Scattershooting: UVA at Miami a trap game? Tony praises seniors; Louisville not worried about Cavaliers’ tempo
Posted on Wednesday, Mar. 4, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics
Scattershooting around the ACC, while thinking Wednesday night’s Virginia trip to Miami is the classic trap game …
The Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the country, having won nine of their last 10 games, knocking off a pair of top-10 teams in the process. While a lot of fans are pointing toward Saturday’s home finale against Louisville, Senior Day at JPJ, possibly tying the Cardinals for first place in the ACC, a word of caution.
Or, perhaps, a Hurricane warning.
Sure, Miami lost twice last week and didn’t exactly give Jim Larrañaga lots to smile about. In fact, Larrañaga complained that the Hurricanes weren’t able to defend Notre Dame or Georgia Tech in the pair of losses. He even told his team at halftime against Tech that if they didn’t play harder in the second half that they were going to get blown out.
Still, Miami is healthy again and will be hungry to score an upset on Wednesday night. It’s not as easy a game as one might think.
Virginia has only a 7-6 record against Miami since the Hurricanes joined the ACC. If the Cavaliers are looking ahead to Louisville by even a little bit, it could end up in a road loss. Tony Bennett is well aware.
Bennett said during the ACC coaches teleconference this week that he is pleased with the progress his team and several individuals have made.
“Now, can you go on the road and not lose a step?” Bennett said in reference to the Miami game. “Can you max out? This team is getting closer and closer to that.”
Larrañaga praised Bennett’s work with this team in terms of “maxing out,” as the UVA coach said.
“Virginia is having another great season,” Larrañaga said. “Tony Bennett is doing an incredible job again. Virginia is a perfect example of an ACC team that lost guys to the NBA Draft.
“In November, they were not as potent an offensive team as they are right now. They were trying to find themselves. They were playing great defensively, but when you’re not scoring the ball as well, it’s hard to be as great defensively.”
The Miami coach said that Mamadi Diakite has developed into a go-to guy and that point guard Kihei Clark can not only direct the team, but can make game-winning plays like he did with his 3-point dagger that stuck Virginia Tech in the final seconds last week.
“Their newcomers, the Juco kid — I can’t pronounce his name, the gunslinger — is a great addition to their lineup,” Larrañaga said in reference to Tomas Woldetensae. “Braxton Key can play inside and outside. They’re only one game out of first place, so they’ve got a lot to play for. They’re going to be a problem for whatever team they play in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.”
Larrañaga also pointed out that 7-footer Jay Huff has improved as a defender and presents a challenge to opposing teams because opponents’ first priority is to focus on Diakite on the inside, meaning that Huff is not drawing the opponents’ top inside defender.
That creates a problem for teams attempting to defend the Cavaliers.
Huff the Magic Dragon
Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics
Speaking of Jay Huff, the shot-swatting Virginia giant put on quite a show against Duke, blocking 10 of the Blue Devils’ 59 shot attempts.
That’s huge in a game where there are limited possessions to begin with. Duke averaged 83 points per game coming in, left the building with only 50.
Consider that Huff blocked 17 percent of Duke’s attempted shots, and consider that most of those shots came from in the paint, which are the highest-percentage shots. Teammates Diakite and Key added three more blocks, so 22 percent of the Blue Devils’ shot attempts were slapped away.
Huff, a junior, continues to evolve.
“We’ve needed his diversity on offense,” Bennett said. “He’s always been a good rim protector and even that’s improved. You saw it on display Saturday.
“He’s continued to add strength over the years. He’s handled adversity, like not getting a lot of time against Virginia Tech (when the Hokies essentially played five guards). It was, okay, be ready for the next game. All that maturing, his skill, his game, and being ready when you have to be out there are part of his evolution to being a good player. He’s putting it together more consistently.”
Defending the ACC
The league’s coaches aren’t overjoyed with a ranking as the sixth-best basketball conference in the country, nor with the projected number of invitations to the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s a joke how the ACC is being treated,” Larrañaga said. “Come June, when the NBA Draft is held, we’ll probably have more players drafted than anybody.
