Tony Bennett’s team needs to find a “big stop” mentality as the season continues.

The 4-2 Virginia men’s basketball team returns to the John Paul Jones Arena tonight for a game with Penn State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. While there are plenty of storylines to follow after the team’s trip to Cancun – Will Sherrill anyone? – there is one theme I’m keeping an eye on in this one: “big stops.”

What’s a big stop? It’s those defensive moments in a contest that can change the momentum, spark a big run for your team, or become a deciding factor between winning and losing late in games. There isn’t a specific time that a big stop always comes up, but there are usually several per game; big stops generally come on the front or back end of runs for a team or late in games, though. If you’re looking for clear indicators without watching the score, watch the coaching staff or follow the crowd. If a key defensive possession is coming where a big stop would be a big deal, that team’s coach is usually up on the sidelines and into the moment – clapping hands, shouting encouragement and the like. The crowd reaction around big stops is usually evident too – people stand up in droves and the noise starts to pick up steadily. One last clue that a big stop just happened? The team that gets the stop follows it with an easy basket that prompts the opponent to call a timeout.

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