The top teams in the country were playing in Chicago, but the undercard for the top ten battles was No.14 VCU at No 25 UVA. Here are my observations from the game:
- UVA Offensive Rebounding - In games against UNC last year, UVA abandoned any chance of offensive rebounds by retreating into their defense after a shot was missed. That was not the case tonight, as UVA bigs, especially subs, crashed the boards. There could be several reasons for this, but UVA had 12 offensive rebounds. VCU only had 20 defensive boards.
- Fouls - We know the NCAA wants hand checks called more tightly, and boy, were there lots of whistles. There were 48 fouls called in this game. Both teams were in the double bonus with five minutes left in the first half. Unfortunately, neither team could take advantage. UVA shot 19/33 (there were a great many bailout calls) for 57.6 % and VCU was even worse, 6/15 or 40 %.
- VCU Ball Movement - VCU didn't take many three point shots, but instead moved the ball around and into the post. Terrance Shannon for VCU was the only post player who knew what to do with the ball once he got it. Treveon Graham got plenty of looks running off picks going towards the basket. VCU hit two late 3's to close the gap and eventually beat UVA.
- HAVOC - VCU's defense doesn't just get turnovers in the areas you expect, they also force them close to the opponent's basket. Once teams hurriedly get the ball across the timeline, you'll see VCU double up on the guy who catches the ball, leading to a bad pass or jump ball tie-up around the top of the key.
- UVA vs VCU rivalry - The Battle for the Commonwealth will hopefully be a recurring feature. Very different schools, fan bases and styles of basketball. Great game, great fans, both sides got good and rowdy. Can't wait for the return feature in Richmond next season.
- Kicks - Can you tell who's a scrub based on the footwear you see below?
Still, scrubs at a lot of other schools don't get sweet kicks like these. Good on you, UVA.
