Spirit of ’76: Wally Walker and that first UVA ACC Tournament title

It’s been 46 years, but Virginia Basketball fans still hold fond memories of the 1976 ACC Tournament. Tournament MVP Wally Walker joins “The Jerry Ratcliffe Show” to reminisce.

Gardner: It’s a crime Beekman wasn’t chosen ACC Defensive POY

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Reece Beekman drives to the bucket. (Photo by Dan Grogan)

A crime was committed Monday by the panel that overlooked Virginia guard Reece Beekman for ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Those of the 78-member panel that consisted of the conference’s 15 head coaches and 63 media members who were found guilty will be given a two-year sentence of watching Beekman prove them wrong. Beekman was beaten out for the award by Duke sophomore center Mark Williams by a 46-20 vote, with 12 other votes going to three other players.

“I just think it’s a crime that [Beekman] didn’t win Defensive Player of the Year,” said teammate Jayden Gardner. “It’s way different having to guard multiple positions, and his impact on the game with steals, blocks, rebounding.

“Reece can guard one-through-five, probably, but most nights one-through-four. He’s very versatile, so I don’t know what the committee saw in not seeing Reece Beekman. He just had five steals a game ago (at Louisville). He just does a lot for our team, so we appreciate him a lot even if other people don’t.”

Beekman led the ACC in steals-per-game average with 62 swipes in 30 games (2.07), compared to Miami’s Charlie Moore (31 games, 63 steals). Next closest to those two was Miami’s Kameron McGusty (55 steals, 31 games).

Duke’s Williams led the ACC in blocked shots per game (2.81) and finished 14th in defensive rebounds (87 blocks in 31 games).

Perhaps there was some evidence not introduced to the jury before they submitted their ballots.

Exhibit A: Beekman played approximately 50-percent more minutes in conference play than Williams.

Exhibit B: Virginia gives up 103 DRTG (defensive rating) with Beekman on the court, 118 with him off the court.

Exhibit C: Max Feldman, a national scouting analyst and NBA draft evaluator, testifies that we would be “hard-pressed to find a more impressive point-of-attack guard defender nationally.” Plus, Beekman’s steal rate has risen to 4.0 percent, and that he owns the ACC’s second-highest DBPM (defensive box plus-minus) to Williams.

Exhibit D: Beekman’s hand speed, quickness, toughness and consistency ahead of the opposing action.

Exhibit E: Synergy Sports said that Beekman holds opponents to .715 points per possession — 171 points on 239 usages — on 33.7-percent shooting (56 of 166), a 21.8-percent turnover rate, a 10.5-percent free-throw shots rate and a 7.5-percent shooting foul rate.

If all that mumbo jumbo doesn’t impress you, perhaps Notre Dame’s all-time shot blocker and ESPN-ACC Network analyst Jordan Cornette’s testimony will.

During UVA’s lopsided win over Louisville to close out the regular season last Saturday, Cornette said Beekman was his pick as ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Here’s why:

“Beekman, to me, I’m just gonna come right out and say it here,” Cornette said. “He’s the Defensive Player of the Year in my opinion in the ACC. When he’s engaged, he gives up no advantage. He’s on the driver the entire time, impeccable timing, he’s athletic, he’s got length, but he’s such a high-IQ defender.

“I waffle back and forth with Mark Williams, the big from Duke, shot-blocker, rim protector, that allows Duke’s defense to take risks, but I just go to Reece Beekman, who gets the toughest assignment. He locks in and he depletes the opposition and brings it every game. To me, you’re looking at the conference’s defensive player of the year.”

When questioned about a former big not selecting a current big for the honor, Cornette defended his choice.

“It’s a dynamic, multi-faceted approach to how Reece does it,” Cornette said. “Reece is getting the toughest assignment. Mark is protecting the basket, both of importance, but more challenging on a night-to-night basis is Reece Beekman trying to take away the head of the snake.”

