The Cavaliers show great flashes. They play as well as any team in the conference at times. That was evident last night in Virginia's 58-54 win over NC State. They didn't start the game well, they didn't even end the game well, but for 18 minutes in the middle of the game the Cavaliers were unstoppable. Luckily for the Cavaliers, their 28-point swing in the middle of the game -- from being down 15 to taking a 13-point lead -- was just enough to keep the Cavaliers ahead at the end. It was these 18 minutes and 28 points that show all the promise of this disappointing sub-.500 Virginia squad.
Virginia has the talent, skill and coaching to take them deep into the NCAA tournament. So why does Virginia have a losing record, and why are their chances of even making the NCAA tournament so slim? Mental lapses. Turnovers, not boxing out, not playing scrappy defense on and off the ball. Simply put: they make too many mistakes.
The good news is that nothing is wrong with the program. No coaching or personnel changes are necessary. Virginia can win with everybody they've got. To top off the good news, the Cavaliers are young. Their three leading scorers on the season are all sophomores. The Cavaliers also have a talented transfer who has been sitting out this year in junior Kate Kreager and are only losing two seniors -- neither of whom start or receive very many minutes. They have one of the best coaches in the nation to learn from, and will be an excellent team in the next few years.
So what's the bad news? This team isn't there yet. There's no hope for the Cavaliers fulfilling the preseason hopes of going deep into Debbie Ryan's 20th consecutive NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for Virginia, it was the defense and shooting of its older members that sparked the 28-point swing in those 18 minutes of play. Senior Karen Jaeger played more intense defense than the Cavaliers have played in months. Senior Liz Sahin scored seven points and had three assists, a rebound and no turnovers in nine first half minutes.
The play of these two players at the end of the half exemplifies what Virginia needs to learn to do in order to win.
Jaeger's energetic, stifling defense only resulted in one steal for her, but it forced the Wolfpack into taking panicked, desperate shots. The difference between teams like Duke and North Carolina and teams like Virginia has been this type of stifling defense, which forces bad shots and creates turnovers. The saying "defense wins championships" became famous for a reason -- because it's true.
Sahin also played well in an area the Cavaliers will need to improve on in the future. Her seven points and three assists were excellent examples of taking good shots and moving the ball well, but it was her zero turnovers that really were key for a Virginia team that regularly surrenders 20-plus turnovers in their losses. In their road losses to Duke and North Carolina, Virginia totaled 48 turnovers and were out rebounded by a margin of 11. Taking care of the ball and making good decisions will help turn those losses into wins.
Hopefully the younger players can learn from their departing seniors and carry those lessons with them into next season. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the upcoming ACC tournament does not provide enough time for change -- these are not problems that can be corrected overnight. The learning still must begin now, and if it does, Jaeger and Sahin's legacy as seniors in this game might mesh with the incredible talent of Virginia's younger players and produce a team that can go deep into the NCAA tournament.
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