I thought David Teel did a nice job in a recent article pointing out how this teaming is not crushing opponents like the last two teams. While lack of an enforcer inside and the failure to replace JA are two key points, another point is that this team has picked up some very bad habits. While they are playing well-enough at home and at neutral sites to rack up a number of impressive wins, and have only really been threatened once - Cal, their play on the road reminds me of the UVa football team over the last few years.
As UVa football fans, we all can recite (almost in unison) the dump, stupid, idiotic plays, play calls, turnovers or penalties that cost us game after game. The team would play hard. It would make some excellent plays, but in the end, it rarely won.
This year on the road, we are simply making the same devastatingly dumb plays that our football team made. For example against V. Tech, we play our trademark bs first half, but then LP lights it up during the first part of the second half. However, instead of putting away the game, Tech stays in it and ultimately wins the game due to atrocious defense, failure to rebound and stupid turnovers.
Against FSU, we were ready to put the game away at the half as we had the ball up 6. But instead of scoring and going into the locker room with an 8-9 point lead, we turn the ball over and allow their leading scorer - who we had shut down the entire first half to hit a 3. Those are the things losing teams do.
While we won at Wake, we were not much better. In final minute, we had 3 straight empty possessions and down 7 with 25 seconds left we committed a turnover.
While I have been on winning teams, I have been on losing teams where we never got the bounces, the call, etc. and frustration mounted with every game. As we saw with our football teams, these "little" things make it very hard to win games even against inferior opponents. Plus, the more you try, many times the worse it gets.
My hope is that this win wipes away the bad mojo we experience on the road, and gets them out of their road funk. Also, it may be better that we are playing a quality team on the road vs. a team we should blow out. Maybe that will help motivate the guys and alleviate some pressure.
Bottom line, this team still has a chance to be year 3 of one of the best 3 years eras in the history of Virginia sports. However, it is also has the chance to be the forgotten year between the historic 2013-14, 2014-15 teams and new era led by AN, MD. TJ, KG. etc
As UVa football fans, we all can recite (almost in unison) the dump, stupid, idiotic plays, play calls, turnovers or penalties that cost us game after game. The team would play hard. It would make some excellent plays, but in the end, it rarely won.
This year on the road, we are simply making the same devastatingly dumb plays that our football team made. For example against V. Tech, we play our trademark bs first half, but then LP lights it up during the first part of the second half. However, instead of putting away the game, Tech stays in it and ultimately wins the game due to atrocious defense, failure to rebound and stupid turnovers.
Against FSU, we were ready to put the game away at the half as we had the ball up 6. But instead of scoring and going into the locker room with an 8-9 point lead, we turn the ball over and allow their leading scorer - who we had shut down the entire first half to hit a 3. Those are the things losing teams do.
While we won at Wake, we were not much better. In final minute, we had 3 straight empty possessions and down 7 with 25 seconds left we committed a turnover.
While I have been on winning teams, I have been on losing teams where we never got the bounces, the call, etc. and frustration mounted with every game. As we saw with our football teams, these "little" things make it very hard to win games even against inferior opponents. Plus, the more you try, many times the worse it gets.
My hope is that this win wipes away the bad mojo we experience on the road, and gets them out of their road funk. Also, it may be better that we are playing a quality team on the road vs. a team we should blow out. Maybe that will help motivate the guys and alleviate some pressure.
Bottom line, this team still has a chance to be year 3 of one of the best 3 years eras in the history of Virginia sports. However, it is also has the chance to be the forgotten year between the historic 2013-14, 2014-15 teams and new era led by AN, MD. TJ, KG. etc
