all, just flinging the ball around the perimeter and shooting contested threes.
Odom and the staff had several media timeouts and halftime to get it fixed, and it didn’t get fixed.
I’m writing this story from the media section overlooking the floor at JPJ; I’m shocked that Odom doesn’t have guys out here running sprints.
That’s actually against the rules, but still, I wouldn’t tell.
I’m leaving in a few minutes.
Get ‘em back out here after midnight. That’s technically tomorrow.
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Chris Graham
