“I just fired our schedule-maker.”
Virginia coach Dave Leitao’s quip following the men’s basketball team’s 107-97 victory against VMI was naturally in jest, but his point was clear. In a season where clamping down on defense is the theme, opening a season with the run-and-gun Keydets — who averaged 91.3 points per game last season, which led the nation — is not an ideal team with which to break the ice.
“It kind of felt like it was the NHL All-Star game,” Leitao said. “It affected everything that we do.”
On the other hand, Virginia knew this Keydet team was no joke after it took down Kentucky 111-103 in its first game of the season Friday night. So, in last night’s victory at John Paul Jones Arena — with highly touted recruit Renardo Sidney in attendance — the Cavalier perimeter players were put to the test in their first game without the graduated Sean Singletary against VMI’s aggressive, trapping defense. By all accounts, they passed.
VMI “is going to force you, if you’re ready, willing, and able, to score 100 [points],” Leitao said. “That was my goal; let’s score 100, and let’s not let them score 100, and we accomplished that goal.”
The Cavaliers had several players who Leitao hopes showed their true colors last night. Freshman shooting guard Sylven Landesberg — who was told only moments before the game that he would start — was magnificent in his regular-season debut, putting up 28 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. His point total is an all-time Virginia record for a freshman debut since they became eligible in 1972-73; the previous record was held by Jeff Lamp, who put up 24 points in his debut in 1977-78. The freshman’s strength was particularly noticeable, as he finished several buckets with contact, including two 3-point plays.
“If anybody knows me — particularly Sylven — I don’t hand out bouquets too often,” Leitao said. “I’ve known for a while now that he’s got great potential, and we just want to make that potential a reality.”
Sophomore forward Mike Scott — who was the biggest Virginia player to see action as Virginia countered VMI’s speed with a small lineup — also took a piece of the spotlight. Scott was an efficient 11 for 13 from the field for 26 points and snatched 18 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass. The 10 offensive boards tied yet another Virginia record.
“I think [Scott] probably turned [the 10 offensive rebounds] into at least 20 points, if not more on some 3-point plays,” VMI coach Duggar Baucom said.
When informed about tying a school high with 10 offensive boards, Scott was a bit bewildered.
“I didn’t know I had — man, that’s crazy,” Scott said. “Just trying to go after every rebound — that’s what I live by.”
Scott also had the most impressive score of the night, and perhaps the biggest. With Virginia up 91-87 and just more than two minutes remaining, Scott received the ball in the open court with just senior guard Travis Holmes between him and the basket. After going up for the lay-in, Scott was body-checked in mid-air by Holmes but still remained upright and somehow flipped in the bucket, plus the foul.
Only two minutes earlier, sophomore guard Jeff Jones also made two enormous 3-point shots on back-to-back possessions. With Virginia leading 86-84, Jones’ two 3-pointers pushed the lead to 8; the Keydets would never get closer than 4 points in the remaining minutes.
While describing Jones’ threes as “huge,” Leitao also noted the importance of those shots to Jones’ confidence in his shot, which wavered often last year as he struggled to a 31.4 percentage from beyond the arc.
“His first two or three shots didn’t go in,” Leitao said. “I think he’s different this year, especially mentally, that maybe you’ll have a string of shots after that that may not go in, but he knows he’s being counted on to score ... when he gets those open threes, to take it.”
After Virginia opened up an early 17-point lead 9:46 into the first half, it appeared that the Keydets were suffering an emotional hangover from their big win against Kentucky two nights earlier. VMI’s full-court pressure, however, took its toll on the Cavalier backcourt in the latter portion of the first half. Whether it was junior guard Calvin Baker, redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski or sophomore guard Mustapha Farrakhan acting as the primary ball-handler, VMI both took the ball from Virginia and flustered the Cavaliers into making careless mistakes that led to turnovers. By halftime, VMI had cut the lead to 6, as Virginia committed 16 turnovers in the first half.
Perhaps the biggest factor that swung the tide toward Virginia in the second half was the difference against VMI’s pressure; with Zeglinski handling the point guard reins for the majority of the second half, Virginia did not turn the ball over once in the final 10 minutes.
At halftime, “we talked about the amount of unforced turnovers that were part of that 16, and those were the ones that we had to eliminate,” Leitao said. “That’s really what you’ve got to be able to do — get high-percentage shots without giving the ball back.”
Baucom was particularly impressed with the play of Zeglinski, who had just three turnovers while playing 31 minutes off the bench.
“The little guy, I think Zeglinski’s going to be good,” Baucom said. “He was a question mark coming into the game — I would think y’all would think that, he was kind of unproven.”
Though the game remained tight throughout the second half, VMI never managed to take a lead. Senior guard Chavis Holmes had the opportunity to give his team the edge as he earned a trip to the foul line with the Keydets trailing 82-81 with just under seven minutes remaining but made one of two free throws to merely knot the game at 82 apiece. Two quick buckets by Scott and senior forward Mamadi Diane gave Virginia the lead that lasted to the final buzzer.
“Anytime you can get an ACC team down with six minutes to go, your mindset kind of changes a little bit,” Baucom said.
The Cavaliers return to JPJ Wednesday night to take on South Florida at 7.
Read More
Omaha and Ohana — it’s all about family for Virginia baseball
By Xander Tilock | 2 hours agoWith a multitude of meaningful connections, Virginia is aiming to rebound from Friday's loss and return home with a National Championship.
Cavaliers collapse, lose 3-2 in walkoff to North Carolina
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayVirginia will head to the loser's bracket Sunday after a disappointing loss to North Carolina.
Gertrude out for season after scooter accident
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayThe hype around his second season will have to wait.