Beekman’s backcourt mate, Kihei Clark, who knows a little something about defense, agreed with Cornette’s assessment.

“Yeah, I think [Beekman] should have gotten that award,” Clark said. “I think he’s the best defensive player. He guards the best guards on each team and his hands are quick. I mean, he gets steals. His anticipation is great, so he’s a really good defender and I think he deserved it.

“You could tell from the summer, I mean his hands were quicker. He was picking people’s pockets. He might have picked me once or twice, I’m not gonna say if he did or not,” Clark chuckled. “You could tell early on that he’s just a great defender. His anticipation is really good. He just has a good knack for the ball.”

It’s not like Beekman can’t rebound either. In the win over Louisville last weekend, he had a career-high 12 rebounds — all defensive — to go along with five steals.

Oh, and when Beekman delivered the dagger that beat Duke at Duke on a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer, he was wide open. Who was supposed to have been the defender assigned to stopping the Virginia guard? None other than Mark Williams.

It’s a crime that Beekman was overlooked. The rest of the ACC will pay for it over the next two seasons.

Beekman responds to challenge with near-perfect performance at Louisville

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Reece Beekman drives to the bucket. (Photo by Dan Grogan)

After last Saturday’s loss to Florida State, Tony Bennett challenged sophomore guard Reece Beekman to be more consistent.

It was a heartbreaking, last-second loss at John Paul Jones Arena to a team that was down on its luck and missing four starters, a loss that likely spoiled Virginia’s chances of returning to the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight season. Beekman wasn’t at his best. He scored eight points, two assists, a steal and a couple of blocks.

Beekman took the challenge to heart, intensified his preparation for the next game, worked extra on his shot after practices, and Saturday at Louisville’s Yum Center (aka JPJ West), the ever-improving guard put on a show.

Bennett looked at the boxscore after a 71-61 regular season finale — UVA’s eighth win in 10 trips to Yum — and was surprised.

“If you look at Reece’s stat line it was quite a stat line,” Bennett said. “I went to look at the stat sheet and did not realize how good of a game it was.”

Beekman stepped off the floor for only 38 seconds Saturday. While he was on the floor, he scored 15 points, converted 6 of 9 shots from the field, all 3 of his attempts from behind the arc, a career-high 12 rebounds, posted 5 assists, 1 turnover, 5 steals and a block.

How’s that for responding to a challenge?

“I was staying continuous the whole game and I felt like at the end of the Florida State game just kind of had too many breakdowns,” Beekman said. “So [Bennett] just challenged me to show my ability to do what I know I can do, so it was good to have that kind of intensity in practices the whole week. I felt like that prepared me.”

Beekman isn’t exactly known for his 3-point shooting, but he drilled all three attempts against the struggling Cardinals (Louisville has lost 14 of its last 16 games this season). Two of those triples came midway through the second half when Louisville was making a run, as the two teams exchanged six consecutive 3’s.

Beekman’s contribution to that scoring flurry was back-to-back 3’s that kept the Cardinals at bay (55-38 and 58-41). He had worked on his shot in UVA’s zone offense, something the Cavaliers anticipated because Louisville had used some zone defense against Virginia in the first meeting at JPJ.

His third came down the home stretch of the game after the Cardinals rallied yet again and drew within 66-59 at the 3:30 mark. This time, Beekman drilled his triple at the shot-clock buzzer for a 69-59 advantage.

“I feel like zone offense has been a bright spot for us this whole year,” Beekman said, “so we’ve worked on it a lot over this past week. I just felt like making plays, getting to the right spot, just being able to knock it down and have confidence to shoot it.”

Already a strong candidate for ACC Defensive Player of the Year (Beekman’s 5 steals Saturday moved him past Othell Wilson for second on UVA’s single-season steal list with 62), the Baton Rouge, La. athlete who hailed from Milwaukee, Wisc., before his family moved, turned offensive versus the Cardinals.

