🏀 Virginia at Pitt, W, 73-57, 11-12 (4-8 ACC), Monday, 3 February 2025, 1900, ESPN

[rushdacote]

@Hooandtrue

Can we also talk about how there is still some possible excitement for the season?

There’s excitement for me with the ACCT.

Will we get in?
Let’s say we get the 14 seed, can we beat the 11 (someone like VT, GT, FSU)?
Let’s say we win that, can we beat the 6 (someone like WF, Stan, UNC)?
Can we just go unconscious from 3 for five games like some teams have done in history?

[rushdacote]

Stats of the game:

Buchanan: 39 minutes played! Previous career high was 33 a week ago versus Miami. Before that 29.
Rohde: 189 ORtg (9 points on 6 shots, 9 A, 0 TO)
Dai Dai: 27 points (shame he missed the 3 for 30), previous career high was 16 versus Holy Cross and last year’s NIT versus Iowa

32% OR%, 14% OR% allowed. We won the rebounding battle handily, led by Robinson, Buchanan, and Rohde with 7 big ones.
71% assist percentage, Pitt’s was 28%. Led by Rohde’s 9.

[chavlicek15]

Rebounding was great. Boxing out works! This from Chris Graham:

“Virginia owned the boards: 33-21 overall, with an 86.2 percent defensive-rebound rate, and a 32.0 percent offensive-rebound rate.”

And I loved us playing aggressively WITH the big lead. A feel-good game for everyone that we weren’t expected to win.

But now we play a team at home on CTB remembrance day that we should beat. Have to hold court and stack wins. Go ‘Hoos!

[CSL66]

The Van Arsdales

[DFresh11]

I hope we are sending Dai Dai highlights from last night to guard recruits saying “this is how we will use you at UVa”

[Hooandtrue]

And they will respond with “How will I know the next UVA coach, who isn’t Ron Sanchez, will use me like that?”

[dave92]

I was unable to watch the game last night, so I avoided all news until I could watch it today, which I did just now. Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty pumped.

[plegard]

Just saw this post on X. It’s glorious.

Switch everything

Have been trying to get us to ditch some of these complex pack line principles (including super hard hedge, double post, etc) and let the kids play straight up man and switch (or don’t switch) everything.

Simple is better with young team and inexperienced players.

Let them play D like they were taught growing up. “Hey, he’s your man, stay with him. I’ll call out the picks. And if we decide to switch, we will switch. “

Beautiful.

And note we simplified the offense and just played straight sides all night (from what I could tell). I will be the first to admit that I hate sides, but it’s a system that’s regimented enough to prevent guys from thinking too much. Just play.

And one thing of note, iMac, Rohde, Dai Dai and Taine were running it pretty well. They were even doing the skip passes over the top of the key like Kyle and Ty used to do.

ARob and Blake were great. Cofie had a good night defensively but know he wants more on the offensive end.

Nice win. Looked like UVa.

Go Hoos. Play free. Have fun. Beat GT.

[DavetheWave]

So weird how when the opponent doesn’t know exactly what the scout for for the full 40 minutes it might be effective against them…. Just weird… I seem to remember somebody talking about having multiple ways to play in your arsenal…

[jazznutUVA]

@DavetheWave

So weird how when the opponent doesn’t know exactly what the scout for for the full 40 minutes it might be effective against them

This is like in baseball when a pitcher isn’t throwing very well, but is erratic enough the other team has no idea what he is doing and strikes out a lot. The announcers I’ve heard call it “Wildly Effective”.

[WFS_HOO]

@rushdacote

There’s excitement for me with the ACCT.

Will we get in?

Outlook not so good.

@rushdacote

Let’s say we get the 14 seed, can we beat the 11 (someone like VT, GT, FSU)?

Very doubtful.

@rushdacote

Let’s say we win that, can we beat the 6 (someone like WF, Stan, UNC)?

My sources say no.

@rushdacote

Can we just go unconscious from 3 for five games like some teams have done in history?

Reply hazy. Try again.

[Cosmo]

@Hooandtrue

And they will respond with “How will I know the next UVA coach, who isn’t Ron Sanchez, will use me like that?”

Yeah, this is the conundrum. In a different era, you could look at last night’s game and see reason for hope for next year. You can envision a nucleus of, say, Saunders, Cofie, Sharma, McKneeley (and Gertrude!) being solid enough to build around. You can envision Rohde and Blake as role players making significant contributions. You can envision ARob and Dai Dai blossoming.

But in this era? All I’m envisioning is everyone leaving, and next year’s team consisting almost entirely of players the new coach poaches from his old team.

[dave92]

Yeah, and it sucks. It’s like, we’re either good This Year, or… I don’t know exactly what I’m rooting for, because there’s so little visibility into who’ll be here next year. (Our current situation is much worse in that regard than most, but it’s the case everywhere to some degree.)

[dave92]

@AdventiveQuasar

C’mon Ron, “Tonight was Dai’s Dai” was right there for the taking.

February 3 will now be known as Dai Dai Day

@ElliottHoo

in the meantime let’s not get carried away.

With this team, you better get carried away whenever you get a chance, or you’re gonna miss your window. Life comes at ya fast, so carpe the diem while ye may and whatnot.