Five things learned from UVA’s win over No. 14 Texas A&M

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Five reveals from Wednesday night’s 59-47 Virginia victory over 14th-ranked Texas A&M in the ACC-SEC Challenge:

1. Leon Bond III didn’t score a point, didn’t grab a single rebound in the win over the Aggies, but A&M coach Buzz Williams, who knows talent when he sees it, went out of his way to proclaim what many of us already knew: Bond has a very high ceiling.

Bond got in only about eight minutes in the game because of the flow, but he caught Williams’ eye in that short span. After Williams pointed out that Reece Beekman is an NBA-level defender and that sophomore Ryan Dunn is close behind, the Aggies coach turned his attention to Bond, who redshirted last season to prepare himself physically and mentally for ACC battles.

“I think 35 (Dunn) changes their team from an athleticism standpoint in the forward-ish positions,” Williams said. “They can put three guys out there that make it hard for you to get past off the pass. They converge on the ball, whether it’s on the pass or the bounce.”

We’ve only begun to see Bond’s upside as he grows into his role for the Cavaliers and the best is yet to come.

2. Jake Groves, at 6-foot-9, is making strides into becoming a solid player for Tony Bennett.

The Oklahoma transfer, who at times was a lethal scorer for the Sooners last season, showed a little what he can do as a shooter against A&M when he made 5 of 8 field-goal attempts and 2 of 4 from the 3-point arc. He had 12 points and 4 rebounds to go with 3 assists and no turnovers.

Groves started in place of true freshman big man Blake Buchanan, who might need another year in the smokehouse before he can take on the likes of A&M’s Henry Coleman. Buchanan is 6-11, but Coleman, at 6-8, 245, is “a load,” as Bennett put things.

Coleman had his way in the paint against the less-physical Cavaliers, scoring 14 points and hauling down 16 rebounds, blocking 2 shots.

Bennett also went with Groves because he can stretch the floor and score, putting up 7-straight points at one stretch. His ability to make 3’s also opens up driving lanes for the guards. Groves is experienced and can be physical, things Virginia is somewhat short on. 

3. Lots of Wahoo fans have been waiting to see why Bennett brought in Andrew Rohde, who had gotten off to a slow start as a Cavalier after transferring in from St. Thomas is Minnesota.

Rohde brought the reputation as a shooter who can light things up from the perimeter. Maybe the sophomore had his UVA breakthrough against the Aggies, making 5 of 14 shots and 3 of 8 from the 3-point arc to lead the Cavaliers with 13 points. He was feisty, pulling down 6 defensive rebounds, had 3 assists, helped run the offense at times with point guard Dante Harris sidelined with a rolled ankle, and was scrappy on the defensive end, playing a team-high 37 minutes.

If Rohde can continue to contribute with that level of play, it will make Virginia a more difficult team to beat.

4. After getting outrebounded 48-21 against a physical Wisconsin team and 41-28 in a win over West Virginia, Cavaliers fans were wondering if the Wahoos could survive the rest of the season, particularly against bigger, more physical teams as a team that struggled to rebound.

Wednesday night, UVA showed it can win against one of the top offensive-rebounding teams in the country. A&M still won the battle on the boards by a 42-30 count, rebounded 49 percent of its offensive rebounds (only beat UVA by one defensive rebound), but the Cavaliers found counter-measures to pull off the win.

Basketball wizard Chuck Daly once said that good shooting makes up for other sins, and that’s what happened against the Aggies. UVA made 9 of 25 shots from beyond the arc, while A&M was only 4 of 23. That’s a 15-point difference, and remind me, what was the point margin? How about 12 points.

Bennett emphasized for every Virginia player to box out on every shot, encouraged the guards to go after rebounds (as we pointed out, Rohde was UVA’s top rebounder with 6). So, Virginia proved it can lose the rebounding war and still find other ways to win, particularly with an intense defensive effort.

5. Eli’s Coming.

Elijah Gertrude, a true freshman, got his redshirt removed Wednesday night, getting in for seven minutes and change against A&M. The original plan was to redshirt him, but he has been playing well in practice and has not been encumbered with his knee, after suffering an ACL that caused him to miss most of his senior high school season in Jersey City, N.J.

Gertrude missed his only shot, a jittery, 3-point shot that sailed over the iron, but pulled a rebound and had a dramatic blocked shot that showed off his explosiveness.

Yes, Bennett lifted the redshirt after point guard Harris rolled his ankle in practice and watched Wednesday night’s game, while wearing a boot from the UVA bench.

“Even before that, we were talking about the depth and all that stuff, and Elijah’s leg is getting stronger and better,” Bennett said after the game. “You saw him jump and grab a rebound and block a shot.”

Bennett said he discussed the lifting of the redshirt with Gertrude and his family.

“[Elijah] was like, ‘Heck yeah,’” Bennett chuckled. “That was the decision and what a valuable experience and quite a way to burn your redshirt, to get thrown into the game in that situation. I think he’s got a nice upside and he’ll have to keep working.”

Gertrude was the nation’s No. 3-ranked shooting guard in his class. He chose Virginia over Kansas, St. John’s, Rutgers and Seton Hall, the latter being only 12 miles from his front door.

“He’s a freak athletically,” said Gertrude’s Hudson Catholic coach Nick Marinello. “The way he dunks … his elevation to the rim is at another level. It comes out of nowhere and you’re kind of in awe of it when you see it transform and see the plays he can make.”