“Veteran teams tend to play well early, and the ACC lost so many players to the draft and graduation. We have seven new players and you’re trying to blend that talent with the rest of your players. I’ll take our top 10 teams against the top 10 of anybody.”
Boston College coach Jim Christian said he thought the ACC is better as a whole.
“Maybe it wasn’t as good in November — well, that might be because we lost a lot of NBA players. I don’t know anybody that loses more NBA players than the ACC. Virginia in November and December is not Virginia now. They lost three guys to the NBA. I think our league, one through 15, in my opinion has gotten better. What bottom team in any league has seven wins? Not many.”
Christian was referring to North Carolina, last in the league standings. The Tar Heels might be the best last-place team in basketball history.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said that the math is the math. While many coaches said they don’t understand the new NET rankings and Quad-One wins, etc., Brey does.
He’s hoping that the tournament selection committee will have to work a little harder this season because unlike the old RPI, the former gold standard, the NET actually takes things into account such as defensive and offensive efficiency, style of play.
Free throws …
- Many of the ACC coaches said it’s too early to tell how the 20-game conference schedule has impacted the league and its postseason hopes. Several coaches commented they are anxious to see what their fellow coaches think in the spring meetings. Said BC’s Christian: “There are a lot more losses. Somebody’s got to lose.”
- Georgia Tech’s Josh Pastner is hoping his team can at least finish the season at .500. The Jackets are 9-9 with games remaining against Pitt and Clemson this week. “The nine wins are the most we’ve had at Georgia Tech since the expansion of the league and the most by us in the ACC since 2004. Only five times in the last 30 years has Georgia Tech finished .500 or better in ACC play. To get to .500 would be important,” Pastner said.
- Leonard Hamilton is hoping for a strong finish this week. FSU has never won or shared the ACC regular-season title. “The ACC is the strongest assemblage of teams in college basketball history, so whenever you’re trying to associate yourself with the best, its important for our program.”
- It would be important to Louisville as well. Chris Mack: “It would be a huge deal [to win the ACC regular season]. We have guys in the program that have seen a lot of lows and have remained to Louisville. I’d love to see them go out as ACC regular-season co-champions or champions. We wouldn’t apologize for any of that.”
Mack knows UVA’s no pushover
Louisville has only one game remaining, Saturday’s finale at Virginia. Mack knows winning at JPJ is not a stroll in the park.
While media and fans talk about tempo being important when teams face Virginia’s slower, deliberate pace, Mack said that’s not something his Cardinals think much about.
“Teams talk about tempo, pace and going to the electric chair,” Mack jabbed about playing UVA. “None of our guys worry about that. Our guys know Virginia is going to walk the ball up, put you in half court. You’re not going to speed them up.
“If the game ends 7-6, we’re not concerned. Or 105 to 102, which, unless it goes 15 overtimes, I doubt that’s the score. We don’t worry about that either. We worry about trying to get really good shots, which is hard to do against Virginia, and not giving them good shots.”
What ever happened to that whole FBI thing?
It has been more than two years since the FBI investigation into college basketball surfaced. Some have gone to prison as a result, but the scandal the FBI promised when it announced its probe has not made a major impact on the game the way it was promised.
Notre Dame’s Mike Brey gave some insight into what we believe most college basketball coaches are thinking about, in terms of what has passed and what may lie ahead.
“The shoe companies have stood down a little bit, especially Under Armor and Nike, since they saw Adidas get the roof blown off,” Brey said. “We still need some hammers to drop and drop hard. Some coaches got some ‘show causes’ just in the last week or so.
“I think the profession is really expecting an iron fist because that’s what they were told. I understand you have to do your due diligence. It’s been a little more sane on the shoe circuit because of how Adidas got blown up.”
Tony praises Mamadi, Braxton
Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics
Senior Day is coming on Saturday when the Cavaliers end the regular season at home against Louisville. Two seniors will say goodbye, Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key.
Diakite came to UVA from nearby Blue Ridge School and was redshirted, which gave him more time to develop. Key transferred after his sophomore year at Alabama, and was part of last year’s national championship team.
