On Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Cavaliers (5-4) lost their ACC opener for the first time since 2008, falling to the SMU Mustangs 63-51 in Dallas.
Despite holding a 45-38 advantage with 10:19 left, the ‘Hoos did not make a single field goal for the final 10 minutes of the game while the Mustangs went on a 25-6 run to pull away. Isaac McKneely was Virginia’s lone double digit scorer with 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and a 4-for-8 mark from three.
With the loss, we have five takeaways for the ‘Hoos moving forward.
Virginia reverts back to mover-blocker offense with typical results
When Dai Dai Ames left Saturday’s game for good – due to a sprained ankle according to Ron Sanchez – with 10:39 remaining in the first half, the Cavaliers almost completely reverted back to running their sides (or mover-blocker) offense for the remainder of the game.
Despite running some new offensive looks across the first nine games of the season, Virginia has not revolutionized its offensive scheme to throw out the systems that have doomed them in recent seasons. That was apparent against SMU.
Granted, with Ames out, relying on mover-blocker to create space for shooters like McKneely, Ishan Sharma, and Taine Murray who aren’t playmakers themselves is logical. But, as it has for the last five plus years, UVA’s offense was too reliant on the midrange and on one shooter (McKneely in this case) to make shots.
McKneely got going early in the second half with 10 points across a 7:07 stretch. Yet SMU adjusted, pressing out on McKneely and making it difficult for him to catch the ball. The Virginia offense sputtered as a result.
The scheme is hardly the entirety of UVA’s offensive issue. But it’s awfully frustrating to repeatedly see the Virginia coaching staff fail to scheme up and implement new offense.
The Wahoo offense needs Dai Dai Ames
On that point, Dai Dai Ames’ value to this Virginia team was never more evident than in this loss. He is essentially the only Cavalier who can create offense for himself – beyond McKneely’s three-point heroics – and touch the paint consistently.
Ames is not perfect – he turns the ball over too much with a 22.1% turnover rate per KenPom. His 55.6% shooting clip from three makes up for that, and so does his impact as a creator. Without him, Virginia was literally and figuratively running in circles on offense. The zero made field goals across the final 10:19 was evidence of that.
It’s tough to completely fault the UVA coaching staff and the scheme for the team’s offensive issues this season and in this game. The pieces simply aren’t enough to fit together as a puzzle, and Ames’ absence took one of the biggest ones off the board. Ideally for the ‘Hoos, he won’t miss much time due to his sprained ankle.
UVA’s starting frontcourt is becoming a problem
Blake Buchanan and Elijah Saunders had bad games against SMU. They combined to shoot 1-for-10, score seven points, nab just six rebounds, and commit six fouls. SMU freshman Samet Yigitoglu abused them in the post all game long.
Buchanan has become a black hole on offense, and he lacks the strength to contain post threats like Yigitoglu. Defenses have been playing off him on the perimeter and forcing him to beat them, which he hasn’t been able to do.
Saunders is coming off a 19-point performance versus Florida on Wednesday, and he’s averaging 9.4 points per game. But his struggles physically have negated his impact on both sides of the floor. His post-up game is limited against major conference opponents, he’s been a liability on the defensive glass, and he hasn’t shot well enough to make up for those issues.
Virginia does not have many other options in the frontcourt. Redshirt freshman center Anthony Robinson got two minutes against SMU and Jacob Cofie continues to be a quality bench contributor. Yet Virginia needs at least one and probably both of Buchanan and Saunders to be much more reliable if the ‘Hoos want to be more than a middle of the pack ACC team.
Ishan Sharma and Jacob Cofie make push for minutes over veterans
For some glimmer of optimism, true freshmen Ishan Sharma and Jacob Cofie both pushed their way into Virginia’s lineup down the stretch of this loss. Neither was fantastic, and both had quintessential freshman moments.
Cofie scored eight points on 3-for-6 shooting with a few nice individual buckets in the second half. Sharma notched three points on 1-for-3 shooting while helping to run the offense in Ames’ absence.
Cofie’s late missed dunk and Sharma’s live ball turnover on an attempted pass to McKneely were costly. Yet their experience being on the floor in those moment should pay off over time. With how the frontcourt players around him are performing, Cofie is going to need to have a big role on this team. Plus, Sharma’s shooting ability could become important for the ‘Hoos off the bench.
Virginia’s trend of second half collapses continues
In three of Virginia’s four losses so far this season, the second half has spelled disaster for the ‘Hoos. On Saturday, it was a 25-6 run from SMU in the final 10 minutes that cost the ‘Hoos the game. Versus Florida, the Gators’ 25-9 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half made the difference. In The Bahamas, Tennessee’s 25-8 run in the last 10 minutes sealed the deal.
Virginia has been competitive through the first half in every game except its loss to St. John’s. In most contests, the ‘Hoos have stuck around even halfway through the second half. The Cavaliers simply haven’t been able to go the distance against any legitimate competition beyond Villanova.
That’s a sign of Virginia’s significant youth and inexperience. Their 1.49 average years of Division I experience (per KenPom) is 229th in the country and 15th in the ACC. That suggests that there will be some room for improvement for the Cavaliers as the season progresses. Yet there’s no guarantee that just because Virginia plays young now that they’ll be more of a 40-minute team down the line.
Bottom line, UVA needs to be more diverse offensively, stronger on the inside defensively, and less mistake-prone if Ron Sanchez’s team is going to reach the .500 mark in the ACC this season. It’s a low bar, but that’s where this team is right now.
