To the outside observer, it would seem like the Virginia Cavaliers (10-8, 4-4 ACC) are entering a crucial stretch in conference play beginning with Saturday's game against Wake Forest (12-9, 1-7 ACC). The Cavaliers own a .500 conference record and could take advantage of upcoming games to improve their standing in the conference. But do not tell that to Virginia coach Dave Leitao, who is not interested in breaking down the ACC schedule.
"We've lost two in a row, and we have to figure out a way to get back on track," he said. "That means more than anything else. I don't have any thoughts about anything else: half-way point [of ACC play], three-quarters way through, last game, first game. I hate to be rude about it, but that's the way I am. We have to get back to practice and see if we can win our next game."
Virginia will get a chance to win that next ACC game on its home court, where the Cavaliers are 7-2 on the season and 3-1 against ACC opponents. Returning home should be something the Virginia players look forward to since their two most recent games, both losses, were on the road. A return to University Hall will mean playing in front of a friendly crowd -- a luxury the Cavaliers have not had in over a week.
A home game may also enable the young Virginia team to play well in the opening minutes of the game. Against Duke Jan. 28, the Cavaliers found themselves down 20-2 to begin the game. At N.C. State, the Wolfpack opened the game with a 14-2 run. Being able to open the game well is something that Leitao will have to stress this weekend.
"We have to get back and work harder," Leitao said. "Obviously, we played the two best teams, by record, in this league, and a lot of teams will get off to slow starts. But I think what we have to do is manage it better."
While beginning the game with intensity will surely be the focus of practices, one Virginia player believes he knows why the Cavaliers started slowly and how to fix the problem.
"It's me," forward Jason Cain said. "I didn't come out aggressive enough on offense. The guards gave me good opportunities to score, be aggressive and loosen up, but I didn't come out playing too well. I have got to come out focused."
While slow starts can account for some of Virginia's recent shortcomings, another explanation is poor three-point shooting. Against N.C. State, the Cavaliers shot 2-19 from beyond the arc for a percentage of .095 on the game. On the season, the Cavaliers are shooting .336 on three-point shots.
"We shot poorly [against N.C. State] because we executed poorly," Leitao said. "But we have too many things going against us and our margin of error is too thin to play a game that way. We have to be on point in everything we do on every single possession."
With eight of the remaining nine games being conference matchups, the importance of each is something that is known to all of the Cavalier players.
"Every game is important, so we better come out strong next game," Cain said. "You can't play like this, because once you get on a losing streak in this league, it can keep on going. Every game is critical"
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