Struggling UVA hopes to end 3-game slide at Georgia Tech
Posted on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, 7:37 pm
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By Jerry Ratcliffe
Kihei Clark and Kody Stattmann start a Cavalier fast break following a steal against Syracuse (Photo by John Markon).
Some coaches blame it on injuries, others on parity, but one thing is for sure, this year’s version of ACC basketball is perhaps the most unpredictable we’ve seen in a long, long time.
The usual residents of the league’s upper echelon, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida State aren’t what they used to be, at least this season. Yeah, Duke has only lost twice, but one of those games was this past week at Clemson, where the Tigers controlled almost the entire game.
FSU is still long and athletic, but struggling Virginia gave the Seminoles all they could handle this week in Tallahassee. The Cavaliers are struggling big time, turnovers being a major problem along with the worst 3-point field-goal percentage in UVA history.
Carolina? The Tar Heels are a disaster with injuries and performance issues, enough to spur some “Fire Roy” cries, something we never thought we’d hear.
UVA, staggering through a three-game losing streak, heads to Atlanta for a late-night battle with Georgia Tech on Saturday (8 p.m.), looking for answers. The Cavaliers’ problems are obvious.
For years one of the best teams in the country in ball protection, UVA has turned it over at an alarming rate. Sophomore point guard Kihei Clark suffered nine turnovers at FSU and clearly needs some help to alleviate the pressure.
Virginia is also struggling to shoot the ball, although 46 percent in Tallahassee was an encouraging sign. Still, these Wahoos are inept when it comes to firing up 3-pointers, No. 346 out of 353 Division-I teams from behind the arc at 26.6 percent.
That actually may not hurt them in Atlanta, where the ACC’s two worst 3-point shooting teams will square off. The Yellow Jackets are connecting on only 28.9 percent from Bonusphere.
About the only thing predictable in this season of unpredictability in the league is that most ACC games are going to be all-out dogfights.
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton reminded media a few nights ago that 70 percent of his team’s games are determined by a mere four points or less. The Seminoles knocked off UVA by four. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech, despite shooting 68 percent in the second half, lost by four points to Notre Dame.
Beating the Jackets hasn’t been a huge problem for the Cavaliers of late. In fact, UVA has a five-game winning streak in the series and has won 13 of the last 15 meetings, including an 81-51 blowout of Tech last season in Charlottesville.
Things have changed considerably for the reigning national champions. UVA has lost as many games in a row over the past two weeks than last year’s team lost the entire season.
The Cavaliers haven’t lost four games in a row since the 2016-17 season, and two of those were in overtime (a double-overtime loss at Virginia Tech to start the four-game string, followed by a loss to No. 12 Duke, a road loss at No. 10 UNC, and a home loss to Miami in overtime).
UVA coach Tony Bennett isn’t about to raise a white flag. His message to the Cavaliers after the FSU loss was positive.
“I told them you have to be strong and tough mentally, and this is a new territory for a lot of these guys,” Bennett said. “That’s just the situation. We have to turn around and play Georgia Tech [Saturday] so you don’t have time to get discouraged.
“I don’t know how the mind of an 18- to 23-year-old works, but it is my job to try to get the team ready, to encourage and challenge them and push them and repeat, over and over.”
The Yellow Jackets will be fired up, boosted perhaps by the 30th anniversary celebration of the 1990 Final Four team. Kenny Anderson will be the lone member of “Lethal Weapon 3” in attendance due to Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver having TV broadcast duties preventing them from attending the festivities.
Coach Bobby Cremins will also be on hand.
Still, playing at home may not be that much of an advantage for Tech. The Jackets actually have a better record in road games than games at the McCamish Pavilion where they are 3-5 (they’re 3-3 on the road).
