Last Saturday, the Virginia men's basketball team watched a tie game against N.C. State slip into a double-digit deficit just minutes before halftime. From that point on, the Cavaliers never could regain a handle on the game and were left with their fourth consecutive loss -- their second straight defeat at home.
Virginia (12-8, 2-7 ACC) has gone 2-3 in the ACC at home this season, with their first loss coming at the hands of Duke. The Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0) cruised to a 93-71 victory in January and will host the Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. tonight in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Virginia captain Todd Billet understands the importance of home games and the result of home losses.
"We did not take advantage of being at home," Billet said. "We have to make up for it on the road. We have to get a couple of road wins."
Saturday's game was eerily similar to Virginia's first matchup with the Duke Blue Devils. The Cavs not only hung around for a good portion of the first half, they held a 30-28 lead with about eight minutes left in the half. But Duke put together a 16-8 run to close the stanza and a 10-0 run early in the second half to put Virginia easily away as they rolled to a 93-71 victory.
When Virginia travels to Durham tonight to take on No. 1 Duke, they will face the same task they have struggled with all season. The Cavaliers need to keep the game close for the entire 40 minutes because too often one good spurt by the opponent is too much for them to overcome.
Furthermore, Virginia has been plagued by offense inconsistencies from game to game. In the last four games, Billet has only managed 20 total points. While Billet is only Virginia's third leading scorer, his recent struggles can be attributed to the increased defensive pressure he faces.
"When you can shoot the ball in this league, a man is going to be on you," Billet said. "They are keying on me a little bit. I need to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves for me."
Along with Billet's recent offensive woes, the Cavaliers' leading scorer, Elton Brown, struggled in his last outing against N.C. State. Brown produced only five points in 14 minutes of play. This is quite a drop from the 20-point average the junior had in the three games prior to Saturday.
Virginia coach Pete Gillen attributed Brown's subpar game to frustration.
Elton Brown "had some good looks inside," Gillen said. "He gets frustrated sometimes. When he loses concentration, he gets angry at himself and at the world, because he is so upset and so emotional."
Because of Virginia's tendency to succumb to early deficits and their offensive inconsistencies, a low scoring affair should give the Cavaliers their best chance at coming away with the upset victory. In Virginia's seven ACC losses, the Cavaliers surrendered an average of 84 points per game. But in their two victories, Virginia only gave up an average of 58 points per game.
However, containing the Blue Devil offense will be a tall task, considering Duke's steady offensive prowess and firepower. The Blue Devils have four players -- J.J. Redick, Luol Deng, Shelden Williams and Daniel Ewing -- that average in double figures.
If the Cavaliers find a way to keep it close, play with intensity and focus for the entire 40 minutes, tonight's game has the potential to be much more interesting than anyone expects. Otherwise, Virginia should be in for another long night.
Read More
Women’s basketball displays stingy defense, but falls short versus No. 14 Duke
By Xander Tilock | 4 hours agoThe Cavaliers nearly conquered a ranked rival but could not generate consistent offense.
You cannot say money is the problem for Virginia football
By Peter Kriebel | 10 hours agoMoney, after all, is just one aspect of a winning program.
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 22 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
