Without question, freshman guard Sylven Landesberg has been the rock for the young Virginia men’s basketball team offensively. If there is one thing Virginia has learned about its young star after six conference games, however, it is that he still has a ways to go.
His statistics are remarkable: 17.2 points per game; 5.9 rebounds per game; five ACC Rookie of the Week awards.
But Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski succinctly summed up one of Landesberg’s biggest weaknesses.
“As long as you don’t foul him, you’ve got a chance to get a charge,” Krzyzewski said.
While Virginia was picked apart by Duke in nearly every aspect of Sunday’s game, one of the more telltale signs that the Cavaliers were in trouble occurred when the Blue Devils drew their second charge on Landesberg at the 16:29 mark of the first half. The freshman was forced to the bench with Virginia already trailing 11-5; by the time he returned just more than six minutes later, Virginia’s deficit had grown to 17.
The Blue Devils “do as good a job as anybody in the country taking charges,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “We worked on it — pulling up, making decisions much earlier than when you get to the rim ... Our carryover wasn’t what it needed to be.”
While Duke’s method of drawing contact was the most obvious example of how conference teams are attempting to counter Landesberg, it is not the only adjustment coaches are making. Defenders on the ball are playing a step off him on the perimeter, and even if players rotating in do not take a charge, Landesberg is constantly swarmed by jerseys that are neither orange nor blue, often forcing a bad shot or a turnover.
While not immediately evident in the statistics — Landesberg still has had several big shooting nights, including a 20-point performance Sunday — one compilation of numbers clearly reveals his struggles in the ACC. In Virginia’s five conference losses, Landesberg has either committed five or more turnovers — against Virginia Tech, Florida State and Duke — or has shot 20 percent or worse from the field — against North Carolina and Maryland.
In other words, the modus operandi on Landesberg for Virginia’s opponents is simple: Cut off the drive, and you cut off the legs of Landesberg’s game.
“He’s a driver, and usually when he drives he’s going to [try to] score,” Krzyzewski said.
There are many ways Landesberg said he is working on diversifying his offensive weapons, the most obvious of which is perimeter shooting. Despite teams’ tendencies to play him for the drive, Landesberg still looks uncomfortable shooting the open jumper, making seven of 27 three-point attempts this season. He also lacks scoring potential in the midrange game, meaning that when he drives, he’s going all the way to the hole.
“I’ve been working hard with my coaches, putting in a lot of extra time just working on my midrange shot — I’m just starting to feel more comfortable with it,” Landesberg said. “Hopefully that will make defenders start playing me closer so I can have more options instead of just pulling up.”
This extra work in practice was apparent in the second half against Duke, as Landesberg showed more patience in getting to the hole and knocked down a couple perimeter shots. Then, when the holes opened up inside, Landesberg took advantage. The result was five for six shooting for 12 second-half points and just one turnover.
“You can be aggressive and not drive to the hole,” Landesberg said. “In the second half [against Duke], I was being aggressive, but I was being smart with my aggression — I started pulling up, I started backing out when I saw defenders coming up to attempt to take charges.”
The fact that Landesberg is still developing his offense is only natural for a freshman. Throughout the conference season, coaches have never mentioned Landesberg’s weaknesses without marveling about his extraordinary abilities in the same breath.
“He’ll get better,” Krzyzewski said, “but you know he’s a really good player right now.”
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