We’re off to a good enough start.
I was heartened by two things: that the underclassmen aren’t intimidated by the stage in the slightest (but did you really think they would be?) and that we showed really well crowd-wise considering the added distance the move to Brooklyn has inserted between Charlottesville and their beloved ‘Hoos. Confirmed: Virginia alums are everywhere.
There were defensive lapses on and off over the first 25 minutes, and I don’t think we always got the best possible looks out of our offense, but no issues that I’d quantify as major. I’d love a fully healthy Isaiah Wilkins and a repaired Marial Shayok, but I’d also love a Brooklyn Halal cart outside my house. Everyone has nagging issues at this time of the season.
By virtue of the double bye, Notre Dame has been just hanging out on a normal ACC schedule this week. The Irish finished the regular season 23–8 and 12–6 in the league, winning six of seven (alert — three of those were against BC and NC State) to finish the year after losing all four of a difficult quartet that began with the first meeting with us and then included Duke, Georgia Tech, and UNC.
Notre Dame is similar to Pitt in some ways in that they go four (and recently five) out on offense and they’re not deep in the slightest. The biggest difference? Coaching. Mike Brey is one of the ACC’s best.
The Irish were looking like a finely tuned machine as of the first meeting, but their offense took a dive over the course of the middle of the season and they ended with the eighth-most efficient O in the league. A good Irish possession starts with a Matt Farrell (14.2 ppg) high pick and roll with Bonzie Colson (17). Farrell then can either drive for his own offense, for a dish (5.5 apg) to one of V.J. Beachem (15.4 ppg, 38.7% 3PT), Steve Vasturia (13.5, 35.7% but in a major slump — 12–58, 20.7 percent — dating back to January, from the arc), shoot (he’s a 42.5% 3PT shooter), or dish to Colson, who, as London Perrantes mentioned last night, is basically a giant guard. Colson can then either drive to the rim — a terrifying sight for those in his path — pop a jumper, or dish to one of the shooters. The Notre Dame offense emphasizes pinpoint passing that leads to open threes; they recorded assists on 55% of their baskets this season in ACC play (with all of their regulars except Beachem averaging multiple assists) and turned it over on a league-low 14.5% of their possessions. Threes comprised more than 40% of their shot attempts, and with Rex Pflueger joining the starting lineup, all five starters can fire them.
Defensively, they’re fine. No single Irishman excels on that end, but they all buy into what Brey is teaching and are rarely caught out of position. In spite of Colson’s Herculean efforts, the side effect of their small ball getting smaller is that they’re awful on the glass — they finished 12th in ACC play in defensive rebounding (67.1%) and 14th on the offensive glass (25.3%).
We’ve had a lot of success against the Irish since they arrived in the ACC — a perfect 4–0 mark with three coming by double digits — and I think that’s because we mitigate a lot of their strengths without really trying. When everything is clicking, the Pack Line is designed to limit penetration and make it difficult to read your offense (our opponent assist percentage is always among the lowest in the ACC), and while we allow three point attempts, we routinely boast a compliment of long wing players that at least make them difficult looks. Colson (8–9, 20 points) got his in the first meeting, but Farrell (just six shots) and Beachem (0–5 on threes) were silenced.
Colson is a challenging matchup, especially with Wilkins limited. Jack Salt will have to do time there early, but if he gets into foul trouble or proves not-quite-mobile enough, we may need to use Mamadi Diakite on him. Whoever takes the job, the rotations will need to be good.
Virginia Eights:
G: London Perrantes — 6'2'’ sr #32
London started last night so slowly that the Press Row buzz was that he might still be sick — at this point, any time anyone has a bad game, they’re sick — but he came alive late when we needed him.
G: Devon Hall — 6'5'’ jr. #0
Dev defended Michael Young really well last night, which is a testament to the kind of season he’s had: he was recruited as a point guard, but has played four positions and guarded five, and done it all well. I’m ready for his shot to return, though.
G: Kyle Guy — 6'3'’ fr #5
It’s hard to watch a game like last night and not imagine KG consistently getting 15–20 as soon as next season. I’m not saying it will happen — it’s rare in the Embrace the Pace era — but you can imagine it, right?
G: Ty Jerome — 6'5'’ fr #11
My favorite thing about Ty Jerome is how much of the non-box score stuff he does: the pass that leads to the pass, securing the loose ball, grabbing the long rebound, throwing a little elbow into the screener, etc. The box score stuff doesn’t hurt: he’s scored in double digits in consecutive games, hitting 6–13 threes.
F: Jack Salt — 6'11'’ so #33
Jack played 24 minutes, defended the rim, and grabbed three offensive boards in the first meeting with Notre Dame. He guarded Young some yesterday, so I sense a growing comfort with him moving his feet on the perimeter.
F: Isaiah Wilkins — 6'7'’ jr #21
Zay has been gutting it out — he has 14 points and 21 rebounds over our last three games — but he hasn’t been right. We really need him, especially against a team like this.
G: Darius Thompson — 6'4'’ jr #51
Darius is doing it again! Last year, he went from a 1–14 stretch from deep to hit his last five. This year, from 1–16 to his current 4–6 run.
F: Mamadi Diakite — 6'9'’ fr #25
Diakite combined with Reuter to grab one rebound in 18 minutes last night. They should be better than that.
ND Eights:
G: Matt Farrell — 6'1'’ jr #5
Has attempted exactly 167 3’s and twos this season. Is hitting 42.5% of his threes and shooting better than 50% (and better than 53%) at the rim. 14.2 points and 5.5 assists per game for the season.
G: Steve Vasturia — 6'6'’ sr #32
Vasturia does any and everything Notre Dame needs of him, and that role — shooter, distributor, decoy, stopper — changes from game to game. His shot has slumped in ACC play, but it remains dangerous.
F: V.J. Beachem — 6'8'’ sr #3
Beachem has taken 212 3’s in 388 shots, making 38.7%. He has a game of seven, a game of six, and two games of five in ACC play.
F: Bonzie Colson — 6'5'’ jr #35
Colson is ridiculous. He’s the only player in the ACC averaging a double-double (17 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and is shooting 65% at the rim and grabbing 26% of defensive rebounds at 6'5.’’ He’s the closest thing we have to Charles Barkley.
F: Rex Pflueger — 6'6'’ so #0
Pflueger looks so much like Eric Trump that I can’t think of anything to say about his game.
C: Martinas Geben — 6'10'’ jr #23
Geben fell hard out of the rotation after our first meeting (30 minutes in 12 games, including two DNPs), but played 26 minutes in ND’s last two games of the season. He’s Notre Dame’s Jack Salt.
G: Temple Gibbs — 6'3'’ fr #2
Has made one of his last 14 three-point shots dating back to the beginning of February. Plays D, moves the ball.
F: Matt Ryan — 6'7'’ so #4
Has shaken off the Super Bowl defeat. 73 of his 84 shots this season have been threes, and he’s hit 42.5%. Not a big part of the rotation, however.
Verdict:
The thing that I’m most concerned about is that Notre Dame is fresh and healthy and we’re playing back to back games with a roster that may or may not all have strep throat. If that doesn’t factor in much and we win the glass, contest well on threes, and deny Farrell the lane (presented in order of likelihood), I see a semifinal appearance in our future.
