Defense has been the bedrock of the Virginia Cavaliers’ program ever since Tony Bennett arrived in Charlottesville over a decade-and-a-half ago. So, it should come as no surprise that, while the shiny
new offense has defined the transition to the Ryan Odom era, it’s an uptick in defensive intensity and an emphasis on getting stops that has the 16th-ranked ’Hoos playing their best basketball of the season.
On New Year’s Day, the morning after UVA suffered a gut-wrenching triple-overtime loss at the hands of Virginia Tech, the ’Hoos ranked 56th in the country (via KenPom) in defensive efficiency. Less than two weeks later, after three of its most dominant performances of the season, Virginia has climbed 34 spots and now boasts the country’s 22nd-best defensive rating.
“I think the guys are just making improvements,” Odom said of UVA’s defense in his media availability earlier this week. “The press has been effective in terms of taking the clock — the guys have been more intentional with getting teams deeper into their shot clock. And then, the rebounding has improved. And so, when you put those different aspects together, you have a better chance to get a stop on a given possession and fewer breakdowns.”
Odom doesn’t utilize the same Packline defense that Bennett made famous, but the goals of the new system are astonishingly similar. With a constant full-court press, the ’Hoos try to slow down their opponents, delaying the start of their offense until there’s close to 20 seconds left on the shot clock. With the timer winding down, teams will often have to simplify their offensive sets or make rushed decisions, leading to forced shots and turnovers (Stanford racked up six shot clock violations against the ’Hoos on Saturday afternoon).
Rapid improvements in “the urgency [and] the understanding of how we’re trying to play defense,” are at the heart of the defensive advancements, Odom said. As the ’Hoos continue to gel in the new system and get accustomed to playing with one another, “the connectivity” has taken leaps in the past few games.
In its past three contests, Virginia has held each of its opponents — NC State, Cal, and Stanford — to 61 points or fewer. The rotations have been quicker and more deliberate, and the defense has played with a level of cohesion that it lacked early in the year. The ’Hoos have looked like a team that’s truly beginning to understand its purpose on the defensive end, and with that increased level of comfort comes the opportunity to play with greater energy and intensity.
“I think communication is a big part of it,” Odom said. “The efforts are there. The understanding that we can get teams deeper into the clock — [that] the press certainly can help with that … And, finishing with a rebound.”
The strength of UVA’s defense still lies in the interior, where Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Oyenso are combining for 5.1 blocks per game, each ranking inside the nation’s top 16 in swatted shots. But improvements in the backcourt have proved decisive in the new year.
“It’s huge,” Odom said on point guard Malik Thomas’s recent defensive improvements. “Everybody wants Malik and others to do well, and certainly, [against Cal], there were definitely strides made, no doubt about it. He was playing at a much higher level, with much more intensity, and just fewer mistakes. Even in the Stanford game, same thing, and so we’re excited for where he’s at right now.”
Thomas had a pair of blocks against the Golden Bears last week as the veteran has really begun to find his footing on the defensive end. Elsewhere in the backcourt, freshman Chance Mallory continues to be a pest for opposing ballhandlers, racking up a combined five steals over Virginia’s past two games.
The other major improvement, which Odom is always quick to highlight, is the increased emphasis on rebounding. Virginia has been phenomenal on the glass in January, outrebounding its past three opponents by an average margin of 11.7 boards per game.
“You can force all the misses you want, but if you can’t rebound the basketball, you didn’t play the defense that you set out to play,” Odom said. “And I think our guys are understanding of the importance of each facet of a possession.”
UVA’s improved defense will be put to the test in the coming weeks, as the ’Hoos get set for their toughest stretch of the season. Beginning Tuesday night with a trip to No. 20 Louisville, UVA will face four consecutive quad-one matchups, with three on the road.
“I think you just have to get out on [Louisville’s] shooters without fouling, and make sure that you’re able still to be in gaps,” Odom said of the Cardinals’ offense, which ranks tenth in the nation in efficiency (via KenPom). “They’re really good at driving to the basket and finishing at the rim. They have multiple finishers, and so you can’t just sell out guarding the three because they’ll kill you at the two … You have to make sure that the contest is of high quality, and then you finish with a rebound. They’re relentless in the way that they offensive rebound, and so it’s going to be a big challenge even if we do force misses to come up with the ball.”
Though the Cardinals are still without second-leading scorer Mikel Brown Jr., the Cavaliers enter as 3.5-point underdogs on Tuesday night against one of the nation’s most potent offensive squads. Tipoff from the KFC Yum! Center is set for 7 PM EST with coverage available on ESPN2.
