Providence had 15 points when the horn sounded to end the first half of the Legends Classic Championship Game. A first half “Tony,” as Virginia fans have come to term halves in which an opponent scores less than 20 points.
The scoreboard, reading 30-15, reflected what had been a dominant defensive performance by the Wahoos.
It was a return to what has become the hallmark of Tony Bennett’s program: stout packline defense that forms the foundation of Virginia’s identity. Despite a second-half charge by Providence, that defense held strong, and Virginia would go on to capture the Legends Classic Trophy courtesy of a 58-40 victory.
The two-game tournament marked a huge improvement for Virginia, and a big step forward. Here are three takeaways.
Gardner and Franklin are the most important pieces of this team
Tony Bennett wisely stuck his hand into the transfer portal this offseason. By the time he withdrew it, the Virginia roster was two players larger, and two extremely good players at that. The Legends Classic proved just how important those two offseason acquisitions were.
The first three halves of the tournament were the Armaan Franklin Show. The Indiana transfer torched Georgia for 23 points on 8-16 shooting, and added 14 more points in the opening period of the Providence game. He finished with a tally of 37 points between the two nights, including 5 made threes.
It was always expected that Franklin would be a knockdown three-point shooter, but he’s proven to be more than that. The strongest aspect of his game is the midrange, and he’s looked really good off the dribble. Foul trouble kept him out of much of the title game’s second half, but his impact on the contest was felt all the same.
Gardner had a quieter first game than Franklin, but an absolutely monstrous second one. He powered his way to 21 points on 8-9 shooting against Providence, to go with 13 boards — his third double-double in five games.
The two-time AAC Player of the Year imposed his will on the helpless Friars, who had no answer for his strength and skill.
Together, Franklin and Gardner combined for 69 of Virginia’s 113 points in the tournament. They’re clearly the most important components of Virginia’s maturing offensive attack.
Defensive resurrection
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of watching Virginia shut down a team defensively. The opposing players grow frustrated, their coach throws up his hands and gesticulates wildly at every failed maneuver, and the Virginia bench giddily applauds every shot clock violation.
All of those signs were present in the Prudential Center on both nights of the Legends Classic. While Providence’s limited output was more striking, the defense against Georgia was equally fantastic. The difference was that Providence couldn’t hit the ocean from the beach, and Georgia managed to make a few shots.
Regardless of the other team’s ability (or lack thereof) to make shots, there’s no denying that Virginia applied the clamps on defense. It’ll have to continue for the Hoos to keep winning games.
Cardiac Cavs
The 2019-20 iteration of Virginia basketball had its season cut short by COVID-19, but this year’s group is paying homage to it by resembling that team as best it can.
Back is the lockdown defense, the gritty, low-scoring games, and the unmistakable tension in your stomach as the clock winds down in a close game. The margin of victory in the Georgia game was 10, but it felt like a lot less. And as one Virginia fan inside the Prudential Center remarked with five minutes to play against Providence, “it feels a lot tighter than a 10-point game right now.”
This team has a fairly low offensive ceiling, even if all the parts start to click. The best Virginia can be offensively is “good;” a more accurate prediction would probably include the word “average.” The defense, by contrast, has the potential to be excellent.
Reece Beekman is one of the best defenders in the nation: quick, wiry, and with the niftiest hands in the land. Kadin Shedrick, meanwhile, is a human eraser. He has a whopping 20 blocks in 6 games, including a series of emphatic ones against Providence. He and Beekman are the pillars of this Virginia defense, but everybody else is more than capable of carrying their own weight.
Anyway, enough about the defense — it feels like this whole piece has been spent talking about it. The point is that while Virginia’s offense may be middling at times, the defense should always be there to keep games in reach.
That combination is going to produce a lot of tight games. Buckle up.
Image – Virginia Athletics