Saturday's Game: Virginia at Clemson

Feb 18, 2010, 11:10 AM

Who (or shoud that be Hoo?): Virginia (14-10, 5-6 ACC) at Clemson (18-7, 6-5)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m. at Littlejohn
The line: Not out yet, but Pomeroy likes Clemson by 8 and RPI Forecast says Clemson by 10
Is it on TV? If you get Fox Sports South.
When Last We Met: KC Rivers held Sylvan Landesberg to 3 points, frustrating the Cavs in the second half for a 75-57 win.

The Cavs have been shooting blanks lately

So, what happened to UVa? Weren't they red hot? So it seemed. The Hoos were 5-2 in the ACC. with a chance to make a statement against some of the league's top teams.

They made a statement, all right...the statement was "We stink." Turns out their five wins came against teams that are all currently under .500 in the conference. Their last 4 games ... against Maryland, VTech, Wake and Florida State ... have given the Tigers a pretty good blueprint to beat the Hoos.

Not that one was needed. Watching a couple of their games should be sufficient.

No! No! Not Steve Landesberg! Sylvan ... though against FSU, they'd have played about the same.

First off, the Cavaliers have a very good guard in Sylvan Landesberg (17 ppg, 5 reb, solid at the line). He can shoot from outside, but prefers to drive and score or get to the free throw. Think of him as a slightly bigger Malcolm Delaney with a worse shooting touch from the outside.

Another decent guard, especially shooting from the outside, is Sammy Zeglinski (10 ppg, 3 ast, 40 percent from the arc). He shoot nearly 40 percent of the Hoos long-range shots and leads the team in steals. You simply can't let him hang around outside.

The Cavs have also gotten some spark recently from backup guard Jeff Jones Jr (7 ppg, 40 percent from the arc). If the name sounds familiar, his dad was a legendary player at Virginia in the late 70s and reached the NCAA Final Four in 1981.

That ain't happening for any of these Hoos anytime soon.

"That was appalling..."
Why not? Because the front court play of this year's team is, to quote Simon Cowell, appalling. Against Clemson, count on Virginia to play a lot of three-guard offense ... mainly because they really struggle to find a third big guy to put on the floor.

Forward Mike Scott (13 ppg, 7 reb) is Booker-esque in size, but a step slower. He does the bulk of his work close to the basket, but has a surprisingly good shot from the outside. He's also the only Cav who hits the offensive boards with regularity.

Senior center Jerome Mayonnaise (5 ppg, 3 reb) and Will Sherrill (4 ppg, 4 reb) don't strike fear in the hearts of ACC opponents and have done little to stop any determined inside game put against them. It's surprising the Cavs took both games from NC State, and Lord knows what GTech was thinking in their loss. I'd submit both were the result of bad coaching rather than lack of talent.

The Cav offense consists of trying to get into transition, then setting up for a long-range shot. They play an efficient offense, with few turnovers, but they are one of the weaker offensive rebounding teams in the league.

When they're playing a slower opponent, it works well. But no one ever accused Clemson of being slow, especially with a week's rest.

After a few off games, this should be a tonic for Booker

How will Clemson respond? This is a game Trevor Booker (15 ppg, 8 reb) should have circled in red for a month. The weakness of Virginia inside will be a tonic for Trevor, who has just shaken off the flu. The same holds true for his brother Devin (7 ppg, 3 reb) and Jerai Grant (7 ppg, 5 reb, double figures in the past 4 games).

The Tigers will need to focus on defense at guard, with Tanner Smith and David Potter teaming up to thwart Landesberg. Demontez Stitt (11 ppg, 4 ast) has the speed and size to match up with Zeglinski, while Andre Young (9 ppg, 3 ast, 40 pct from the arc) has the speed to pester both.

I'd expect the Tigers to press early, to see how the Cavs' legs are holding up, then be selective in pressure. On offense, the ball is coming inside ... a lot. If Scott gets in foul trouble for the Cavs, this could get ugly.

The trends: By now, a few common trends to beating the Hoos have come into focus.

1. Contain Landesberg or Scott. Since Virginia has yet to come up with a true third scoring threat, shutting one or the other of these guys down is pretty simple. Most folks focus on Scott and let Landesberg shoot his team out of contention. His field goal percentage has dropped below 30 percent in the past four games, which means his legs may be going away in the late season. Which brings us to the next point...

2. Keep up the pressure. Three-guard offenses are a problem for Clemson's press, and the first half may well see the Hoos take advantage of breakaways. But this will be the Hoos third game in a week's time and frankly, they looked pooped already against FSU last night. The variety of pressure Clemson used against the Noles last week should work well against Virginia.

3. Force the ball inside. If the Hoos go with three guards, they don't have the luxury of doubling inside. Clemson has a number of effective scoring threats down low that should have a field day against a tired Virginia front line that frankly wasn't that scary to begin with. If someone inside doesn't come away with a career high, it's because we didn't force the tempo.

4. Force the tempo. For all the above reasons. Virginia rarely scores more than 70 points per game. Forcing the issue against a tired Hoo team increases the score, which serves Clemson better. It also creates the opportunity for more errors by the Cavs. And when they are forced into errors, they have trouble recovering.

So, what's the outcome? I haven't called for tacos in a long time. I'm calling for them Saturday. I think our ability to force the tempo and score down low should be enough to put Clemson at 7-5 going into two key road games.

Beating Virginia is crucial for NCAA hopes and a shot at a top 4 ACC finish. The guys know it, and they know how to get this game.

I anticipate a win and a high score.

Message was edited by: RevDodd®

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...I find no value in blasting someone just because we disagree.

That said, the Hoo team we face Saturday doesn't have Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds. It has Landesberg and Zeglinksy, both dangerous shooters but scarcely the 1-2 punch from 3 years ago.

We also have much better defending guards now. In 2007 all people had to do was crack the press and it was smooth sailing. Much as I love Vern Hamilton, I'll take my chances with Stitt on defense.

I am not overconfident in Clemson. I am convinced that Virginia's inside game is better suited to the southern Conference than the ACC. I see a team that has lost 4 in a row, 6 of its last 8 and all because they cannot control the boards.

I also see a lean, hungry Clemson team well-rested and (for the first time in a month) healthy and eager to plant a hobnailed boot on the frilly lace collar of the Cavs.

I see victory, bloody and decisive. I expect nothing less from these guys in Littlejohn.

Saturday's Game: Virginia at Clemson

I'm telling ya... we are gonna finish 10-6 in ACC play***

We've got a good chance. 9-7 would be good and very

9-7 would be outstanding. I hope it comes to pass.***

My fervent hope...

If they have Mayonaisse on the floor ..

Hee-Hee! Duke's Mayonnaise! Wish it was so!***

That's the only Duke anything I have ever liked.***

I see "overlook" all over this post...

Not to flame , but we have blown big leads to several

No flame for a reasonable, if flawed opinion...

Nice try there Rev, but u didn't sneak that one by me....

Fair enough, but if you consider each foe a potential giant

100% right...

are you serious... I mean... really...

Re: are you serious... I mean... really...

I stand corrected...

OP is in the gym with BOBO!***

Transition points - some open 3's can keep the Hoo's close

Absolutely: We can bury them or keep them in the game.

Re: Saturday's Game: Virginia at Clemson

thanks Rev - u da MAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***

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