Kyle Guy, a member of that team, said the other day that Key was his best-ever recruiting job, having convinced Key to come to UVA.
Bennett said this week that he thought Key was going to have to redshirt that transfer year, but the NCAA granted approval of his move.
“His value in the national championship game was significant,” the coach said. “On the biggest stage, he was so good with his rebounding and defense. This year, he has gotten more consistent. He has played the 3 and 4 (positions) and doing whatever is required. He’s always been a good rebounder. I’m so glad how it worked out with his transfer.”
Braxton Key celebrates with the JPJ Arena fans as he exits the court following Virginia’s win over Duke (Photo by John Markon).
Having Diakite in the program for five years has allowed him to develop into one of the ACC’s top players. Diakite is one of only two players in the conference to make the semifinal list for Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year.
“When I think of Mamadi, I think of his redshirt year. I first saw him at Blue Ridge, when he wasn’t speaking English that well,” Bennett recalled. “He’s always had a joyful spirit about him.
“I think about all the key plays he’s been part of over his career here. He’s made so many big plays for us down the stretch this year. I’m proud of him for that.”
Bennett said that while both have impacted the program on the court, “they’re really good teammates and really good people — that goes beyond basketball.”
ACC Tournament bracket change
In case you haven’t noticed, Georgia Tech’s NCAA penalty will prohibit the Yellow Jackets from participating in any postseason play this season, including next week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro.
Tech has withdrawn its appeal of a postseason ban in what it called “the best interest of our men’s basketball program,” so this year’s team will be ineligible for any postseason play rather than jeopardizing the appeal, which could impact next season’s team. Essentially, Tech’s game on Friday at Clemson will end the Yellow Jackets’ season.
Incidentally, Tech will continue to appeal two other penalties levied by the NCAA — scholarship reductions (one during each of the next four seasons through 2022-23) and limiting official visits from recruits during its home games in 2020-21.
Georgia Tech’s absence from the ACC Tournament won’t cause too much change. Instead of the usual three “play-in” games on Tuesday, there will be only two: #12 seed vs. No. 13 seed at 4:30; and #11 seed vs. #14 seed at 7 p.m.
There will be the usual four games on Wednesday beginning at noon, with the quarterfinals set for Thursday; the semifinals Friday; and the championship game Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
ACC Quote of the Week
Photo: South Bend Tribune
Asked about the growing trend of coaching basketball games without a tie, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, who never wears one during games, replied:
“It’s amazing that I’ve been a fashion statement for other coaches, although they didn’t copy my mock turtleneck. I didn’t know the tie is slowly going away, but I love it because it gives me support. It’s hard to put one of those [ties] on.”
At least three ACC coaches have scrapped the ties — Brey, Bennett and Pitt’s Jeff Capel. West Virginia’s Bob Huggins simply wears sweatsuits. Ohio State’s Thad Matta has essentially ditched the tie as well.
We recall how Bob Knight later in his career opted for a red sweater, while St. John’s Lou Carnesseca preferred a sweater, as did longtime Princeton coach Pete Carril, who went from bow ties to a sweater over a polo shirt.
ACC Stat(s) of the Week
- When Clemson knocked off No. 6 FSU last Saturday, it was the first time since 1979-80 that the Tigers defeated three top-6 opponents.
- Georgia Tech has won its last five ACC home games, the Jackets’ first such streak since 2009-10.
- Notre Dame’s John Mooney could be the best rebounder in the ACC since Wake’s Tim Duncan in 1997. Mooney is averaging 12.8 boards per game, which is second to Duncan over the last 45 years. Duncan averaged 14.7.
Final ACC Power Poll
As we head into the final week of the regular season, check out our panel’s last ACC Power Poll of the season below, brought to you by Lee Shifflett and our friends at Riverside Lunch, where you can always find the best burgers in town.
(W/L records as of 6 p.m. 3/3)
FSU has a slight edge at the top, as Virginia and Louisville are tied for second place a few points behind, while Duke slips to fourth.
The star-studded panelists include our friends Chris Graham and Scott German of Augusta Free Press, along with Scott Ratcliffe and yours truly from JerryRatcliffe.Com.