“We were 7 of 12 from three and we only took one in the first half,” Bennett said. “For us, when we can knock down some threes it takes the pressure off.”

To watch Beekman answer his challenge and continue to grow his game, Bennett was delighted.

“I love seeing guys improve, get after it, and understand what we are trying to accomplish,” Bennett said. “I thought he really responded in the right way. We will continue to need that.

“Reece got a ton of experience last year and now he’s in his second year. All those games and understanding what needs to be done for this team on both ends, I think he has a clearer picture of that. The longer you are at a place, the more comfortable you get in all areas, so that’s a joy for me to see.”

Teammate Kody Stattmann, who has unlocked his game late in this season, has admired Beekman’s work ethic in practices and even after practices.

“He’s been really working on his shot a lot after practice and during practice,” Stattmann said. “Everyone knows that he can drive to the rim and finish really well around the rim. So if you can consistently knock down threes and be dangerous, that is really good for us.”

Adding the long-distance threat to his resume could make Beekman almost unguardable, because he could shoot the three, draw out defenders and drive past them. Bennett said in preseason that he believed Beekman just might be the most explosive player he’s ever coached. Parlay that with his defensive ability and his great passing and you’ve got the complete player, something that Bennett holds homage for.

As much as he continues to improve offensively, particularly from beyond the arc, the more his reputation will grow, but Beekman is a fierce defender. He’s aware of his candidacy for ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“That would mean a lot because ever since I was little, I put a lot of pride in my defense, a little more than I think others did,” Beekman said. “So just having that mindset, you’ve got to have defense to play the game.

“[Defensive player of the year] would mean a lot to me. Having that would be great. Even if I don’t get it, I’ll still be thankful of how my defense was this season, so either way will be a good experience.”

Now, on to Brooklyn and the ACC Tournament, where the Cavaliers will make their debut in the event in the nightcap Wednesday night.

Maybe Bennett should issue another challenge or two, or three.

Shedrick, Beekman help Virginia bounce back at Louisville with 71-61 win

By Scott Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Kadin Shedrick’s career-high 20 points led the way as Virginia finished the regular season on a high note, sweeping Louisville, 71-61, Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.

With the victory, the Cavaliers (18-12, 12-8 ACC) wrapped up the No. 6 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament and made it 13 wins in 15 meetings over U of L since the Cardinals (12-18, 6-14) became a conference member.

Sophomore guard Reece Beekman registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to go along with 5 assists, a game-high 5 steals and a block.

The Wahoos erased an early 8-0 deficit and exploded midway through the first half, leading by as many as 20 points en route to a 19-point halftime advantage.

Armaan Franklin drilled a long 3-pointer early in the second half to give Virginia a 39-21 lead before Louisville tried to mount a rally, using an 8-0 run to pull within 10 on a Sydney Curry follow with 16:28 to go. After a monster first half, Shedrick established his new career mark with his 18th point on a second-chance bucket with 13:50 remaining to make it 43-29.

Senior Kody Stattmann matched his career high of 11 points with a 3-pointer to give the Hoos a comfortable 17-point lead with just over nine minutes to play, and then Beekman followed with consecutive triples from the same spot, and Virginia led 58-44 at the media timeout with 6:34 left.

Curry converted a three-point play to cap a 9-0 run and get the Cardinals back within single digits, 58-50, as the game went under six minutes. Louisville senior Malik Williams’ 3-pointer cut the UVA lead to seven with 3:30 to go, but Beekman answered with his third triple of the half on the ensuing possession, and the Hoos led 69-59 with 2:52 left. The Cardinals had a chance to make it a two-possession affair, but Williams missed a layup with 1:32 on the clock, and Beekman sealed the contest with a pair of steals in the final minute.

”We didn’t buckle this time,” said Tony Bennett, after pointing out how his team let a late lead slip away against Florida State last week. “We stayed tough and that’s what it’s about. That’s the difference. Making some plays.”

