Fans were back in JPJ for the first time in 612 days to witness Virginia’s season opener against Navy, but for 40 minutes of drab basketball, they had very little to cheer about. The Hoos fell to the Midshipmen 66-58 in an uninspiring performance that marked an inauspicious start to the season.
Sweeping conclusions should not, however, be drawn from one game. Wahoo fans would do well to recall the beginning of last season. After a stunning 89-54 drubbing of Towson, a lifeless Virginia squad dropped their game against San Francisco only two days later. The first game last season provided fool’s gold; maybe the gold of this season has not yet been unearthed.
So while the pessimism proliferating among the UVA fanbase is understandable, it may very well be proven wrong over the course of the season. Here are four takeaways from the season opener.
Jayden Gardner is an absolute monster
Let’s start with a positive, shall we? In a game that contained few of them from a Virginia standpoint, East Carolina transfer Gardner was a light in the darkness. He reeled off a quick six points, using his sizable frame to power his way to the hoop. By night’s end, he had recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-13 shooting.
It was the first of what will undoubtedly be a string of double-doubles, one that might have to tie this team together. But Gardner, like the rest of the offense, went dormant for the final quarter of the game. The 8:30 scoring drought that lasted until close to the end of the game was not Gardner’s fault, but he cannot be fully exonerated of guilt for it. Regardless, it was an impressive game from the 245-pound forward.
Shameful performance on the boards
In the end, Navy only amassed 5 more rebounds than Virginia. But make no mistake, that was an embarrassing outing on the glass from a team whose coach has always prioritized rebounding. There was a general complacency permeating the team, which allowed the Midshipmen to sail in behind for easy boards.
Virginia’s guards were the main offenders in this respect, with the trio of Clark, Franklin, and Stattmann all failing to collect a single rebound. Among Virginia’s guards, only Beekman—who had a solid outing overall, with 8 points, 6 assists, 6 steals, and 5 boards—was able to add to Virginia’s rebound tally. Rebounding will undoubtedly be emphasized in the coming practices, and for good reason.
Defense is better than it looked
Conceding 42 points in 20 minutes is never a good thing, but sometimes there’s not much you can do. Navy drilled 8 of its first 10 threes, going on to finish 11-21 from beyond the arc (52.4%). Yes, the Hoos were a little slow stepping out to shooters, but that’s a minor issue that will be ironed out shortly.
The second half was a different story, and more representative of what we should see the rest of the season. Virginia held Navy to just 0.774 points per possession, forcing 9 turnovers in the process. There’s still a little bit of cleaning up to do, but this is shaping up to be a formidable defense.
Offense will struggle at times
Scoring droughts have plagued Virginia teams of years past, and they are sure to affect this team as well. The offense stagnated down the stretch after a bright start, leading to the aforementioned 8:30 scoring drought. The all-important orange sphere simply did not touch enough Wahoo hands during that period. Virginia also failed to knock down open threes, with Franklin in particular missing 6 of 7 attempts. Once he returns to form as a knockdown three-point shooter, this offense will gain another dimension.
But the overall absence of sufficient offensive firepower was evident, and will be all season. It’s something Virginia is going to have to overcome if it is to be successful this season.
After a disappointing start to the season, Virginia will look to respond at home against Radford Friday night.
Image – Virginia Athletics