Dropped three spots to 23 in NET after the 2-point win.
Somehow A&M jumped 7 spots to 16 after their 2nd straight loss.
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Simply because they outperformed expectations against elite team on the road
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At the same time, it must be remembered that this team is a work in progress. There are only two players with more than one yearās experience in Coach Bennettās schemes. Only four current players were active last year. Virginiaās best teams under Coach Bennett have possessed some year to year continuity. This yearās edition of the 'Hoos has little to none. Right now, I am not as concerned with the quality of the wins as I am with the wins themselves. The way UVaās schedule has been set, it becomes increasingly difficult as the season progresses. Hopefully, this allows the team to grow and improve while still winning games. February will offer significant opportunities, and, ideally, Virginia will be up to the challenge by then. Life is good!
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Normally I kinda shrug when people say āThis team will get better,ā because every team is gonna get better. It only matters if you get better-er than the other teams get better.
This year though, we definitely have the kind of team that you would expect to get better-er. New guys, young guys, guys whoāve never played together, a staff that hasnāt figured out what theyāve got and what works best. So I agree, weāve got unusual room to out-better the competition.
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And, Virginia is a 9 - 1 team with room for improvement, and not a 5 - 5 or 6 - 4 team looking to get better.
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Honestly thought we were going to take more/bigger lumps during the early part of the schedule. We have taken some between the Ft Myers tourney and this game, but fortunately havenāt really had bad resume effects of them. So there are some real questions to figure out with the offense but we also have carved out a little breathing room (as of now) in terms of making the NCAA Tournament.
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Weāre 3-0 in the games that have come down to the wire. That helps a ton!
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Remember before the season, when we said this team would peak in March? Itās only December. Letās keep perspective.
Improvement is not a straight line: Itās a series of ups and downs. So far, weāve mostly survived the downs. Memphis will be a test, and it would be great to win that one. But weāre kidding ourselves if we think thereās not going to be another stinker or two this season.
This is what a young, inexperienced team is about. We know this team can be good. Weāve seen it. Now, itās a question of how soon before we can be good consistently.
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Hoos hoopin
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Whoās correct on RD: @SeanJCrow or @kjwilliams612
- Khari - B+
- Sean - A-
0
voters
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Neitherā¦ I had no doubt he would be a monster on D if given enough Minutes.
His O is a D-.
His D is an A+.
Averages a C or C+?
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RD has been incredible. Even if he just scaled up the same level of per-possession defensive production from 30% minutes to 65% minutes, that would have been really good, but he got better on offense too. Efficiency way up from his first year, usage up slightly, steals up, foul rate down, free throw rate up, blocks at the same ludicrous level for a wing. Heās #10 in the nation in Box Plus-Minus; regularized adjusted plus-minus doesnāt love him as much though.
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His O is a D but his D is an A+. His R is a G- while his T is only a E. In time his L may become a W= but only if his C is equal to or greater than a J.
Donāt even get me started on his K being below S.
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I really have to wonder if RD will hold on to the high spot he is predicted in the draft. He has done nothing to help himself as far as his offensive showing. In fact, it no longer looks like he was deferring to the other guys as a frosh. I also wonder how his excellent defense will translate to the next level. He will undoubtedly be good but will he be good enough someone will take him with a high draft pick. Most of those guys on the floor know how to score no matter who is guarding them.
The wide open scrambling offensive mindset will be more to his skills, but so many of those guys donāt bother trying to get to the bucket if they can get a decent three off.
My hope is that he can overcome these deficiencies this year so that he will get that high pick. My fear is that he wonāt but someone will still convince him now is the time. Wonderful for him. Not so much for us.
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As long as he keeps playing at the same level defensively, Iād guess the floor** is mid 20s or so. But thereās no guarantee he plays at the same level defensively as we get into conference. For one thing, the stocks will probably decline.
** but even that assumes he stays sorta at the same level offensively as he has been so far. Which is no guarantee. Things can always get worse.
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Itās not super common for a lower usage (<20%) player to get drafted highly, but it happens when they fit into a clear NBA archetype (see Lively II, Dereck). Heās already more productive on offense than Matisse Thybulle was in college. I also think itās easy to look at a guy at RD with a steep rise in profile and dream big.
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Does anyone know if there are specific dates by which the 2 allowable closed scrimmages must be played?
Is there anything preventing a team from using one before the season and another at some point during the season?
No clue, but Iād very surprised if there wasnāt a restriction on those being before the first game.
Even if there were no restrictions, Iād have a hard time understanding why any coach would put a higher value on a mid-season secret scrimmage as opposed to a preseason scrimmage. It would seem to me that the earlier issues are discovered, the earlier they can be addressed, and I believe that the preseason scrimmages are as much about discovery as they are about solutions. If not considerably moreso.
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