On the afternoon, the Cavaliers shot 25 for 49 (51 percent) from the field, 7 for 12 (58 percent) from downtown and 14 for 18 (78 percent) from the free-throw line. Along with Shedrick — who finished the game 8 of 9 from the floor — and Beekman, two other Hoos scored in double figures, as Franklin had 13 and Stattmann added 11. Kihei Clark and Jayden Gardner each scored 6 points.

Louisville shot 40 percent (22 for 55), making 8 of 23 from 3-point land (35 percent). Curry led the Cardinals with game highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds in the losing effort.

FIRST HALF

Neither team could light up the scoreboard until three minutes in, as Jarrod West sank a 3-pointer to spark an 8-0 Louisville run to put the Hoos in an early hole.

Beekman finally got Virginia on the board with 15:37 on the clock, as the Cavaliers got right back in the game with a 9-2 spurt to get within a point.

“The way we started the game, I was a little bit concerned,” admitted Bennett, “because [the Cardinals] got off to a good start and we weren’t quite sharp… but I really did like how [the Hoos] responded with their defense.”

Shedrick knotted the score at 12-all on a three-point play with 11:18 to go, then after forcing a shot-clock violation, the Hoos took their first lead on a Beekman jumper with 7:33 left until halftime.

It was pretty much all Wahoos from that point on. Stattmann scored on a layup in transition with 5:45 remaining, and then a Shedrick putback jam gave UVA a 24-16 lead, prompting a Louisville timeout with 4:56 left. A Clark triple pushed the lead to double digits, and then the 5-foot-9 guard scored again in the paint the next trip down, and Virginia led 29-16 as the clock went under three minutes.

Back-to-back Shedrick dunks increased the Hoos’ advantage to 17, and then the 6-11 sophomore forward converted another three-point play with 43 seconds to go, as Louisville missed 15 of its last 18 shots over the final 15 minutes of the half.

UVA ended the half with a 24-3 Cavalanche over the final 9:48 and led 36-17 at the break, as the Cardinals went the last 6:42 of the half without a made field goal. Shedrick led all scorers at halftime with 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting as the Hoos shot 58 percent (15 of 26) and limited Louisville to 28 percent (7 of 25).

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• The Cavaliers improved to 18-12, 12-8 ACC
• UVA has won 18 or more games for the 11th straight year
• Virginia secured the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament
• The Cavaliers will play the winner of the No. 11 and No. 14 seed in the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, March 9 at Barclays Center at 9:30 p.m.
• UVA has won 12 or more ACC games for the fourth straight year
• UVA has finished with  .500 or better road record (6-6) for the sixth straight year
• UVA completed its two-game season sweep over the Cardinals
• UVA has an 8-2 record at KFC Yum! Center
• Louisville used an 9-0 run to close the margin to 58-50 before a pair of Armaan Franklin free throws
• UVA led 36-17 at the half
• UVA went on a 24-2 run to gain a 36-16 lead
• UVA had an 18-0 run during the 24-2 run
• UVA went scoreless for first 4:23 of the game before a Reece Beekman made jump shot
• UVA forced one shot clock violation (32 in 2021-22)

Series Notes

• Virginia is 19-5 all-time vs. Louisville in a series that began in 1923-24
• UVA has a four-game winning streak vs. Louisville and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings
• UVA is 13-2 vs. the Cardinals in ACC action
• Tony Bennett is 14-2 vs. Louisville as head coach at Virginia

Player Notes

• Double Figure Scorers: Kadin Shedrick (20), Reece Beekman (15), Armaan Franklin (13), Kody Stattmann (11)
• Shedrick had a career-high 20 points
• Beekman added a career-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double
• Beekman (5 steals) moved into past Othell Wilson (1981-82) for second on UVA’s single-season steal list with 62
• Stattmann matched a career high with 11 points
• Shedrick reached double figures for the 10th time (12th career)
• Shedrick made 10 straight field goals (Feb. 19-March 5) until his second half miss in the lane
• Beekman reached double figures for the 10th time (13th career)
• Stattmann reached double figures for the first time (3rd career)
• Franklin reached double figures for the 19th time (33rd career)
• Jayden Gardner’s has 12-game double figure scoring streak ended

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers begin play in the ACC Tournament on Wednesday night in Brooklyn, going up against the winner of Tuesday’s Louisville-Georgia Tech matchup at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2).

