Locker Room Access - Virginia

By Josh Burton

As the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team breaks for exams, it feels like a good time to look at where things stand for the Wahoos so far. We’ll also be looking at what’s ahead and what to expect for the rest of the season.

The Cavaliers hold an 8-1 record, highlighted by wins over #21 Texas A&M, Florida, and a win over Syracuse in the ACC opener.  The lone loss on the season was a 65-41 drubbing by Wisconsin in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament. The team has pretty good metrics.  Virginia ranks 22nd on KenPom, 23rd in NET and 31st in BartTorvik as of this writing. They are also currently #23 in the coaches poll and the top team in the others receiving votes category of the AP Poll.

Pack Line Proud

This squad is living up to the reputation of head coach Tony Bennett’s pack line defense, rating as a top 5 unit in both KenPom and BartTorvik. Second-year Ryan Dunn has anchored the stout defense, averaging 2.6 blocks and 2.6 steals per game. He should be considered a favorite for the National Defensive Player of the Year award and is being shown as a potential NBA lottery pick in next summer’s draft. 

"We have the two best defenders in the nation," says Leon Bond of Reece Beekman and Ryan Dunn.

— Zach Carey (@Zach_Carey_) December 6, 2023

Last season’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year Reece Beekman has also been great, as he is currently averaging 2.8 steals while constantly being assigned the opposing team's best perimeter player. Look for the lethal 1-2 defensive punch to continue stifling opponents all season long.

Burning Men

On the offensive end, second-year Isaac McKneely has really come on in the last week. In two matchups against Syracuse and NC Central he went an identical 8-11 from the field, 6-8 from three and finished with a career-high 22 points in each contest. He has hit a scorching 58.1% from three on the season, which is good for second nationally. Look for Isaac to continue to assert himself in the offense and hunt his shot. He is currently the team's leading scorer (12.9 points per game) and I would expect him to stay in or close to the lead all season.

#UVA freshman guard Elijah Gertrude on Isaac McKneely hitting four 3s in the first 3:07: "McKneely, he's an alien. He's not from here."

— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) December 6, 2023

Speaking of burning, one of the most surprising decisions of the young season was seeing first-year Elijah Gerturde’s redshirt burn as he was put into action for the first time against Texas A&M. He’s only played in three games so far but with each game Elijah has looked more comfortable on the court. His athleticism is off the charts and he has shown some flashes of a very effective offensive game, expect to continue to see him push for major minutes within the rotation.

What to Expect

Although the team has experimented with different lineups, it feels as though the starting lineup of Reece Beekman, Isaac McKneely, Andrew Rohde, Ryan Dunn and Jake Groves will stick until it proves ineffective. Rohde has shown to be a serviceable defender and has really excelled as a playmaker of late, averaging 4.3 assists over the last three games in the absence of Dante Harris. 

Jake Groves has shown a very good ability to stretch the opposing defense, hitting over 42% from three on decent volume. His biggest issue has come on the defensive end, as the team has essentially traded rebounding for the strong offensive game he offers. As long as his defense continues to improve as it has so far he will be a key contributor.

Bench Production

The Wahoos have also picked up key contributions from a number of guys off the bench who should continue to contribute all season. In the backcourt, Elijah has been solid in the three games he has played while Dante Harris has been out with an apparent ankle injury. He has been seen both in a boot and on crutches, with no timetable given for how long he will miss. When he returns, however, I would expect them to both continue getting solid minutes. Third-year Taine Murray has also been steady when his number has been called, expect him to continue to contribute anytime he is on the court.

In the frontcourt, first-year Blake Buchanan has been a very solid surprise. He really made his presence known in the Florida game, aggressively attacking the basket and grabbing rebounds. He collected 18 points and 7 rebounds in the contest. His outstanding play earned him a starting spot in the next four contests before the staff went back to Jake Groves in the Texas A&M game. Look for Blake to continue to contribute as he grows more comfortable with the team and playing college ball.

In what has probably been the biggest disappointment so far this season, transfer Jordan Minor has not contributed to the level that fans had hoped when he announced his commitment. He has averaged less than 8 minutes per game with a DNP along the way. As a four-year player at Merrimack, he was generally playing a zone defense which seemed to play to his strengths as he was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season. However, picking up the pack line has seemingly been more difficult than anticipated for him to this point. The good news is that we’re only nine games in and he still has plenty of time to better grasp the defensive assignments asked of him and continue to try and earn more time on the court.

