On the team's play tonight
They were the more aggressive team, especially early. Their defense kinda dictated what we wanted to do offensively and that's not something we wanted to happen. We talked about how they were double teaming the post, but we didn't handle it very well. I think our bigs had 7 or 8 turnovers. So, that's not what we wanted either. When we needed to get one stop and get a rebound, we just couldn't come up with that. Against a team like Virginia, it comes down to one possession and they won that one possession on several occasions.
On were they doing anything special that prevented the guards from getting the ball inside more often to Brice and Kennedy
No. We were able to get it in there, but we just weren't able to be as efficient as we are when we get it into the post. Both of them got a decent amount of touches on the block and we just didn't convert a lot of them.
On your execution. What went wrong for you guys
Like I said, we got the ball where we wanted to get it, but we weren't strong with it. Their defensive pressure inside the 3 point line was too much for us to handle, despite us working on it in practice and we just didn't convert those plays around the basket. I think it was a toughness thing. They were a little bit tougher than us.
On was it similar to Duke where you couldn't get the ball inside
I think we got the ball inside! It wasn't something where, in the Duke game, was the guards just completely taking the bigs out of the game, by not entering the ball in the post as much as we should. In this game, I think we got it inside a decent amount. Like I said, we just didn't convert as much as we usually do. They were challenging us at the rim and give them credit for that.
On the stretch in the 2nd half when it was tied 3 times and they went right back down and scored, what makes it so tough to defend them
I think we really struggled guarding the curl. Their offense is one that sets a lot of flair screens and their guards curl hard to the middle and we just didn't get enough team defense on those curl cuts and they were able to get a lot of baskets off of that. Their constant motion was effective. We weren't able to take them out of what they do. In the ACC Tournament last year, our pressure kinda dictated their offense. We were able to push them out to half court and get them out of their comfort zone.
They were the more aggressive team, especially early. Their defense kinda dictated what we wanted to do offensively and that's not something we wanted to happen. We talked about how they were double teaming the post, but we didn't handle it very well. I think our bigs had 7 or 8 turnovers. So, that's not what we wanted either. When we needed to get one stop and get a rebound, we just couldn't come up with that. Against a team like Virginia, it comes down to one possession and they won that one possession on several occasions.
On were they doing anything special that prevented the guards from getting the ball inside more often to Brice and Kennedy
No. We were able to get it in there, but we just weren't able to be as efficient as we are when we get it into the post. Both of them got a decent amount of touches on the block and we just didn't convert a lot of them.
On your execution. What went wrong for you guys
Like I said, we got the ball where we wanted to get it, but we weren't strong with it. Their defensive pressure inside the 3 point line was too much for us to handle, despite us working on it in practice and we just didn't convert those plays around the basket. I think it was a toughness thing. They were a little bit tougher than us.
On was it similar to Duke where you couldn't get the ball inside
I think we got the ball inside! It wasn't something where, in the Duke game, was the guards just completely taking the bigs out of the game, by not entering the ball in the post as much as we should. In this game, I think we got it inside a decent amount. Like I said, we just didn't convert as much as we usually do. They were challenging us at the rim and give them credit for that.
On the stretch in the 2nd half when it was tied 3 times and they went right back down and scored, what makes it so tough to defend them
I think we really struggled guarding the curl. Their offense is one that sets a lot of flair screens and their guards curl hard to the middle and we just didn't get enough team defense on those curl cuts and they were able to get a lot of baskets off of that. Their constant motion was effective. We weren't able to take them out of what they do. In the ACC Tournament last year, our pressure kinda dictated their offense. We were able to push them out to half court and get them out of their comfort zone.
