In a tough one, the Virginia Cavaliers (16-3, 5-2) dropped just their third game of the year, falling to North Carolina (16-4, 4-3) inside what was a rowdy John Paul Jones Arena. The ‘Hoos were unable
to build off a solid first half, losing 85-80.
Here are four takeaways from UVA’s loss.
UVA’s lack of transition defense changed the game
UVA’s 11 to UNC’s four turnovers swung this game drastically into the road team’s favor. Carolina helped itself to the tune of 19 points from those giveaways, while the ‘Hoos mustered up just two.
The ‘Hoos allowed 21 fast break points in the game, while allowing just seven of those in the first half. Despite winning the rebounding battle, UNC consistently won races down the floor with Caleb Wilson and Jarin Stevenson hustling down the floor on numerous occasions for easy layups and dunks.
Carolina’s offense was visibly off in the first half. The freebies that the ‘Hoos allowed undoubtedly let Carolina claw back and eventually erase the lead from the the first half and continue to convert on those lapses throughout the rest of the contest.
The Thijs De Ridder-Caleb Wilson matchup didn’t disappoint
On a day where numerous representatives from NBA franchises were on hand at JPJ, the stars showed out with De Ridder and Wilson both having moments of brilliance. De Ridder led all UVA scorers with 20 points, going 7-of-11 from the field and he did it from all three levels.
He used his size to take advantage of Carolina’s defenders in the paint, while also drilling a three to go with eight rebounds and two assists. Not to mention a sweet spin move down the stretch of the second half. When the ‘Hoos needed one-on-one scoring, De Ridder was up to the challenge for most of this game.
Wilson poured in 20 points of his own, despite UVA’s bigs forcing him to earn each and every look he got. With Carolina hunting switches, Johann Gruenloh, Chance Mallory, Dallin Hall, Ugonna Onyenso, and Devin Tillis all had their moments defending the future NBA-pick, in addition to De Ridder. For the most part, all did well when it came to half-court defense — forcing him to pass out of opportunities or shoot fadeaway jumpers. Free throws and fast break dunks wouldn’t suggest that from strictly looking at the box score.
Wilson’s athleticism stood out, with the glaring example being his clutch bucket in the final minute of the game to cap his 20-point game. His defense made a huge difference as well, blocking two shots and nabbing two steals. Wilson might have been undersold as a second team selection to start the season, having still reached the 20-point mark with UVA throwing the kitchen sink at him.
Spacing things out helped Wilson and Jarin Stevenson get going
Gruenloh and Onyenso made everything tough in the first half. Altering shots, despite blocking only one of the team’s eventual two in the game, to ultimately help the ‘Hoos build out the nine-point lead at the half. The second half was a different story, thanks in large part to a better use of the pick game by Hubert Davis’ team.
Space was hard to come by as a result of UVA’s size in the half-court. No matter who drove in the first half, they were often met by multiple UVA defenders. Combine that with the Tar Heels shooting just 36% from the field in the opening half, and it’s easy to understand why UVA’s defenses seemed so suffocating.
Carolina used fly-bys and slips to get its guards better chances with less traffic around the rim as the game progressed, with Stevenson being the beneficiary on multiple occasions, particularly from three en-route to his 17-point second half performance.
For Wilson, the high pick and roll helped him gain space with less help near the rim and keep the frequent double teams UVA was throwing at him away, allowing his NBA-level skillset to help close the win. UVA had trouble deciphering whether to switch or stay attached, particularly in the middle of the floor, and they paid for it in the end.
Dallin Hall showed his value once again, despite the loss
Hall came into today not shooting the ball particularly great, but again, he filled in the gaps with winning plays throughout the game. Finishing with a balanced stat line of eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists, he provided jolts of intensity whenever he was subbed back into the game.
Perhaps the most ‘Dallin Hall’ moment of the game came in the first half where Hall made a layup, played great defense to force a miss by Wilson, and grabbed a board on the other end to assist Gruenloh’s lone triple. He played solid man-to-man defense each of the handful of times he was forced to play big down low on Wilson in his few chances as well.
The hustle continues to be there for Hall, whether it is those gritty offensive rebounds, or diving for the loose ball that, upon what felt like a 20 minute review, was overturned back in UVA’s favor.
