The Virginia basketball team moved to 3-0 in ACC play with a win against North Carolina on Saturday. The 61-49 triumph saw the Hoos lead for the majority of the final 30 minutes yet again too. As a result, the Cavaliers climbed to No. 3 in the Associated Press polls Monday.

The Double Bonus is back to see what’s working so well for UVA.

Winning Angles On Defense

During Saturday’s game with UNC, a reporter on press row that doesn’t cover the Hoos for every single game asked me a question along the lines of “Is Virginia actually any good?” My answer was that the defense is as good – and possibly the best yet – as any Tony Bennett team at UVA so yes the Hoos are good. Then I tried to provide context, which I’m bringing into this Double Bonus.

First, the numbers support the defense’s strength. Virginia ranks first nationally in scoring defense (52.5) and third in defensive efficiency (.819 points per possession). The Cavaliers allow just 35.9% shooting, good enough for second nationally, too.

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