Throughout the offseason months – the way too long offseason months – the Virginia basketball program has hinted at changes on offense for the upcoming season. ACC Operation Basketball on Wednesday was no different.
“We’ve worked hard to make little adjustments, maybe it will be noticeable. Maybe it won’t,” UVA coach Tony Bennett said. “But also we’re going to have to be defensively, because without that we’ve got no chance. But I hope we’ll find – we have some skill, some guys who can stretch it and shoot it, do different things. So we’ll rely on that. So I’m hoping that it will be a little more balanced this year than perhaps in the past.”
Two of the oft-mentioned possibilities usually include getting the ball up the floor faster and getting the basket inside more often. On the surface, some interpret that as more transition baskets and more back-to-the-basket post moves. Then many fans do a happy dance.
In reality, those changes may be more subtle. Pushing the ball up the court faster may mean taking advantage of unsettled defensive situations rather than an obvious two-on-one fastbreak or a leak-out dunk. It could also mean simply getting into the offensive sets more quickly.
Nevertheless, Cavalier senior Devon Hall mentioned getting the ball up the floor faster again Wednesday.
“I think we have a few more offensive weapons in terms of how we are going to play and we might be able to get it out a little faster and play a little bit quicker,” Hall said. “But defense is not going to change. You guys know Coach Bennett well, so you know it’s not going to change.”
Getting the ball inside more can be much more than simply dumping the ball to the block and clearing out. Virginia may do that some, but waiting for the offense to go through Jack Salt, Isaiah Wilkins, Mamadi Diakite, and Jay Huff five feet from the rim and backing defenders down for a power move Shaq Attack style is a foolhardy expectation.
It’s far more likely that Virginia will get the post players involved in post extended areas where they can face up and try to make a move into the paint from a faced-up position. Wilkins, for example, said he has worked on post moves and “playing more off two [feet], hop steps, and things like that, just to kind of get a groove.”
Inside scoring could also come from better spacing that allows the guards to touch the paint more easily. That could come on drives, of course, but also on things the offense already tries to utilize frequently like the curl cut into the lane off a baseline screen.
Bennett touched on the possible variations and the need to get the ball inside during the preseason event with the media.
“We’re going to have to try to figure out ways to get a little more interior scoring,” Bennett said. “I think that was a weakness last year. We did not go inside and whether it’s guards getting in there at times or the bigs, just all those areas.”
Hall’s Leadership For Virginia
Virginia already named its captains for the upcoming season with seniors Devon Hall and Isaiah Wilkins getting that honor along with junior Jack Salt. Each of those players have spent three or more years in the program already. Hall redshirted and is entering his fifth year, while Salt redshirted and is entering is fourth year. Wilkins is entering his fourth year in the program as well.
Wilkins said back on Media Day that the trio breaks down like this in terms of leadership: Wilkins is the most vocal, Hall will take you to the side to instruct, and Salt will show you how to do things through his own work. Others on the team echoed things like Wilkins being the energizer of the team, while Hall is more like the teacher. The latter, in fact, is willing to pull you aside to correct something just like a coach might do.
At ACC Operation Basketball on Wednesday, reporters asked Hall about that piece of his leadership style.
“I guess I’m big on taking responsibility, so if something is done wrong, then I’m a guy to make sure you know about it,” Hall said. “But Coach Bennett always talked about being a feared leader. I don’t necessarily want to be feared by my teammates, but I just make sure if something is wrong that I address it.”
Wilkins’ Health
One of the biggest storylines down the stretch last season for the Virginia basketball team was the health of Wilkins, who struggled with a mono-like virus in February and March. He missed the season finale against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, but his minutes had dwindled in the games leading up to that with 23 minutes or fewer in the last six games of his season. Wilkins told reporters that he has sickle-cell trait, but doesn’t know what role that may or may not have played in the illness.
Wilkins bounced back during the offseason, regained weight, and looked like himself during the team’s Blue-White Scrimmage on Sunday. When asked on Wednesday at ACC Operation Basketball about his health, Wilkins said he is trying not to focus on the illness that ended his junior season.
“I don’t think it’s ever to that point [where it is completely behind me]. You know, I try to take good care of myself,” Wilkins said. “I have some things that are genetic that you can’t really change, so I just try to make sure I’m eating right and taking care of my body and stuff like that. I played in a scrimmage and I was all right. Trying not to think about it as much, and just getting ready to play this year.”
Littlepage Appointed To Task Force By ACC
In late September, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a widespread investigation and charges in an alleged corruption scheme in college basketball. Four college assistant coaches were among those charged and named during that press conference, while others were labeled anonymously among the investigation’s materials. In the weeks following that news, Louisville eventually dismissed head coach Rick Pitino in connection with some of those details.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said Wednesday that the league has appointed a task force to investigate some of the issues surrounding the FBI report, college basketball in general, and within the ACC. That group will be chaired by outgoing Virginia Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage. Joining him on the committee are Florida State Athletic Director San Wilcox, Duke Athletic Director Kevin White, ACC office representative and NCAA men’s basketball oversight committee member Paul Brazeau, and Boston College Athletic Director Martin Jarmond.
“Craig Littlepage … has been good enough to be willing to chair this group for us. Obviously he played and coached before becoming an administrator, highly respected individual who knows the game and knows the landscape,” Swofford said. “Our goal will be to see if we can offer solutions to the NCAA commission, or at least ideas for them to consider and process that may prove helpful to them as it completes its work. We’re visiting with a number of our own coaches one to one for input, and simply put, our league needs to do our part in finding solutions to this and offering ideas that can lead us to solutions. And I’m confident with the leadership of that task force, we will hopefully be able to do that.”
