All Virginia does is hand check.

[Cusefan0307]

This isn't basketball. This is controlled fouling. Get rid of it.

 

[HOFCeluck]

lol

 

[dasher]

This isn't basketball. This is controlled fouling. Get rid of it.

No. they do a lot more than hand check. Really terrific defense.

 

[Cusefan0307]

No. they do a lot more than hand check. Really terrific defense.

I disagree. They body and hand check all across the court. You can say it's good defense, but it's not the way the game was meant to be played.

 

[doc05]

Well, they are doing something right.

 

[NYCorange]

I thought they played excellent defense. They actually hand check WAY less than many defenses (I'm looking at you, Buzz Williams). Their entire scheme, in fact, is predicated on not having to hand check nearly as much, because they don't try to deny passes around the perimeter, but sag back inside the three point line. Thus, they ALWAYS have help defense ready against drives. The only way to beat them is to knock down a bunch of 3s. off of drive and kick action or after passing out of double teams in the post. They're defense is very similar to ours, actually, in some ways.

 

[CaptainJ]

After reading the post by SUTomcat, this thread can take on a new meaning.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

They play aggressive, clean defense. They hedge hard on pics and then bust back to get into position. They force you to make three quick , clean passes to pay for this aggressive hedge, and vs inferior teams with poor spacing and recognition (sounds like us) they get away with it.

They force you into places and positions you dont want to be. You have to work so hard to get open that you are nowhere near the basket for offensive boards.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I disagree. They body and hand check all across the court. You can say it's good defense, but it's not the way the game was meant to be played.

Uh, no.

 

[Flight23]

I thought they played excellent defense. They actually hand check WAY less than many defenses (I'm looking at you, Buzz Williams). Their entire scheme, in fact, is predicated on not having to hand check nearly as much, because they don't try to deny passes around the perimeter, but sag back inside the three point line. Thus, they ALWAYS have help defense ready against drives. The only way to beat them is to knock down a bunch of 3s. off of drive and kick action or after passing out of double teams in the post. They're defense is very similar to ours, actually, in some ways.

Thank you, this is exactly what we do and I think the reason why we are called for fewer fouls than other teams. If you watch our guys they do a great job of keeping their feel moving and laterally moving with the offensive players, and use major hedging and help to prevent penetration rather than hand checking which is how lots of players slow down penetration.

 

[007]

I disagree. They body and hand check all across the court. You can say it's good defense, but it's not the way the game was meant to be played.

Virigina plays textbook, extremely disciplined, effort based TEAM defense. Their positioning, help rotations, reactions to dribble penetration, and anticipation of ball movement are the best I've seen in college basketball in a long, long time. And, they are able to do it with a minimal amount of fouling.

 

[Cusefan0307]

No. they do a lot more than hand check. Really terrific defense.

I sat underneath the basket last night and my issue isn't so much on the perimeter, as they do sag off, but inside. My biggest issue, and the biggest problem college basketball has is the lack of freedom of movement off the ball. While they do not play the in your face style Louisville or Buzz does, they do have their hands all over cutters when they are making their movements off the ball. Anyone who disagrees, thats fine, but if they make the title game the final score may be 34-32.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I sat underneath the basket last night and my issue isn't so much on the perimeter, as they do sag off, but inside. My biggest issue, and the biggest problem college basketball has is the lack of freedom of movement off the ball. While they do not play the in your face style Louisville or Buzz does, they do have their hands all over cutters when they are making their movements off the ball. Anyone who disagrees, thats fine, but if they make the title game the final score may be 34-32.

That was one of the complaints in the article posted yesterday or the day before as well. The grabbing cutters to disrupt offensive schemes. Didn't see it last night, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Maybe they are just better at it.

 

[BludOrange]

I did not see much hand checking . I do however feel they got away with some over the backs and shoving on rebounds.

 

[Col. Bleep]

This isn't basketball. This is controlled fouling. Get rid of it.

I honestly don't understand the criticism of Virginia.
This is the best TEAM in the country.
Period.

Not the best talent (although their talent is up there).
The best TEAM.
They execute their game fluidly on both ends.
You can hold them scoreless for a quarter of the game and they still find a way to clobber you by adapting and playing their system.

(Although it helps them when the opponent plays horrific offense and an overall lethargic, passionless game. Note to Orange: it doesn't hurt to occasionally fight for a rebound or a loose ball).

 

[AZOrange]

They hedge out as far and as hard as any hedge I can remember and we had zero answers. Our screen game is horrendous. The screener does nothing ever after the half assed screen.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

They hedge out as far and as hard as any exam I can remember and we had zero answers. Our screen game is horrendous. The screener does nothing ever after the half assed screen.

If we had a better guard, like TE from last year, I bet one or two of those hedges gets split and the guard goes right to the tin. But, we don't. So we end up with a guard dribbling backwards to the halfcourt line like my kid's team did in 3rd grade.

 

[HOFCeluck]

it's not the way the game was meant to be played.

You mean with peach baskets and final scores in the twenties?