DURHAM, N.C.--A few observations from my trip to the State University of New Jersey --Durham (oops, I mean Duke):
This is tough for me to say, but the time has come. I respect J.J. Redick. I know that I am supposed to hate him, yet I cannot turn away when he touches the ball. Redick is undeniably the best player in the nation. I do not want to hear anymore about Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. The ACC is inestimably more difficult for a player to consistently excel in than is the West Coast Conference, and Redick generally plays with a level of class that Morrison can only dream of. Virginia is the only squad other than Memphis that has had to play against both of these star players this season.
Watching J.J. in person only accentuates the brilliance of his playmaking skills. He is a complete offensive player and his defense has improved immensely. An example of this occurred about three minutes into the second half when Redick stripped the ball from J.R. Reynolds as he was going in for a fast break lay-up. Redick sent a quick outlet pass up the court, leading to an emphatic dunk by freshman forward Josh McRoberts.
Despite losing by 19 points, there is no reason for the Cavaliers to feel ashamed of their performance. They were beaten by a clearly superior team, perhaps the best in the country. After falling behind 20-2 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half, Virginia actually played Duke evenly for the rest of the night. I know that Coach Leitao is not a believer in moral victories but he should be happy that his squad continued to scrap and battle hard in a hostile road environment. Every Virginia player would have had to play the game of his life for the Cavaliers to have a shot at winning and even then, Duke would have had to have a cold night. With the way Redick was playing Saturday night, however, the Blue Devils were virtually unbeatable.
The only thing that disappointed me about Virginia's performance was the fact that the Cavaliers seemed unable to keep their uniforms tucked in throughout the contest. I know this is a small detail but, when a program is trying to rebuild its image, small details are important. This is ACC basketball, not the And1 Mix Tape Tour.
There is much in the antics of the Cameron Crazies that could be emulated by the Hoo Crew. One of the most important lessons that the Hoo Crew could learn is that student fans do not all have to wear the same article of clothing in order to create an intimidating atmosphere. The costume creativity of the Crazies adds to the special atmosphere in Cameron. While the Crazies may be the nerdiest fans in the nation, they are also the most knowledgeable and passionate student basketball fans that I have seen.
Virginia heads down to North Carolina again Wednesday evening for a matchup with N.C. State in Raleigh. If the Cavaliers can internalize the tough lessons learned in Durham, they should be able to bounce back and regain the momentum from their recent three-game conference winning streak. Road victories are extremely important in building a résumé for post-season play. Virginia should be able to match up with Herb Sendek's Wolfpack much better than with the Blue Devils, and Wednesday's game could provide the Cavaliers with a solid chance to burnish their credentials and erase the memories of Saturday night's loss to Duke.
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