Virginia must contain Bacot in tonight’s rematch with Tar Heels in ACC quarterfinals

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Tony Bennett was asked in his postgame interviews Wednesday night, what has changed with his team since Jan. 8.

Fresh off a 51-50, second-round victory over Louisville in the ACC Tournament, Bennett knew exactly where the question was coming from. By eliminating Louisville, the Cavaliers were set to face North Carolina in Thursday night’s quarterfinals (9:30, ESPN). Jan. 8 was the last time — the only time — UVA has played Carolina this season.

In that meeting two months ago, the Tar Heels obliterated the Cavaliers, 74-58, in a game that didn’t seem even as close as the final score. UNC’s Armando Bacot put up 29 points and 22 rebounds against Virginia, which had no answer for the Heels’ big man. No player had put up those kinds of numbers against UVA since Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan in 1997 (21 points, 23 rebounds).

Making matters worse, Carolina sharpshooters Brady Manek and Caleb Love scored 19 and 16, respectively, primarily from the 3-point line.

So, what has changed with Bennett’s team since that first meeting, which left the Cavaliers at 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the ACC?

“Yeah, that’s what I like about this team,” Bennett answered. “I said from where we were to start the season, they’ve improved. Overall, the team has improved. Individuals have improved and the team has improved.

“That means a lot to me because you want to be healthy and you want to be improved and playing good basketball at this time of the year, and I think these guys are doing that.”

Virginia, the sixth seed in Brooklyn, is 19-12 (12-8 ACC), and has scored wins over top-seeded Duke and Miami (twice) since that Jan. 8 battle with the Tar Heels. As Bennett mentioned, players have improved.

Kadin Shedrick has probably been the most-improved of the lot, as the 6-foot-11 center has become a dependable force in the paint. Not only has Shedrick become an offensive weapon, but has evolved into an effective shot blocker and rim protector, which will be incredibly important to prevent Bacot from going off again.

Francisco Caffaro, a physical, 7-1 center, has become capable on both ends of the floor and will also be a key in preventing Bacot from controlling offensive rebounds when the Tar Heels are on the attack.

Jayden Gardner has become the player everyone thought he would be after transferring from East Carolina. Gardner is the leading scorer (15.3 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.8) for the Cavaliers, and has become lethal with his mid-range jumper. He has also evolved into the most-improved defensive player on the team.

The backcourt of Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman have developed a nice chemistry. Both are effective defenders, with Beekman assigned to shut down opponents’ best scorers. He was runner-up for ACC Defensive Player of the Year, an award many observers felt he deserved to win.

Beekman has also become more assertive offensively and is expanding his game to where he is a 3-point threat and explosive in attacking the basket, as evidenced in last night’s huge drive to the rim in a drawn-up isolation play that gave Virginia a two-possession lead in the waning moments of the win over Louisville.

That leads us to Armaan Franklin, who has been UVA’s second-leading scorer on the season with an 11.1-ppg average, but has fallen into an offensive slump.

In the past seven games, Franklin has reached double figures only twice, scoring 13 points in a home loss to Florida State and 13 in last Saturday’s win at Louisville.

However, he failed to score in Wednesday night’s third-game sweep of Louisville in the second round, missing all eight field-goal attempts. During the seven-game span, Franklin is 18 of 58 from the field (31 percent).

Brought in to boost Virginia’s scoring ability from the 3-point arc after shooting 42 percent from that range before transferring from Indiana, Franklin has also slumped late in the season, making only 8 of 32 attempts over the past eight games.

The Cavaliers desperately need a contribution from Franklin against the Tar Heels to help spread the floor and help open things up for UVA’s bigs.

Without a strong bench, Virginia won’t have a lot of bodies to throw at Bacot & Co., but can’t afford to back off the physicality like it did in Chapel Hill when the Cavaliers weren’t getting a body on Bacot all game long.

Meanwhile, UNC fans are concerned that the Tar Heels are still sky-high after spoiling Mike Krzyzewski’s going-away party at Cameron last Saturday night when they defeated Duke. Carolina coach Hubert Davis doesn’t believe that’s the case.

“The confidence and the joy that I think our players are feeling is because of that, it’s not directed on this past Saturday,” Davis told reporters this week. “I think it’s based upon the last month and a half and just how well we’re playing.”

Carolina has won 11 of its last 13 games, and its last five in a row, coming into tonight’s game.

The Heels have shown a slight tendency to lose intensity after a big win and have been vulnerable to the upset. Davis is fighting that theory with words.

“In terms of identity, I think we’re a tough team, a resilient team, and I think that’s been proven by the way that this team has continued to persevere and bounce back through ups and downs in the season to put themselves in a position where they are right now,” Davis said. “I can’t be any happier.”

Bennett knows that UNC has elevated its play over the season, the recent win over Duke serving as Exhibit A.

“They’re playing good basketball, they’re very talented and seems like they’re peaking at the right time,” Bennett said. “It’s a great opportunity for us, a great challenge to be as good as we can be in our way and try and get it done.”

Virginia, which owned a seven-game winning streak (all against former coach Roy Williams) heading into the season, is fighting for its postseason life and enters the game very much on the proverbial NCAA bubble. A win might not put them in the field, but a loss would certainly cast the Cavaliers into the NIT.