Virginia basketball welcomed No. 3 Duke to John Paul Jones Arena on Monday night. The Blue Devils blew the Cavaliers out, leading by as much as 27 in the second half and eventually winning by 18. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Takeaway #1: Duke dominates on the boards
Duke entered the game as one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Virginia has had issues grabbing rebounds this season, so it was a matchup nightmare for the Cavaliers. It was clear early on the Cavs were no match for the Blue Devils’ size and athleticism on the glass. Duke had eight offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points in the first half alone.
Freshman guard/forward Cooper Flagg had a double-double before halftime with 10 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, Virginia had just eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes. The Blue Devils’ dominance on the rebounds in the first half allowed them to go on a 14-1 run, turning a one-point Virginia lead into a double-digit deficit for the Cavaliers.
It didn’t get much better in the second half. Duke outrebounded the Cavs 17-13 after the break and 41-21 for the whole contest.
“We knew we had some disadvantages on the glass,” Virginia interim head coach Ron Sanchez said postgame. “But we felt we could do a much better job than that. That was unacceptable.”
Takeaway #2: Virginia struggles offensively
Part of this Cavaliers turnaround over the past few weeks has been motored by an efficient offense. Against Duke, one of the best defensive teams in the country, Virginia failed to find any consistent offense, especially around the rim. The Cavaliers went 6-14 on layups and missed three dunks.
In addition to struggling around the rim, Virginia also struggled from behind the three-point line, particularly in the second half. After halftime, the Cavaliers shot 3-12 from three-point land, which stymied any attempt to think about a comeback.
Virginia also had multiple long stretches without a field goal – including the last four-plus minutes of the game – which had become a rarity over the last few games. Those offensive lulls will be something to monitor as the Cavaliers play some difficult teams over the next two weeks.
Takeaway #3: A dose of reality for the Cavaliers
With the recent stretch Virginia’s had, it might be easy to think that the Cavaliers are “back.” Winning four of five is bound to stir up some excitement, especially for a program and fanbase that’s been searching for any good sign ever since Tony Bennett retired.
The recent performances have garnered the attention of opposing head coaches, too. Georgia Tech’s Damon Stoudamire said that Sanchez should get the job permanently after the Cavs blew out the Yellow Jackets. Following Virginia’s close win over Virginia Tech on Saturday, Hokies head coach Mike Young said that the Cavs are “playing like UVa again.”
However, Monday’s loss showed that the Cavs aren’t back and playing like they used to. This team is a far cry from the Virginia teams that won six ACC regular season titles from 2014-23. While Virginia is currently in the ACC Tournament picture after being out of it less than a month ago, that isn’t a cause for celebration. This is still a down year for the program and the end of the most successful decade in program history. There’s no shame in admitting that an era of dominance is over.
Removing Sanchez’s interim tag might seem like an easy solution – it’s likely the best chance at keeping some of the talent Virginia currently has and getting four-star guard Chance Mallory to recommit – but it might not be good for the program’s future. As Syracuse has shown under Adrian Autry, handing the keys over to a legend’s assistant isn’t always the best decision.
Virginia needs to focus on the future. Instead of focusing on what might be easy, the program needs to reboot itself. The transfer portal and N.I.L. allow teams to get back to prominence quickly – look at Louisville this year. How do the Cavs do that? Athletic Director Carla Williams needs to answer that question this offseason.
Up next for Virginia basketball (13-13, 6-9): vs. UNC (16-11, 9-6) – Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. EST
Up next for Duke (23-3, 15-1): vs. Illinois (17-10, 9-8) – Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. EST
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