Gotta love December RPI numbers. ESPN's RPI rankings have us going from 45 to 17 with yesterday's win -- and with tOSU's win over KY and with various other results of course.

We're not even completely healthy yet (LP's recovery from the absence, MS banged up) nor had much time with the current players together (DT starting, DH playing quite a bit, JR seeing a few minutes). We won 9 of 10 to start the season despite that, including two top 15 wins.

It's really nice to have inside and outside scoring options as well as plentiful offensive "help". Deepest UVa team in terms of offense since ... ?

IW is starting to occupy that "do things that don't show up" role that Mitchell, Anderson, and Atkins performed at various points in their respective careers. Will be fun to watch him grow this season and step up even further next year as it seems most of our bigs do.

Although the players that have not seemed to get a lot better seem to be bought in to doing what they can do to help the team. I admire EN and MT for not hanging their heads and for contributing best they can. We all hoped they would do more/be better by this stage of their careers, but they have little spurts on given nights that absolutely are the difference between winning and losing a game here or there. To borrow an Australian phrase, good on them.

Sophomores are getting really good OTJ training for next season. A couple are playing big, important roles. AN will obviously be just fine, so it will be interesting to see what heady young players from next year's class will be able to do (if they can get on the court at all).

How big does DT's transfer now look in helping the continuity of the program? That sense that the program will just chug along regardless of who graduates is starting to feel more justified.

If Justin had stayed, this team would have had a chance to go undefeated right through the national championship game.

During the extended timeouts, the coaching staff huddles away from the players for a very long time. You almost start to wonder if they are even going to talk to the players. The players are on their stools and milling about. There seems to be some organization about what they are doing, too. At what seems to be at the last minute, the coaches break their huddle and go over to the players to instruct. I do not think I have ever seen this routine before. I think this may be a new twist for I think I would have recognized it watching live games in years past. Can anybody shed light on this and also, what are your opinions of the technique?

Everyone close to me that bets owes me. Friendly bets, 5-10-20-25 dollar bets. I mean, it's gotten ridiculous. I am so hot that I tried to give someone a chance to win 20 back by telling them they could put it against UVa to make the final four. They wouldn't do it. I said ok put the 20 in my hand. Used to be you would get laughter if you proposed that bet and lose your 20 dollars.

The ESPN science guy just did a comparison of Curry to LaBron. One aspect he covered was the shooting angle and angle of height on Curry's shot compared to Lebron's. Lebron's jumper is at a max of 45 degrees, while Curry's was between 50 and 55 degrees, meaning Curry's arc to get to the rim is much higher. Per the science guy, at the greater height Curry has a 19 per cent increase in the area in which the ball has to go through the hoop compared to Lebron's area! So for those who have wondered why I constantly harp on Malcom's flat shot, and Nolte's compared to his freshman year, you increase your chances of making the basket greatly with the increase in arc created by a higher release point and greater angle on the release. It is pure physics. Just compare Brogdan's last 3 with LP's game winner - LP's was significantly higher and went in despite his being fouled, while Malcom's was flatter and had to be nearly perfect too go in. Luckily they both went in.

This team has some talent and everyone will have an answer, but Bronco will need some playmakers earlier and we have a few:

Smoke
OZ
Quin
Kiser
Butts or Peace (I think these two with better coaching can be players)

How much of last night's difficulty do you think can be attributed ton coach Martin maybe knowing how to coach against Tony's teams? Is it just the type of talent he recruits or is he just a tough matchup for Tony?

We're there any basketball recruits at the basketball game ????

For all those raving about London's recruiting prowess, a sinking ship for four years has disastrous effects. UVA only got two kids in the Times' top 25 in VA, Va Tech only got 3. Pretty sad results.

Safe travels to the Old Dominion Coach Mendenhall!! Virginia is for lovers... and I think the Hoos are going to love having you in Hooville!

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/massiv...hool-college-basketball-073653867--ncaab.html

Just found this article about the new rules changes in NCAA Basketball. Seems like Ole Roy does not have much faith or expectations in the officials.

2015 has been a very good year for UVA fans.

