The No. 2 Virginia men’s basketball looks to continue its two-game winning streak Wednesday when it travels to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the NC State Wolfpack. The game will be Virginia’s first since Jan. 25 against an unranked opponent.
After dropping its first game of the season to Duke two weeks ago, the Cavaliers (21-1, 9-1) rebounded with strong statements against North Carolina and Louisville. Against the Tar Heels, Virginia looked a bit sluggish to start and trailed 33-32 at the half. However, the Cavaliers shook off the post-loss rust and seized control of the game. Lead by junior guard Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia disposed of the 12th-ranked team in the country by double digits.
The Cavaliers’ win over No. 9 Louisville in Charlottesville may not have been nearly as pretty as the second-half domination of North Carolina, but it was illuminating. It showed something that everyone paying attention to college basketball knows — Virginia’s defense is incredibly good. It held a top-10 program without a point for over 12 minutes in this game.
Virginia also showed that it can win without one of its top offensive threats: junior guard Justin Anderson. The Montrose, Virginia native fractured a finger on his left hand early in the first half and scored just two points in the game. Without Anderson, Brogdon and others stepped up to fill the void and were able to stave off the late Cardinal push lead by junior Montrezl Harrell.
“I thought we were very good. I thought we forced them to shoot tough shots and make tough buckets,” Brogdon said.
In Wednesday’s matchup, Virginia will again look to its deep bench to help make up for Anderson’s continuing absence. Notably, the Cavaliers will need Brogdon and sophomore point guard London Perrantes to hit outside shots as Anderson leads the team in three-point shooting, averaging 48 percent on the year. Also look for junior forward Evan Nolte’s expanded presence while Anderson is out, as he has the ability to hit the three.
“In the Louisville game I brought Evan in off the bench first and started him in the second half,” Bennett said. “There will be more opportunities for Marial [Shayok] and for Evan as you saw against Louisville.”
Another critical piece of the puzzle will be how freshman guard Marial Shayok steps up to fill the void. Shayok has played in all 22 games this year and averages nearly 15 minutes each, largely due to his intensity on the defensive side of the ball. The 6’5” guard regularly matches elite opponents and is often able to shut them down. Add in 41.3 percent shooting from the field, and Virginia has a viable replacement for its electric guard.
“Everybody is going to have to step up,” Bennett said.
Despite these players stepping in, the Wolfpack (14-10, 5-6 ACC) undoubtedly will look to exploit the Cavaliers’ weakened roster in its first game without Anderson. NC State is coming off of a tough loss to Wake Forest — however, it has consistently been a strong team to play at home this season. The Wolfpack gave UNC a scare on Jan. 14 when they lost 81-79 and then pushed Notre Dame to overtime 11 days later. On the other hand, Virginia is undefeated on the road this season.
This game is also of interest as it marks the first time in 2015 that Virginia will see a team for a second time. In the first matchup in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers won 61-51 behind an 11-point performance from junior center Mike Tobey.
The matchup showed how dangerous the Wolfpack can be if they are hot, however, as senior guard Ralston Turner hit all four of his first-half three-pointers in the matchup. Virginia’s perimeter defenders must challenge Turner and his counterpart, junior Trevor Lacey — a 42 percent shooter from behind the line — if they are to avoid the upset.
“If we make a big deal out of how we got through the ‘gauntlet’, and take a breath or relax, that’s a big mistake,” Bennett said. “We think about getting ready for North Carolina State at North Carolina State on the road, it’s going to be challenging.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
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