Virginia basketball opened the Ryan Odom era in commanding fashion, blowing out Rider 87-53.
“Great win overall,” Odom said, “and good to get off to a good start here.”
It didn’t take long to establish that Odom’s preferred style of play was going to be very different than previous head coach, Tony Bennett. Bennett’s Cavaliers liked to shoot late in the shot clock and then immediately drop back to set up the notorious packline defense. Against Rider, Odom’s Cavs shot early and often from three, and then crashed the offensive glass.
While the Cavaliers struggled to shoot in the first half, making 40% from the field and just 2 of 19 threes, they grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Combined with just two first half turnovers, Virginia scored on 69% of its possessions in the first half and went into the break up 42-32.
The second half was a defensive masterclass that Bennett would be proud of. Less than two minutes in, Virginia suffocated the Broncs for the whole 30 seconds, forcing a shot clock violation. The crowd, as they often did under Bennett, roared in approval.
Some things just don’t change.
“One of the things I told the guys at shootaround today is, ‘We have to get teams deeper into the clock. Trust me, the fans will know what to do at the end,” Odom said.
While the shot clock violation was familiar to the fans at John Paul Jones Arena, the style of defense was unfamiliar. While the packline was all about forcing tough shots, Odom’s defense was much more aggressive. The Cavs routinely pressured inbound passes and got in passing lanes, causing deflections and steals. Freshman guard and Charlottesville native Chance Mallory, who committed to Virginia the same day Odom was officially announced as head coach, led the way with three steals.
The Cavs held the Broncs to just three points in the first 12 minutes after halftime. Rider went 6-for-25 from the field after the break, making just one three-pointer, which was a buzzer-beater at the end. Meanwhile, Virginia scored 55% from the field and made six threes in the second half, resulting in the lead swelling to as much as 39 in the final minutes.
“We got into our press, and we were able to speed up the ball-handler, which we weren’t doing in the first half,” Mallory said. “So the main focus was just on defense, because we knew we were going to be able to score.”
Five players scored in double-digits for Virginia, led by freshman forward Thijs De Ridder. The 22-year-old Belgian scored a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. He routinely got anything he wanted around the rim.
The Cavaliers finished with 22 offensive rebounds, the most in a game since 2015. De Ridder had six of them.
“I think overall it was pretty solid,” De Ridder said. “Of course, there were some points that I can still work on, and this is just the first game, and hopefully I can do it every game again and help the team win.”
German freshman center Johann Grünloh had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks in his first collegiate game. Graduate guard Jacari White, junior guard Sam Lewis, and Mallory all finished with 11 points. Senior center Ugonna Onyenso had 4 blocks in 13 minutes of action off the bench.
Redshirt sophomore guard Elijah Gertrude had two points, a block, and a rebound off the bench. The lone remaining scholarship player from the Bennett era, Gertrude missed all of last season with a knee injury. He received a big round of applause when he checked in for the first time in the first half.
“This is the best place in college basketball to play,” Odom said. “JPJ, there’s no better arena.”
Next for Virginia basketball: vs. NC Central (Fri., Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. EST)
Next for Rider basketball: at Rutgers (Wed., Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. EST)