Virginia hoping to nail down ACC’s No. 6 seed at Louisville today

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Tony Bennett won’t waste any time wondering what Louisville team will show up for today’s noon showdown on the road (ESPN2).

Will it be the Louisville team that will salute four seniors playing for pride in their last home game or the team that has lost 13 of its last 15 games? Bennett will be more concerned on how his team performs in its regular-season finale before heading to Brooklyn for next week’s ACC Tournament.

The Cavaliers, 17-12 overall, 11-8 in the ACC, face a highly improbable task to qualify for their eighth-consecutive NCAA tournament. Analysts believe UVA will have to win the ACC tournament in order to be included in the Big Dance. Otherwise, it’s an NIT destiny.

Virginia could get a jumpstart for Brooklyn with a win today against a struggling Louisville team that is 12-17 overall, 6-13 ACC. The Cardinals are coming off a 75-43 loss at Virginia Tech a few nights ago, and a 99-77 defeat to Wake Forest last weekend, when they trailed by as much as 32 points in that game.

“I don’t think the guys have quit, I just think that they’re broken right now and their confidence is low,” said interim coach Mike Pegues, who took over the program when Chris Mack was fired after coaching his last game against Virginia in Charlottesville.

After Louisville lost at Virginia Tech, Pegues said his team is playing for pride at this point, and that “their spirit is broken.”

If Virginia can win this afternoon, it will lock down the No. 6 seed in next week’s tournament in Brooklyn and give the Cavaliers 12 or more ACC wins for the fourth-straight year. The Wahoos cannot finish any lower than the No. 7 seed in the ACC bracket.

UVA has won five of its last eight games, but took a big step backward with a last-second home loss to Florida State last Saturday. Coach Tony Bennett’s team hasn’t played since that loss, so should be fresh heading into today’s game.

Louisville will say goodbye to four seniors: Noah Locke, Jarrod West, Mason Faulkner and Malik Williams. Williams, who is the only player in program history to be elected captain three times, is expected to start today even though he has been suspended twice in the past month for what Pegues described as “failure to meet expectations of a team captain.”

Virginia is a 3-point favorite according to Vegas Insider.

ACC Tournament seeding scenarios heading into final weekend

As we head into the final weekend of the ACC men’s basketball regular season, there’s still some jockeying in play in terms of which schools wind up with which seeds in next week’s ACC Tournament at the Barclays Center.

We do know that Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Miami have wrapped up the top four seeds, and each will receive a double-bye in Brooklyn. 

Virginia (17-12, 11-8 ACC) can lock up the No. 6 seed with either a victory at Louisville Saturday (Noon, ESPN2) or a Virginia Tech loss at Clemson. The last time the Cavaliers didn’t finish among the top four seeds was the 2016-2017 season — prior to that, it was 2012-13.

If the Wahoos finish sixth, they’d go up against Tuesday’s 11-14 winner on Wednesday night in New York at 9:30; if they end up in seventh, they’d play the 10-15 winner at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Currently, Clemson and Georgia Tech would represent the 10 and 15 seeds, respectively, while Louisville and NC State occupy the 11 and 14 seeds.

To steal the 6 seed, the Hokies (19-11, 11-8) would need to beat the Tigers and UVA would have to lose to the Cardinals. Like the Hoos, the Hokies can finish no higher than sixth and no lower than seventh.

