ACC Rundown: Virginia
The 2009-2010 basketball season is slowly drawing closer. Every Tuesday and Thursday this fall, Crazie Talk will preview each of the twelve ACC teams in order of conference standings – from the bottom up.
Today, we’ll take a look at the Virginia Cavaliers.
All eyes will be on Sylven Landesberg in his sophomore year. Photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet.
2008-2009 Record: 10-18 overall (4-12 ACC)
Postseason Record: (0-1 ACC Tournament, Did not qualify for NCAA Tournament)
Projected Starting Lineup: Calvin Baker (Sr.), Sylven Landesberg (Soph.), Jamil Tucker (Sr.), Mike Scott (Jr.), Assane Sene (Soph.)
Returning:
[TABLE=9]
Departing:
[TABLE=10]
Incoming:
[TABLE=11]
The Good: Sylven Landesberg, who yours truly went to elementary school with, is Virginia’s leading scorer and the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year. He can simply get to the rim and finish and will make a strong push for ACC Player of the Year. He had a solid performance (20 points) this past February as a first-timer at Cameron. However, teams will surely look to double-team him to keep the ball out of his hands. For Virginia, the climb to respectability in the ACC begins and ends with Landesberg.
The Bad: Three point shooting and team defense. This team just cannot make it rain. Their combined team percentage from 3 was an abysmal 31.6% last year. Only one player, Tucker (40.3%), shot over 34% from deep. JJ Redick can shoot that percentage with his eyes closed. Their poor shooting is compounded by their Swiss-cheese defense. Virginia allowed opponents to score 72.5 points per game, good for dead last in the ACC.
The Crazie: The firing of Dave Leitao allowed for the hiring of former Washington State coach Tony Bennett, whose teams have ranked slowest in the Pac-10 in terms of game pace. However, as a preacher of tough, team defense, Bennett will almost certainly improve the shoddy Cavalier D. But will he adjust to the up-and-down tempo of the ACC? Coaches sure are stubborn. Expect lots of games in the 50s and 60s.
We Love To Hate… Mike Scott. I personally can’t hate on Sylven, because he’s my boy from P.S. 196. Anyway, someone on this team needs to step up to help Landesberg in order for Virginia to move up the ACC. Enter a handful of returning veterans, led by Scott, the team’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder. Scott, an athletic foward, will have to do the dirty work in the paint and if everything goes right, could average a double-double this year.
The Bottom Line: Virginia returns its six leading scorers, so this team should have the veteran leadership to make a run in the ACC. Calvin Baker and Sammy Zeglinski provide a serviceable tandem at point guard, but you know the ball will be in Landesberg’s hands in the final minutes. Virginia should be talented and experienced enough to move up to the middle of the ACC, and with a little luck, make a decent push upward.
* * *
Crazie Talk’s ACC Rundowns:
Georgia Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland
Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Wake Forest | North Carolina | Duke
Not a bad analysis of UVA.
This team has some good returning players that can’t be judged by the coaching last season. Because of the hap-hazard rotation of the players during the game, sometimes after just one miscue or error and just remaining on the bench….was counter-productive and affected overall player and team performance.
Defense was incoherent last season and for that matter the offense during the game was like I heard someone else say, “Sort of make it up as your go”. Team play and structure was often lacking.
BUT, this season, expect a more deliberate style of play on offense…with often unexpected runs, when the game situation and the opportunity arises.
I guess the best way to evaluate UVA, this season, is to expect the unexpected.
But, expect a hard working, smothering style of defense much different from last season.
AND, by the way, John Brandenburg is no longer on the team roster and has transferred.
Also expect Spurlock to contribute early and possibly earn a starter status……and don’t count Zeglinski or Jones out of challenging or winning a starting role. Can’t overlook PG EVANs either, may be better than billed with his ball handling and defensive skills.
Plus a pretty solid 2010 recruiting class, all with solid academics, as well…. (3.5 GPA and above).
Bottom line: We, here at UVA, are optimistic and looking forward to the season. But, we must be patient….
DonGoUVA:
Thanks for the input. Leitao did a great job his first two years there with Singletary and Reynolds but it was downhill for him after that. I know Zeglinski started the first few games of the season and gained valuable experience, but these lineups aren’t set in stone. We’re just a bunch of Duke students trying to pick out a good starting lineup for each ACC team, after all.
I expect Landesberg to push first team All-ACC, although Bennett’s new pace could bring his numbers down. I think there will be no sophomore slump for him. Don’t know much about Spurlock and thanks for the heads up about Brandenburg. But yeah, things are definitely looking up for UVA. Again, thanks for commenting.
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[...] Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | [...]
[...] Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Wake [...]
[...] Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Wake [...]
[...] Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Wake [...]
[...] Tech | Virginia | NC State | Virginia Tech | Miami (FL) | Maryland Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Wake [...]
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