Tennessee basketball advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament by knocking off Miami (Ohio) 78-56. The Vols are looking to make a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16. Standing in their way is three-seed Virginia.
Here’s a quick look at the Cavaliers ahead of the NCAA Tournament matchup.
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How The Cavaliers Got Here
Virginia has exceeded all expectations in Ryan Odom’s first season as head coach. They earned a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament by posting a 29-5 (15-3 ACC) record entering the Big Dance.
The Cavaliers dropped just one non conference game against Butler. After losing their ACC opener at Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers won 15 of their next 17 games to close the regular season. It’s lone losses in that stretch came versus North Carolina and at Duke.
Virginia’s fifth loss came in a tight game against Duke in the ACC Tournament Championship. The Cavaliers best wins this season include Texas, Miami (twice), Louisville, Ohio State and NC State (twice).
Odom’s squad picked up their 30th win of the season Friday when they survived a scare against 14-seed Wright State thanks to a 26-point performance by Jacari White.
Virginia’s Strengths
Virginia is a pretty well rounded team that does most things well. Offensively, they rank 46th nationally by shooting 36.3% from three-point range and 53rd nationally by shooting 55.2% from two-point range.
The Cavaliers shoot an abundance of three-pointers, taking 46.6% of their shots from beyond the arc. Much like Miami (Ohio), Virginia has a number of players that can knock down shots. Six Cavalier players have hit over 30 three-pointers this season including three who have knocked down over 60.
While the three-point shooting quantity is much different from Tennessee, the Cavaliers hammer the offensive glass like Tennessee. Virginia ranks 10th nationally in offensive rebound rate and fifth amongst teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament.
Lastly, Virginia is stellar at defending the rim. They have the seventh best two-point defense in the country largely thanks to Ugonna Onyenso who leads the country in block rate.
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Virginia’s Weaknesses
There’s not really any glaring weaknesses but a few areas the Cavaliers struggle. Virginia does not force turnovers at a high rate and they have also had some turnover issues themselves at times this season.
For as good as Virginia has been on the offensive glass, they have been just average on the defensive glass. They have had four games this season allowing their opponent to grab over 40% of their missed shots. Tennessee could capitalize.
Virginia is not good at drawing fouls and getting to the foul line. And when they get there, they’re not super efficient at capitalizing. They’re not a terrible free throw shooting team but not as good as you’d expect given their three-point shooting prowess.
Standout Cavaliers
This is a very balanced team with multiple players that can beat opponents on any given night.
Thijs De Ridder is Virginia’s leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points on 34% shooting from three-point range. The 6-foot-9, 238-pound forward and his skillset presents issues for Tennessee. A banged up Nate Ament likely won’t be physical enough to defend him. Are Amari Evans or Bishop Boswell big enough? Maybe Felix Okpara draws the assignment.
Virginia has three guards that can beat you on any given night. San Fransisco transfer Malik Thomas is averaging 12.4 points on 34.8% shooting from three-point range. North Dakota State transfer Jacari White is averaging 9.3 points on 44.7% three-point shooting. White scored 26 points in the win over Wright State.
Freshman Chance Mallory chose Virginia over Tennessee and is averaging 9.3 points on 34.5% shooting from three-point range. None of the three guards are super consistent, but all are capable of turning in a big performance.
Inside, Ugonna Onyenso is not a great offensive player but can shoot the ball a bit and clean up trash at the rim. He is also an elite defender, blocking 103 shots this season. When he’s on the bench, fellow 7-footer Johann Grunloh can come in and protect the basket. He’s totaled 78 blocks this season.
