I have often thought there are strong parallels between Virginia and Montana. More specifically between Travis and Tony Bennett. Both hang their hats on no nonsense stout defenses. Both run offenses that eschew the “Space and Pace” and a lot of 3’s that is quite popular among the analytics crowd and newly crowned offensive gurus. According to KenPom, Virginia is often last or close to last in the entire country for tempo. Montana, though not that slow, would never be confused with a remotely up-tempo offense.
There was an article in The Athletic today (https://theathletic.com/3729565/2022/10/27/virginia-tony-bennett) that caught my eye (article is behind a paywall). I will quote a few passages:
“For years, no one thought to even question Bennett’s methods or his relevance. Some may not have liked his way, screeching that Virginia’s pack line defense was squeezing the very life out of men’s college basketball, but even the haters respected it. How could they not? From 2013 to 2019, the Cavaliers won 178 games and lost 36, and won or shared five ACC titles. After the ultimate humiliation, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16, they turned the ultimate 180 and won a national championship.
Since that title, Virginia has handed in diminishing returns. The Cavs lost in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a four-seed, to Ohio, and last season failed to make the field for the first time since 2013 (Virginia did own a 23-7 record before COVID-19 ended things in 2020.). This is not exactly horrific. Plenty of schools would happily trade places with Virginia’s definition of mediocrity. But the Cavaliers’ dip has coincided with college athletics’ pivot to a very un-Virginia way of existence (Transfer Portal - Grizball’s add).”
“It’s especially tricky, though, at places like Virginia. The style of play long has weeded some people out — in Bennett’s tenure, just six top 50 recruits have come to Charlottesville — which means the program has pivoted to player development. Not a single freshman has made an All-ACC team under Bennett, yet the Cavaliers have produced four first-round NBA Draft picks and this year placed nine alums on NBA opening-day rosters. But nobody wants to wait their turn anymore, not when the portal allows for instant gratification and more critically, instant playing time.”
“Like most everyone else in college basketball, Bennett was stunned when Jay Wright announced his retirement. He, like others, wondered if the new way of doing things chased the Villanova coach out prematurely. He understands how it could. Virginia is built a lot like Villanova and while some coaches are happy chameleons, neither Wright nor Bennett is terribly interested in recreating how they do things.
Some might say that’s stubbornness, particularly about Bennett and his style of play. He, however, prefers to think of it as principled. “The easiest thing to do in our profession,’’ he says, “is to sell false hope and empty promises.’’ Recruits very often want what he can’t — or won’t — give. They want a guarantee — of playing time, shots, starts, whatever it is that they think will solidify their futures. He refuses.”
I feel these are big seasons for both DeCuire and Bennett. Are the past few years just short-term blips where their way will be highly successful again? Or are we looking at the inability and/or lack of desire to adjust to the new ways of college basketball and a permanent slide into mediocrity?
There was an article in The Athletic today (https://theathletic.com/3729565/2022/10/27/virginia-tony-bennett) that caught my eye (article is behind a paywall). I will quote a few passages:
“For years, no one thought to even question Bennett’s methods or his relevance. Some may not have liked his way, screeching that Virginia’s pack line defense was squeezing the very life out of men’s college basketball, but even the haters respected it. How could they not? From 2013 to 2019, the Cavaliers won 178 games and lost 36, and won or shared five ACC titles. After the ultimate humiliation, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16, they turned the ultimate 180 and won a national championship.
Since that title, Virginia has handed in diminishing returns. The Cavs lost in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a four-seed, to Ohio, and last season failed to make the field for the first time since 2013 (Virginia did own a 23-7 record before COVID-19 ended things in 2020.). This is not exactly horrific. Plenty of schools would happily trade places with Virginia’s definition of mediocrity. But the Cavaliers’ dip has coincided with college athletics’ pivot to a very un-Virginia way of existence (Transfer Portal - Grizball’s add).”
“It’s especially tricky, though, at places like Virginia. The style of play long has weeded some people out — in Bennett’s tenure, just six top 50 recruits have come to Charlottesville — which means the program has pivoted to player development. Not a single freshman has made an All-ACC team under Bennett, yet the Cavaliers have produced four first-round NBA Draft picks and this year placed nine alums on NBA opening-day rosters. But nobody wants to wait their turn anymore, not when the portal allows for instant gratification and more critically, instant playing time.”
“Like most everyone else in college basketball, Bennett was stunned when Jay Wright announced his retirement. He, like others, wondered if the new way of doing things chased the Villanova coach out prematurely. He understands how it could. Virginia is built a lot like Villanova and while some coaches are happy chameleons, neither Wright nor Bennett is terribly interested in recreating how they do things.
Some might say that’s stubbornness, particularly about Bennett and his style of play. He, however, prefers to think of it as principled. “The easiest thing to do in our profession,’’ he says, “is to sell false hope and empty promises.’’ Recruits very often want what he can’t — or won’t — give. They want a guarantee — of playing time, shots, starts, whatever it is that they think will solidify their futures. He refuses.”
I feel these are big seasons for both DeCuire and Bennett. Are the past few years just short-term blips where their way will be highly successful again? Or are we looking at the inability and/or lack of desire to adjust to the new ways of college basketball and a permanent slide into mediocrity?
