The Virginia basketball team started off with a win in ACC play once again when it took down Pittsburgh on Friday at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Hoos have won 14 straight conference openers and are 13-0 in the Tony Bennett era. In other words, the first ACC Double Bonus of the season always gets off to a good start.

Let’s dive into some analysis from the win against the Panthers.

Short Roll, Baseline Duck-In

One action that popped up frequently in this game and has appeared throughout the season at times is a high ball screen with a short roll by the screener while the other big on the floor cuts under the basket and tries to duck in quickly for a post-up opportunity. Here’s what that means.

First, a high ball screen is generally when a player sets a screen for a dribbler in the middle of the floor above the top of the key. Second, a short roll in this case is when that screener separates out of that screen into the free throw line area vs. rolling all the way toward the rim. Third, a duck-in simply means when a player comes from the side or behind a defender and quickly tries to slip in front of the defender (think of it like quickly slipping into a store – you’re going to duck in to get some Fritos or something).

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