I'm pissed as a diehard fan, and don't care what fans of this coaching staff think, but this is not working. McKneely is a one trick pony against athletic teams that guard him close. Dai Dai is average at best, and Rhode is too soft and can't shoot a running layup, like McKneely if someone is remotely close by or on him.This is ridiculous to go 10 minutes without scoring a field goal and you have Murray and others being blockers that can shoot. What's wrong with this staff and especially the mindset of VanDross that seems to have some angst against Murray from Day one.
They really need to turn him and a few others getting no chance at shooting loose. I know what Murray can do if he is giving a green light to take shots and drive in as we saw a few games ago where he drove back door with even a person on him and successfully did what Dai Dai, McKneely, Rhode couldn't do and that was score under the basket. In fact he scored three times in a row when he was fed back door or around the basket. This is ridiculous he stands out in a corner wide open and you have people dribbling around like Rhode, Dai Dai and holding the ball to throw up a poor shot as the shot clock buzzer is going off.
They have really squandered and actually regressed players on this team sitting behind nonproductive players that can't shoot, can't defend; McKneely, Dai Dai and Rhode has played in the last three games where they are being blown by at ease and caused the Bigs to have to slide over, that leave their guy wide open for the dish and dunk. It's beyond embarrassment how slow and lack of fighting through screens both McKneely and Rhode that leave easy scores for the other team.
I like Cofie, Sharma, Murray to get more time when your starters are scoreless for last ten minutes of the game. What the hell was the coaching staff thinking. Beyond 3 or 4 minutes should have triggered replacements to at least shake things up.
I was hoping for Sanchez, and Wiliford to be successful but I don't see these guys winning more than 14 games this season unless the ACC teams are really bad.
Here's a look at where UVA basketball was this time of the year around Dec 08 from previous years:
2024 - 5-4
2023 - 9-1
2022 - 8-0
2021 - 6-4
2020 - 3-2; Played and lost during that time against #1 Gonzaga; had tons of postponements due to covid
2019 - 8-1
2018 - 9-0; went 16-0 before losing to #1 Duke on Jan 19
2017 - 8-1
2016 - 8-1
2015 - 9-1
2014 - 9-0; went 19-0 before losing to #4 Duke on Jan 31
2013 - 7-3
2012 - 8-2
2011 - 8-1; won 12 straight after first loss before losing to #8 Duke on Jan 12 that year.
