VIRGINIA (No. 1 seed, Midwest Region)
ACC assistant coach on Virginia: "They're playing well at the right time. They've got experience. You can't speed them up. Those guys are winners. ... With [Malcolm] Brogdon and [London] Perrantes, they really defend you on the perimeter. Brogdon's as good a defender as there is in the country. He's a fifth year guy, he's tough as nails, he's got size. They're so disciplined defensively, so they're going to take away your strength. ... They're style of play is so methodical on offense, so that's going to challenge a team that wants to get up and down. A team that wants to get up and down, they're going to control the tempo and take you out of that. But if you have a team that's more deliberate, runs its stuff but also has multiple shot makers? That's where I think you can get them. ... I thought Darion Atkins was such a key for them defensively last year because he guarded so many positions and was such an anchor back there. They were piecing it together for awhile, but I think they've found a nice little rhythm with their personnel lately. I know they've really been on Gill to be better defensively, and I think he has. But it starts with the perimeter guys. You can't get anything easy against them. They're in a groove now. ... If they see Michigan State in the NCAA tournament, that's their Achilles heel. Tony's going to be furious. They better not be a 1 and 2 in the same region. ... I've always thought the way you beat Virginia in my opinion is you have to make shots from the perimeter, so if you get a team that's cooking from the 3-point line, that's certainly key."
Who does Virginia want to see in the Midwest Region? Hampton. I hate to pick on the No. 16 seed here, but this is a nightmare draw for the Pirates. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the field and play at the fourth highest tempo. Neither bode well against a Virginia team that controls pace and forces you to win with contested jump shots. If forced to pick someone besides the 16 seed, give me Texas Tech, which is comfortable at a slow pace but is also anemic shooting from the perimeter.
Who does Virginia want to avoid in the Midwest Region? Michigan State. Obviously, it's the Spartans, the Midwest's No. 2 seed and the team that has eliminated Virginia both the past two seasons. This Michigan State team is even more equipped to handle Virginia too because it can score multiple ways, it's comfortable playing at a methodical pace and it's leading the nation in 3-point shooting. Virginia's best Final Four chance is definitely the Spartans falling early.
ACC assistant coach on Virginia: "They're playing well at the right time. They've got experience. You can't speed them up. Those guys are winners. ... With [Malcolm] Brogdon and [London] Perrantes, they really defend you on the perimeter. Brogdon's as good a defender as there is in the country. He's a fifth year guy, he's tough as nails, he's got size. They're so disciplined defensively, so they're going to take away your strength. ... They're style of play is so methodical on offense, so that's going to challenge a team that wants to get up and down. A team that wants to get up and down, they're going to control the tempo and take you out of that. But if you have a team that's more deliberate, runs its stuff but also has multiple shot makers? That's where I think you can get them. ... I thought Darion Atkins was such a key for them defensively last year because he guarded so many positions and was such an anchor back there. They were piecing it together for awhile, but I think they've found a nice little rhythm with their personnel lately. I know they've really been on Gill to be better defensively, and I think he has. But it starts with the perimeter guys. You can't get anything easy against them. They're in a groove now. ... If they see Michigan State in the NCAA tournament, that's their Achilles heel. Tony's going to be furious. They better not be a 1 and 2 in the same region. ... I've always thought the way you beat Virginia in my opinion is you have to make shots from the perimeter, so if you get a team that's cooking from the 3-point line, that's certainly key."
Who does Virginia want to see in the Midwest Region? Hampton. I hate to pick on the No. 16 seed here, but this is a nightmare draw for the Pirates. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the field and play at the fourth highest tempo. Neither bode well against a Virginia team that controls pace and forces you to win with contested jump shots. If forced to pick someone besides the 16 seed, give me Texas Tech, which is comfortable at a slow pace but is also anemic shooting from the perimeter.
Who does Virginia want to avoid in the Midwest Region? Michigan State. Obviously, it's the Spartans, the Midwest's No. 2 seed and the team that has eliminated Virginia both the past two seasons. This Michigan State team is even more equipped to handle Virginia too because it can score multiple ways, it's comfortable playing at a methodical pace and it's leading the nation in 3-point shooting. Virginia's best Final Four chance is definitely the Spartans falling early.