Last but certainly not least has been the solid play of Leon Bond III, who is coming off a redshirt year. I did not include him with either the guards or the front court because I believe he has the potential to play either when needed. Bond played exclusively in the frontcourt at the start of the season, primarily subbing in for Ryan Dunn when needed. Now the staff has started implementing him in lineups along with Dunn in the frontcourt, while also using Bond occasionally as a third guard. 

Impressed with Leon Bond for Virginia so far this season. Active defensively: splits time 3-4, moves well when asked to hedge ball screens or double post (at 4). Nice pindown-pop movement shooting game, with touch in midrange. Cuts hard + with timing: 69 FG% on cut FGA

— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) December 6, 2023

The biggest weakness for the team has been on the glass, where they were out-rebounded by four of the five power conference teams they've faced. Being able to sub Leon in at the guard spot for stretches should allow them to make up some of the difference.

Looking Ahead

The Cavaliers have one more marquee matchup before really getting league play rolling, a matchup at Memphis on Tuesday, December 19th. This will be the first true road game of the season for the Hoos, so it will be interesting to see how they handle going into a raucous environment. 

ACC play will pick back up when the Hoos head into South Bend to take on Notre Dame on December 30th. From there the Hoos have a pretty manageable schedule in January before heading into a tough February. According to ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor they will be favored in 6 of the 8 January matchups, while still having over 45% chances to win at NC State (1/6) and at Wake Forest (1/13). They will also have a bye during the week between these games, so they will have extra time to prepare for Wake.

February is where the season really begins to ramp up for the Cavaliers. The month opens with a trip to Clemson (Saturday, 2/3) followed by a quick turnaround at home against Miami (Monday, 2/5). They will also play at Virginia Tech (2/19), host UNC (2/24) and then head to Duke on March 2nd. This backloaded schedule should set up well for the team to continue to gel and be playing its best basketball when matched up with what should be the other conference leaders. If you’re looking for dates to circle on the calendar these should be as good as any.

The team will be back in action on Saturday (12/16) when they take on Northeastern. I will have your game preview and the rest of the Locker Room Access team will continue to have you covered all season!

(Featured Image Credit: Getty) 

It’s been a busy early season stretch around the ACC.  They played to a 7-7 draw in the ACC/SEC Challenge, and then conference play opened over the weekend.  

Dynamic Defensive Duo 

Tony Bennett’s Virginia teams are known for great defense, and he’s had some incredible individual defenders in his 15 seasons at the helm in Charlottesville.  But he’s never had a duo as good as Reece Beekman and Ryan Dunn. It’s the best defensive one-two punch the ACC has seen in a long time. 

Reece Beekman is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year.  He just shut down two of the better guards in the country this past week, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor and Judah Mintz of Syracuse.  The senior point guard is averaging a career-best 2.6 steals per game too. He’s on pace to easily break the UVA career steals record, held by Othell Wilson. 

Yet, Beekman hasn’t been the best defender on his own team this season. What Ryan Dunn is doing is on its own level historically.  He’s currently leading the ACC in both steals (2.8) and blocks (2.8).  Wahoo fans are debating whether he’s their best ever defender not named Ralph.  It’s no wonder Dunn is soaring up NBA Draft boards, coming in at 18th in the latest ESPN mock draft.   

Ryan Dunn is the only college basketball player in the past decade with 20 blocks and 20 steals through 7 games. The 20-year-old forward boasts an exceptional blend of length, instincts, and mobility at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan.

Early frontrunner for National DPOY and… pic.twitter.com/Vwe04apdJL

— League Him (@League_Him) December 1, 2023

These Yellow Jackets Can Sting

After a shaky start to the season, nobody had a better past week than Georgia Tech.  The Yellow Jackets pulled off back-to-back upsets of Top 25 opponents.  They throttled Mississippi State 67-59 in the ACC/SEC Challenge.  That game was not as close as the final score indicates.  Then they held on to beat Duke 72-68 in the ACC opener.  

This is the same team that in the two prior games lost to UMass-Lowell and got shellacked by Cincinnati.  The emergence of a pair of freshmen has been a major key for them.  Big man Baye Ndongo scored a game-high 21 in the win over Duke.  And guard Nait George has moved into the starting lineup, leading them with 9 assists on Saturday.   They were not very popular recruits either, great finds by first-year head coach Damon Stoudamire.  

He's really good.