Duke has locked up the top seed outright for the first time since 2006. The fourth-ranked Blue Devils (26-4, 16-3) host North Carolina Saturday night in what will be Mike Krzyzewski’s final regular-season game. Duke defeated the Tar Heels by 20 last month in Chapel Hill.

Notre Dame (21-9, 14-5) is currently the No. 2 seed and can make it official Saturday with either a win at home against Pittsburgh or a North Carolina loss. The Fighting Irish edged the Panthers by a point in the Steel City in late December.

Carolina (22-8, 14-5) has obtained a double-bye and has a chance to jump the Irish for the 2 seed, but it would require an upset over Duke at Cameron in what just so happens to be Coach K’s last home game — and Notre Dame would also have to lose to Pitt.

Miami (21-9, 13-6) could leapfrog UNC with a win at Syracuse on Saturday combined with a Duke win over the Tar Heels. The Hurricanes clinched a double-bye Wednesday by beating Boston College. The Canes edged the Orange, 88-87, in Miami on Jan. 5.

Wake Forest (23-8, 13-7) has secured the No. 5 seed, as the Demon Deacons have already concluded their regular-season slate with a blowout win over NC State Wednesday night. The Deacs, who tied a school record for conference victories, avoided having to play on opening day of the tournament for the first time since 2010.

Florida State (16-13, 9-10) is in eighth place heading into the weekend, and we already know that the Seminoles will face Syracuse (15-15, 9-10) in Brooklyn Wednesday, as those two teams are locked into the 8 and 9 slots (the winner will get Duke in Thursday’s quarterfinal round). The Seminoles and Orange split their season series, with each team winning on the other’s home floor. FSU hosts NC State to conclude the regular season Saturday.

Clemson (15-15, 7-12) can clinch the 10 seed with a win over Virginia Tech Saturday. If the Tigers beat the Hokies, Louisville (12-17, 6-13), Boston College (11-18, 6-13) and Pitt (11-19, 6-13) would then be in a three-way battle for the 11, 12 and 13 spots. BC plays at Georgia Tech Saturday.

NC State (11-19, 4-15) and Georgia Tech (11-19, 4-15) will round out the bracket as the 14 and 15 seeds. The Wolfpack hold the tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets by virtue of winning the lone regular-season meeting, and would claim the 14 seed should the teams finish with an equal conference record. The only way Tech can avoid the cellar is with a win over Boston College Saturday coupled with a State loss in Tallahassee.

Below, you’ll find the full Saturday slate and next week’s entire tournament viewing schedule.

Saturday’s ACC Schedule

Virginia at Louisville, Noon (ESPN2)

Boston College at Georgia Tech, Noon (ACCNX)

Miami at Syracuse, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

Virginia Tech at Clemson, 2 p.m. (ACCNX)

NC State at Florida State, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)

Pitt at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN NEWS)

North Carolina at Duke, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

ACC Tournament Schedule

Tuesday, March 8

Opening Round

Game 1 — No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed, 2 p.m. (ACCN)

Game 2 — No. 10 seed vs. No. 15 seed, 4:30 p.m. (ACCN)

Game 3 — No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed, 7 p.m. (ACCN)

Wednesday, March 9

Second Round

Game 4 — No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed, Noon (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 5 — Game 1 winner vs. No. 5 Wake Forest, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 6 — Game 2 winner vs. No. 7 seed, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)

Game 7 — Game 3 winner vs. No. 6 seed, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Thursday, March 10

Quarterfinals

Game 8 — Game 4 winner vs. No. 1 Duke, Noon (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 9 — Game 5 winner vs. No. 4 seed, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 10 — Game 6 winner vs. No. 2 seed, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 11 — Game 7 winner vs. No. 3 seed, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Friday, March 11

Semifinals

Game 12 — Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Game 13 — Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)

Saturday, March 12

ACC Championship

Game 14 — Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)