Virginia hopes to bounce back at NC State tonight; Wolfpack missing at least one starter

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia will attempt to bounce back from a late-game collapse that led to a lopsided loss to rival Virginia Tech last Saturday night, when the Cavaliers take on NC State tonight (9 o’clock tip, ACC Network) in Raleigh.

Meanwhile, Louisville’s game at Virginia scheduled for Saturday afternoon, has been postponed due to Covid issues within the Louisville program.

Virginia instead gets Pitt at the John Paul Jones Arena for a 4 p.m. tip on ACC Network.

Tony Bennett didn’t like the fact that his team lacked aggression in a loss that snapped UVA’s 15-game ACC winning streak. His Wahoos will have to play a more rugged game tonight if they want to handle an aggressive Wolfpack.

State has its own problems, having lost five of its last six games and lost at Syracuse on Sunday without its two most experienced players. Wolfpack guard Devon Daniels will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury and big man D.J. Funderburk missed the Syracuse game due to “university policies.”

State coach Kevin Keatts said during the ACC coaches teleconference on Monday that he did not know whether Funderburk would be available for the Virginia game.

Keatts said Daniels’ loss was “heartbreaking,” and reasonably so. Daniels, a senior, led the Wolfpack in scoring, assists and steals. He was injured on Jan. 27 when he scored 20 points in an easy win over Wake Forest (State’s only win in recent weeks). Daniels took an awkward fall and tore his ACL.

Still, Bennett was impressed in the fight he saw from State (7-6, 3-5 ACC) in the loss to Syracuse.

“We’re playing a team that played really hard against Syracuse,” Bennett said. “They’re very athletic and they’re talented. Last year they beat us here. They have quickness, they get after it defensively, have big bodies.”

No. 14 UVA (11-3, 7-1 ACC) will prepare for a State team that could be with or without Funderburk. Bennett said he wasn’t able to gain much advantage in watching video of the Wolfpack’s loss to Syracuse because State played against the Orange’s 2-3 zone defense. Still, he go a look at the players that filled in positions of the missing Daniels and Funderburk.

Because State most resembles a Georgia Tech team in terms of defensive prowess, Bennett will likely use two point guards in the lineup with Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman to combat the Wolfpack pressure. State generates offense through defensive in terms of steals and forcing turnovers.

“They can turn a game, especially momentum,” Bennett said. “Teams that thrive on turnovers and steals, that’s how they get swings and runs. You have to have the ability to take care of the ball, run your offense aggressively and get back on defense. When Reece and Kihei are on the floor together, two ball-handling guys, it’s important because [NC State] pressures in all spots.”

Both Bennett and Keatts are dealing with various issues in attempts to bounce back from losses.

Without Funderburk, a 6-foot-10 power forward, Keatts was asked how he plans to combat Virginia’s size. The Cavaliers boast 7-footers Jay Huff and Francisco Caffaro and 6-8 Sam Hauser, along with 6-8 Justin McKoy.

“I don’t know,” Keatts confessed Monday. “I’ve got a couple of days to figure it out. Hauser and Huff are as good as they come at 4 and 5 in our league. What makes them tough, is that they can iso [both] or Huff can go out and make 3’s. We’ve got to make some adjustments.”

Bennett recalled State beating Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena last season but Keatts said there’s so much personnel change from a year ago that there’s little if anything he can take from that game.

He scoffed at the notion that Virginia’s defense isn’t that good this season.

“I don’t know if Virginia took a step back (in losing at Virginia Tech),” Keatts said. “That’s what happens when you score. It appears your defense is not as good. If you’re a scoring team people say, man, they’re not very good defensively. Still, if you pull the numbers, they’re still one of the top defensive teams in the country and always will be. That’s their calling card.”

UVA is ranked the No. 19 team in the country in defensive efficiency by Kenpom.com (and No. 11 offensively).

Bennett assuredly addressed stronger defense and more aggressive play in his few practices since losing at Virginia Tech.

“Our guys have to understand, whether they know it or not, their game gets circled a lot [by opponents],” Bennett said. “People come after them. It always comes down to who is hungrier, tougher. Kihei brings some fight, Sam will play hard. We’re not the most vocal group, and we’ve known that from the start. So how do we bring as much intensity and energy when we need it? At times it shows up. At times, the other team just plays better than you.”

There was a little of both happening in Blacksburg last Saturday, but it appeared the more physical Tech got, the more UVA backed away.

“Defensively we kind of laid down and that’s not going to get it done.” Bennett said. “Finesse does not work in this league ad we looked very ‘finesse-y.’ They took it to us.”

For State, junior forward Jericole Hellems filled in the best he could inside for the Wolfpack. He scored a career-high 24 points and pulled 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Manny Bates stepped up with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and blocked four shots. Freshman guard Dereon Seabron came off the bench and posted 17 points.