There's only so much you can take away from Friday's season opener against Longwood, but game one of the Tony Bennett era certainly presented some of the new coach's principles that will be put to the test against better competition in the near future.
I've heard concerns that Bennett's defense-first approach will translate into dull, low-scoring games, with the offense primarily operating in half-court sets. Though I think it's safe to say Virginia will not put up 85 points on a consistent basis this season, the Cavaliers demonstrated their ability to play a fast-paced game Friday. Though the offense seemed stagnant early in the first half, scoring only 29 points in the first 16 minutes, it got rolling late with eight straight buckets starting with sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski's layup with 4:08 remaining. Behind plenty of fast breaks and sharp shooting, Virginia quickly seized a 47-25 lead.
Bennett's "offense is not really slow-down like everybody's saying," sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg said. "He gives us a lot of freedom on the offensive end - just he's real strict on the defensive end."
Bennett's emphasis on the interchangeability of the guards in his system was evident against Longwood, with Zeglinski, Landesberg, junior Mustapha Farrakhan and freshman Jontel Evans all assuming ball-handling duties at one point or another. The guard-heavy lineup allowed Virginia to push the ball and find the open man, resulting in a balanced offensive attack with five players scoring in double figures.
Granted, Bennett's use of a small starting five to match Longwood's personnel probably accounted for much of the up-tempo style of play.
"Some of those looks we might not get as the season progresses," Bennett said. "But you have to take advantage of opportunities and play to your strengths when you can - when a guard gets a rebound, when you try to push and transition."
It's a lineup Bennett said in all likelihood will change throughout the season, especially when the 7-foot sophomore center Assane Sene returns to the court from his three-game suspension. Still, I was encouraged by the players who did see action Friday. Landesberg, of course, penetrated the Lancer defense with ease, found his way to the free-throw line and knocked down jumpers. He totaled 23 points, six boards and four assists. No big deal.
It's no surprise that the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year shined in the season opener. What's more intriguing was the play of Farrakhan, who scored 17 points in 31 minutes. He took the ball coast-to-coast twice and exhibited much-improved ball-handling skills to add to his already polished jump shot. But after playing only 10.4 minutes per game last season as a sophomore, Farrakhan said he has focused on becoming a better on-the-ball defender to earn more playing time under Bennett. He's the type of player Bennett said must take on a more significant role for Virginia to be successful.\n"We need some guys to break out," Bennett said. "The upperclassmen, for us to be competitive this year, have to try and give us some leadership and soundness."
But Virginia's 60 percent shooting from the field was compromised in the second half by turnover-riddled play - the Achilles heel of last year's squad. Zeglinski delivered a strong shooting performance, connecting on four of seven three-point attempts, but hurried down the court at times and had four turnovers in the half, contributing to Virginia's disappointing 14 to 16 assist-to-turnover ratio. Moreover, Virginia stopped feeding junior forward Mike Scott in the post, something the team can't afford to do against bigger and more athletic teams that will be able to handle the Cavaliers at a full-throttle up-tempo pace.
"I think we got away from getting the ball in the post in the second half - that's where we struggled a little bit," Zeglinski said. "So we gotta make a conscious effort of that."
In the process, Virginia began to exchange baskets with Longwood, which eventually closed a 22-point halftime deficit to 10 in the final 10 minutes of the game. Senior Billy Robinson, Jr. and sophomore Antwan Carter - neither of whom are even 6 feet 8 inches tall - went 14-18 for 31 points, accounting for the majority of the Lancers' 34 points in the paint. It wasn't an acceptable defensive performance for a coach who places an emphasis on clogging the lane.
"I told the guys, I asked them in the locker room, 'What do you think happened in the second half?'" Bennett said. "'Do you think that was a good enough effort on the defensive end and the offensive end?' To a man they said, 'No, it wasn't.'"
While the return of Sene to the lineup should make it much more difficult for opponents to score points in the paint, Virginia's inability to contain Longwood's penetration is cause for concern. It even elicited audible frustration from Bennett's mentor, his father.
"He was sitting behind the bench, and I heard a couple shouts about something," Bennett said, adding a little chuckle. "I'm not going home, I'm staying in the locker room tonight. I don't think he'll be real proud of that defensive performance, but that's alright - he's an old retired coach. We don't have to listen to him, right?"
Seems like the Bennett family is in this thing for the long haul. I think it's safe to say most Virginia fans are, too.
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