A surprise greeted fans at Saturday’s Pepsi Blue-White Scrimmage — a quadrant of the John Paul Jones Arena concourse looked different, remodeled unobtrusively over the offseason, without announcement or fanfare. There was neon lighting and displays honoring big accomplishments and, in the middle, a case of trophies.
The case just stood there, waiting to be noticed, its flashy modern lighting visible from across the stadium. A staffer at one point walked past a pair of reporters ogling the new arrangement, chuckling at their amazed expressions.
“You like the new wall of fame?” the staffer asked.
They did. The main attraction, though, was the basketball down on the court.
It is one of the curious idiosyncrasies of big-time sports that people will turn out in droves to watch nothing of actual significance. It can seem jarring, in the moment, to witness people lined up 20 deep at metal detectors an hour before a slightly glorified scrimmage. But ultimately, it makes perfect sense.
Basketball, in this basketball-crazed town, had returned. Another long month stood between the scrimmage and actual hoops. But for a couple hours, whiffs of the upcoming college basketball season floated around and ultimately unclouded some of the offseason uncertainty.
The big question
One ginormous question has dominated this offseason — will there be an acceleration of pace? Will Virginia, annually the slowest team in college basketball, actually modify the measured style that drew such criticism last season?
Reports out of practice spoke of it. Visiting recruits echoed it. Coach Tony Bennett himself wondered aloud after last season about the need for change. But the real test, of course, is whether the promised changes actually materialize.
They certainly did Saturday. It felt almost disorienting, watching the game’s rhythm develop. It felt wrong — though of course it was extremely right.
As always, the offense still remains committed to finding the best shot. Especially playing against itself, the shot sometimes took a long time to materialize. In fact, the buzzer signaled a shot clock violation at least three times.
But the aspiration for speed was there. Ball-handlers jogged up court, or ran, in place of the usual putter. The action looked new and refreshing. It felt, all things considered, like the modern update so many have yearned for.
Three-point shooting
Alone at one hoop during warmups, with only a team manager to feed him, junior guard Isaac McKneely drilled three-pointers one after another. He hit, by one count, at least 15 in a row.
Then he hit 22 out of 25 in the three-point contest. Each stroke is an identical coiled motion, automatic and pleasingly robotic.
His selection as one of the two men’s representatives in the three-point contest surprised nobody. But joining him was redshirt freshman guard Christian Bliss, who went 18 for 25.
Bliss did not seem the obvious choice. What about sophomore forward TJ Power, the Duke transfer known for his shooting? What about junior guard Andrew Rohde, whose only real value has been his shooting?
Bliss’s selection over those two and others demonstrated the depth of this team’s shooters. He knocked down a couple in the actual game. So did Power, senior guard Taine Murray and senior guard Jalen Warley, a Florida State transfer.
The calculus, of course, switches in an actual game. Teams last season figured out ways to deny McKneely’s opportunities. But a team that shot 38 percent from deep in conference play last season should be even better than this year.
That team has McKneely, Power, Bliss and all the others. It should have excellent three-point shooting that stands as a pillar of its identity.
Some offensive struggles
The blue and white teams combined for 73 points in 30 minutes. That is, obviously, not that many.
It is tough, and perhaps unwise, to draw conclusions when Virginia plays Virginia. Defense will always reign. Every point is a flaming commodity. And every player knows his opponent’s tendencies all too well. But nothing about the scrimmage demonstrated enormous offensive improvement.
Sophomore forward Blake Buchanan, who was spotted traversing Grounds on crutches just over a month ago, looked bigger but not necessarily better, missing the same tentative floaters near the rim. Freshman forward Jacob Cofie, a tantalizing prospect, seemed astonishingly athletic and comfortable, vacuuming rebounds with an arresting fluidity. But he just looks a little one-dimensional offensively, as if he is not quite ready.
The point guard group appears solid but with no standouts. Warley displayed the most kineticism. Bliss made mature plays and impressed relative to expectations. Sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames, a Kansas State transfer, played with physicality and confidence.
It should be a solid group. But the scrimmage made it tough to say whether the offense had made the dramatic leap forward that is required.
Two transfers steal the show
Power is a former five-star. Junior forward Elijah Saunders, a San Diego State transfer, played in a Final Four. They were the offseason’s two high-profile pickups, and they lived up to their billing Saturday evening.
They led the game, by an unofficial count, in scoring — Saunders tallied 12 points and Power scored 10.
A red-haired whirlwind, Saunders drilled a couple three-pointers and slammed home one transition dunk, sending the net swishing sideways. He is big and athletic. Power knocked down his outside shots and threatened the paint, something he seldom did at Duke. He impressed as well and has clearly adjusted to Bennett’s program.
It is all academic, though, until Nov. 6, when Virginia hosts Campbell at JPJ to commence the 2024-25 season. The whiffs of college hoops that floated through the rafters Saturday will have to be enough until then.
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