The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team (3-0) earned its third dominant victory of the season in a late Tuesday night game against the Hampton Pirates. The ‘Hoos maintained the lead for the duration
of the game, winning with a final score of 91-53. Despite the blowout win, Virginia demonstrated a few key insights in their development, especially in the more-competitive first half.
Here are our three takeaways from Virginia’s Tuesday win in Charlottesville.
Ugonna Onyenso’s double-double marks another statement for Virginia’s frontcourt
After previous wins against Rider and NC Central, Virginia faced a bigger opponent in Hampton. Seven-footers Johann Gruenloh and Ugonna Onyenso shared plenty of minutes, giving Virginia a big presence on the floor.
While Onyenso didn’t start the game, he definitely owned it. He led the team with an impressive 18 points, 10 rebounds (four offensive), and four blocks. It’s not just that he’s effective, he’s fun.
Like Thijs De Ridder, he’s an all-around threat, hitting two three-pointers and a couple of nasty dunks. Plus, he’s running the floor to get the fast-break or defensive play – defying all stereotypes of a 7-foot post player.
While De Ridder had a quieter five points, he played classically good on-ball defense. He plays with his body, not his hands, limiting reach-in foul trouble. For a guy his size, his footwork is impressive, keeping players out of the lane on the drive with his hands up – De Ridder is playing the fundamentals.
Not to be left out, Gruenloh added nine points and four blocks himself, continuing to make his presence felt on either end of the floor.
The three up front may be the not-so-secret weapon for the Virginia squad this season. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how teams scout and defend Virginia’s post – and how head coach Ryan Odom responds.
The roster has depth – and Odom is using it
Odom tested a number of lineups throughout the game, keeping a steady rotation of subs. We saw Chance Mallory rotate in for Dallin Hall at point guard, Onyenso come off the bench for half of the game, and both Elijah Gertrude and Jacari White bring the ball up. By the end of the night, 10 players tallied double-digit minutes for Virginia.
But it’s not just the fact that players are hitting the floor – it’s that so many of them are making an impact. Five Virginia players scored in the double digits, indicating not only good ball movement, but that players are ready (and being coached) to score.
Dallin Hall was a true point guard, leading the team with seven assists to orchestrate the offense. And, with the team hitting 50% from beyond the arc, there’s no doubt that Virginia wants to be an all-around three-point shooting team.
UVA took its fair-share of contested shots. On more than one occasion early on, players like White tried to cross-up their man behind the arc for an unnecessary contested three. (Still, White had ten points against Hampton, so he made up for it).
Perhaps it’s a symptom of early-season games or the new style of college basketball. While there may be a psychological default for some of the guys to make plays themselves, it’s evident that Odom is coaching them for an all-around, team offense. When they move the ball, it’s pretty to watch. Despite a couple sloppy passes here and there (which will likely become rarer as the season progresses), the team is communicating – calling for the ball on the block, setting picks at the top of the key, crashing the basket for the rebound, and tallying a number of assists.
For only the third game of the season for an entirely new roster, there’s some healthy team play going on. With the talent they have, it all makes the team fun to watch.
Despite faster pace, Virginia still played into the shot clock
Virginia made Hampton play long stretches on offense, forcing the Pirates into two shot clock violations. Even with an early double-digit lead, the ‘Hoos were picking up full-court man-to-man defense, indicating a new kind of defensive pressure for the program. Plus, we saw the return of the post double-team, which had some success.
But Virginia displayed patience on the other side of the floor, too. The ‘Hoos had a number of last-second buckets, keeping their composure deep into the shot clock. Hall had a last-second three-pointer from the corner, plus Onyenso’s buzzer beater at the end of the first half from deep.
Even into the last leg of the second half when the ‘Hoos were dominating with an almost 40-point lead, Odom was still calling plays from the sidelines. As the game grew less competitive with Virginia’s blowout lead, the night shifted to what felt more like a scrimmage. While some of that comes with the territory of early-season play – it’s a good sign that Virginia has the talent, game plan, and patience to win early-game possessions.