21 PTS | 4 BLK | 5 REB | 82% FG | 2 AST | +14@BayeAbdouNdong1 | #StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/iQBhyY4OH7

— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) December 2, 2023

Updated Rankings

Top 5

North Carolina inherits the top spot after dropping 100 points on Tennessee in the SEC Challenge.  Freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau (7.1 PPG) has dished out 24 assists while only committing two turnovers over the past five games. Virginia looked like a team that could contend for the ACC title this past week.  Watch out for freshman guard Elijah Gertrude (3.0 PPG) now that his redshirt is lifted. 

After a couple impressive road wins, Clemson will put their perfect record on the line this week against fellow unbeatens South Carolina and TCU.  Miami has one of the best starting lineups in the country.  There’s been a steep drop-off when the Canes go to the bench though.  I think Duke is better than fifth, but it’s hard to justify having them higher right now.  Scheyer seems to be still figuring out some of his new pieces.   

Middle of the Pack

NC State notched a sneaky good road win on Saturday, in overtime at Boston College.  Wake Forest should be much improved when they eventually get Damari Monsanto back.  The Deacs win over Florida was huge for their resume.  If Florida State hadn’t blown double-digit second half leads in losses to Georgia and North Carolina, the Seminoles would be in this week’s Top 25.   

Pittsburgh is struggling of late, losing three of their last four.  Freshman sensation Bub Carrington (14.6 PPG) has only shot 32% from the field during that stretch. The middle of the pack teams didn’t make it very difficult for Georgia Tech to move up.  We’ll see if the Jackets can keep the momentum going against rival Georgia on Tuesday.  

Bottom Third

Other than a good win over Iowa State in Orlando, Virginia Tech hasn’t been that impressive so far.  Hokie big man Lynn Kidd (15.1 PPG) is on his way to a breakout season though.  Boston College choked their way to a bad loss against Loyola (IL).   The lack of three-point shooting is a problem for Syracuse, but the Orange are young and should improve as the season goes along. 

By Josh Burton

Coming off a monumental week in which the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team beat Texas A&M 59-47 followed by beating Syracuse 84-62, the Cavaliers will be back in action for their third game in seven days as they host North Carolina Central on Tuesday (12/5). The game will tip off at 7 pm EST and will be available on ESPN+ and ACCNX.

About NC Central

The North Carolina Central University Eagles of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference are led by head coach LeVelle Moton. Moton is in his 15th season as the head coach, collecting a 250-189 record  to go along with four regular season and four conference tournament championships. He has also been named conference coach of the year twice. This season, NC Central is 4-5 and coming off a close 85-82 home loss to South Carolina Upstate on Saturday.

Projected Starters

The Eagles run a ton of small lineups, opting to start with four guards in every game so far this season. 6’8” senior Emmanuel Izunabor is usually the only starting forward, but he did not play in their last game. There is no available information as to why he missed, so his status for the game is uncertain. Here are the projected starters:

PG - Fred Cleveland Jr. (5’9” senior). Averages 13.6 points and 3.9 assists

G - Ja’Darius Harris (6’2” senior). Averages 13.9 points while hitting 37.8 % from three

G - Po’Boigh King (6’4” sophomore). Averages team high 15.6 points with 4.8 rebounds per game. 

G - Cobey Harraway (6’7” junior).  Has started every game but only plays 16.3 minutes per game. 

F - Perry Smith Jr. (6’9” sophomore).  Averages 6.6 points and 5 rebounds per game

Guard Game

Being that this is an undersized opponent who runs a lot of four guards, this should be an excellent opportunity for the Hoos to run some of their smaller lineups. Look for first-year Elijah Gertrude to continue to build on his successful showings so far and get some good minutes in this one. This could also be another contest where the Hoos use the frontcourt pairing of Leon Bond III and Ryan Dunn for stretches.

Backup Lead Guard

Another thing to watch for is who is used as the lead guard when Reece Beekman gets a breather. With Dante Harris out both games this week, the Hoos have taken a couple different approaches when Reece sits. Wednesday night against Texas A&M, they mainly relied upon Andrew Rohde to run the point in these situations. He did a good job collecting 3 assists while looking steady with the ball in his hands initiating the offense.

On Saturday against Syracuse, however, they also added to this by letting Gertrude initiate the offense on a few possessions. Final score aside, Elijah getting solid minutes and also being allowed to play the lead guard for stretches in the ACC opener speaks volumes to what the coaching staff thinks of his future as a Wahoo.

What’s Next

Following this game, the Cavaliers will go on an 11 day break for exams. The next contest will be Saturday (12/16) at JPJ against Northeastern. Locker Room Access will have full coverage!

(Featured Image Credit: Getty)