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Virginia Basketball: Keys for Cavaliers to triumph at Louisville

By Neil Adler

BLACKSBURG, VA - FEBRUARY 18: University of Virginia Cavaliers bench celebrates during the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on February 18, 2019 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA - FEBRUARY 18: University of Virginia Cavaliers bench celebrates during the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on February 18, 2019 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 10: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop) Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the championship game of the 2018 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 10: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop) Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the championship game of the 2018 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

2. Sweep the turnover battle

It’s an understatement to say that the Cavaliers, for the most part throughout the 2018-19 campaign, do not beat themselves due to sloppy ball-handling. In fact, UVA is one of the best groups in the ACC as far as turnovers committed every 40 minutes, averaging 9.4.

The Cardinals, conversely, are prone to miscues, as they deliver 13 turnovers per contest. And that’s precisely the number that they had versus the Orange a couple of days ago. Interestingly enough, when the Cavaliers squeaked by the Hokies on Feb. 18, Virginia proved uncharacteristically poor in the turnover department, committing 13.

Since the Cavaliers operate at a pretty slow tempo, in their offensive sets as well as on the defensive side of the equation, possessions come at a precious premium. Sure, UVA shoots with strong accuracy from the field as a whole, the charity stripe and the 3-point line, but if the Cavaliers go a bunch of occasions on offense without getting an attempt off, that could absolutely haunt them.

Examining this theme via a different lens, Virginia should apply lots of pressure to Louisville, whose guards often have trouble handling such exertion. Because the Cavaliers don’t always score points in droves, creating deflections and steals that result in easy buckets out in transition will do wonders for UVA in this event.

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