I left my seat last night and walked up to the upper concourse to watch from near the exit. I had parked at the park and walked over because I got there early and was meeting a friend. My plan was to bolt for the doors and catch the first trolley so I could get to the interstate on time. At around the 1:30 mark when Gill forced up the errant shot and looked as if he had been fouled, I got emotional and left the building.Once outside I started running, I guess it is between one and two miles. I was going to get to my car and get out before everyone. I was convinced UVa was going to lose. I feel my phone vibrating as I am running, I pay no attention. I hear someone scream. One old man drives by and beeps repeatedly and raises a thumbs up with a broad smile. I then feel something eerie in the air. I get to the car and look at the first text, it says YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!! That is when I got in my car and started making phone calls. I see the first trolley coming so I went ahead and got to driving. So, if you saw a forty-ish looking man running away from the JPJ down Leonard Sandridge and Massie last night in a dark blue UVa hoodie near the end and just after the game, that was me.

Wahoowa

Granted, the win against Cal was not pretty, but it falls into the category of a good team always finds a way to win, even on an off night. What we did to Cal yesterday was sort of like what Duke did to us last year. I have to believe that was one long trip back to Berkeley for those players.

But, we always questioned where we would be at this point with such a tough OOC schedule. Well, now we have the answer. Wins against WVA, Villanova and now Cal. One loss against a really good GW playing at home in front of an electric crowd. I can live with these results. 10-1 at this point is better than I thought. I had hoped for 11-0, but figured 9-2 was a best bet. Even more important than winning these games now, just imagine how this will help us come March. We have already experienced a typical Tourney run in the last three games and weathered the storm. That develops confidence, and confidence results in wins.

Great time to enjoy Christmas!

Guy scored 31 points in the last Lawrence Central game on 12 of 15 shooting which included 4 of 6 from deep. He is averaging 26.6 points per game this season while shooting 56% from the field and 93% from the foul line. For the season he has 34 assists and 13 turnovers..

This tweet is so good on so many levels...

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Boy was this the holiday game blues. We came out as flat as we have like the OSU and WVU games.

Our first half shooting percentage was horrible. Lucky for us we were able to get to the foul line.

Those ball screens the last two games have hurt us. That action seems to be hard to guard, but I am sure we'll make an adjustment as the season goes along.

AG was a man possessed at the start of the second-half.

JR- how about that. This is how deep we are. A guy who is barely playing comes in to give good minutes.

When was the last time a UVA team has given up this many points in transition? Some of them came from bad shots early in the shot clock and the other half was us uncharacteristically not getting back on defense

I said this during the weekend- we at times have given up too many and almost backbreaking offensive rebounds. We must clean that up as the season goes along.

This crowd for this being holiday break was on fire.

Drive and kick is our weapon when teams back in the paint like Cal did tonight. This team has enough shooters to make teams pay.

Wilkins is going to be a very good player for us. Love his improvement so far in his career.

It is becoming apparent that Tobey and Salt will not help us much against most teams with quickness.

I didn't like the offensive action late in the game. Ball screen into a roll or kick might have been better for us.

Wasn't very pleased with our second half offense. Too much iso or attempting a pick and roll vs. our normal curl and flare action.

TB is one of the best in basketball on SLOB and BLOB plays. So amazing to watch the plays and execute

LP is my point guard. Wouldn't trade him for anyone else in college basketball

Merry CHRISTmas!! To Wahoo nation and Everyone.

I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Get ready for the Final Four run and finally getting back to a bowl in the new year.

Oklahoma gets to play 3 games in Hawaii on two separate trips? They played the tourney earlier this month at Pearl Harbor, now they have a road game against Hawaii two days before Christmas. Yeah, if I was a college student you could sign me up for two all expenses paid trips to Hawaii every year...

The tone from the article this guy wrote last night was downright hostile towards the team. He got pretty roasted in the comments section.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...-perrantes-virginia-barely-escapes-california

Today (posted below), he writes another article the way he should've written last nights. Kind of OT from the real things that matter but I do find it funny how some national writers show us a little ankle, only to get called out hard and retract.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...against-cal-virginias-offense-still-the-thing

played on Mathews last night the last 10 minutes. Thompson absolutely shut him down. It's great to talk about London and Malcolm but Thompson was fantastic!!!