Junior guard Chris Chiozza went 2-for-2 from the 3-point line in first-round play against East Tennessee. UF will need guys to strike from the perimeter against UVA's stingy defense.
Defense Won't Rest in Florida-Virginia Matchup
Saturday, March 18, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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The Gators will face a unique challenge in Cavaliers' "Pack-Line" defense.
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
ORLANDO — Maybe, it was just fitting that Florida junior forward Devin Robinson and the University of Virginia eventually would cross paths. Robinson grew up in Chesterfield, Va., outside Richmond. His mother graduated from UVA. The Cavaliers, at best, were lukewarm on recruiting Robinson, so he went looking elsewhere.
On Saturday, they'll be on the Amway Center floor together when the fourth-seeded Gators (25-8) face the No. 5-seed Cavs (23-10) in the NCAA East Region's second round, with a berth to the Sweet 16 in the balance.
"My mom said she's going to wear orange; the alma mater vs. her son," Robinson said Friday. "She's going with her son, obviously."
UF earned its date with UVA in no small part because of Robinson, who went for a career-high 24 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and some highlight-reel slam dunks in Thursday's 80-65 opening-round defeat of East Tennessee State. The Gators got it going in the second half, coming alive after a cold opening period hitting some outside shots, including six 3-pointers, and forcing the Buccaneers into mistakes UF turned into transition opportunities.
Eventually, Robinson and the Gators forced the kind of tempo in which they excel.
Under Coach Tony Bennett, Virginia annually rolls out one of the nation's best defensive teams and this year is no different. The Cavs are ranked No. 2 in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom's advance metrics, as well as first in points surrendered per game at just 56.1. It's worth noting that Florida is quite capable of guarding as well, with the Gators ranked No. 4 in those efficiency metrics.
UF coach Mike White knows good guarding when he sees it. He's been seeing a lot of it on Cavaliers tape the last couple days.
"What makes them good? Everything," White said. "They make you play differently."
UVA ranks second in the nation in defensive efficiency, but KeVaughn Allen (5), Kevarrius Hayes (13) and the Gators aren't far behind at No. 4.
UVA's vaunted "Pack-Line" defense is a man-to-man, paint-protection system designed to take away penetration, be it drives or entry passes. When applied properly, it shrinks the area of the floor the team wants to defend and forces the offense to play in tighter space. The Cavs want to force contested jump shots as opposed to allowing the ball to get past an initial defender.
The best ways to beat the "Pack-Line" are by playing in transition, and thus preventing the Cavs from setting the defense; by hitting shots (especially 3-pointers); or by picking-and-rolling them to the point of over-rotation. Playing it takes discipline and positioning. UVA players understand that expectation when they sign up.
"Our defense is really a team-oriented system and it's about being more continuous than perhaps is natural for a lot of guys," Bennett explained during Friday's media session. "You can't make one effort, OK, then stop. You've got to be good off the ball. You have to be in a stance and [have] vision all the time. Instead of being reactionary, you've got to be able to anticipate. … And it's a mindset, too, that we're going to try and outlast and impose our will on the offense, which is challenging."
The Cavaliers certainly were challenged by UNC-Wilmington in its first-round game. The 12th-seeded Seahawks were within three with three minutes left and got it two inside a minute remaining before UVA put away a 76-71 win behind 24 points from stellar point guard London Perrantes.
Virginia, though, trailed by 17 in the first half when Bennett — already with 6-foot-7 forward Isaiah Wilkins, the team's leading rebounder, shelved with a viral illness — blew up his lineup and went with five guards, including 6-foot-5, 197-pound Marial Shayok at center. The result was the kind of game the Cavs don't want; as in an up-and-down affair that was played into the 70s, only the third time this season an opponent hit 70 against UVA in regulation. UNC-Wilmington scored 26 points in the paint and outscored the smaller version of the Cavs 18-7 on second-chance points.
Florida is at its best when defense turns to offense and the Gators can go. UF hasn't been the best half-court offense this season, but when guards Kasey Hill, KeVaughn Allen and Chris Chiozza can get in the lane good things can happen.
Virginia prides itself on denying penetration.
"We can't let that affect how aggressive we are," Chiozza said. "Teams have been trying to stop us from straight-line driving all year, but with our speed and athleticism it makes it hard even for great defensive teams. Hopefully, we can do what we've been doing all season [and] break down the defense and get guys some open looks."
Then comes the really important part. Some of those looks have to go in.
Against ETSU, Florida's top two scorers, KeVaughn Allen and Canyon Barry, combined to hit just two of 15 shots, including 2-for-11 from the 3-point line. The rest of the team, though was 6-for-11, with Robinson knocking down two straight 3-balls during a 9-0 run early in the second half when the Gators seized control.
"In this game, pace will be big time," Robinson said. "Wilmington got them playing faster than they wanted and got it to be a higher-scoring game than they like. If we can control the pace from the start, that'll help us get a jump on them."
