Virginia Basketball: Keys to taking down Auburn in the Final Four

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 30: Ty Jerome #11 of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 30: Virginia Cavaliers raise. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Virginia basketball is closing in on a national championship. In order to reach the title game, though, the Cavaliers will have to go through Auburn.

Virginia basketball entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and one of the favorites to cut down the final nets in Minneapolis. Now just a couple weeks later, the Cavaliers are the only remaining No. 1 seed and they look like every bit of a national title contender. Their elite defense has been on display on several occasions but, for the most part, scoring has made the difference for the Cavaliers this year. Unlike some seasons in the past, UVA has been able to rely on highly-efficient and well-timed shooting/scoring throughout the year. With that said, though, Virginia basketball certainly did not coast to the Final Four.

The Cavaliers have experienced at least a minor scare in every single one of their tournament games this season but they have always weathered the storm. In coordination with their leader, head coach Tony Bennett, this entire team is extremely poised in difficult situations and they can seemingly always be counted on to step up in big moments. With so many viable scoring and defending options on the floor at all times, the Cavaliers are nearly impossible to match up against. In fact, Virginia starts a future NBA lottery pick in De’Andre Hunter and he might not even take up one of the top two spots on the scouting report due to Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy.

And while Virginia might be the best team remaining in the running for the national title, they are coming into the Final Four a bit more beaten up than the other squads. The Cavaliers have been tested time and time again in the Big Dance this season and their resolve has to be commended. This team is smart, battle-tested, and built for potentially winning the championship. It really takes a special performance (see Edwards, Carsen) to knock out the Cavaliers and several teams have learned that the hard way this season.

In order for them to cut down those final nets, though, Virginia will have to get past Auburn. So, with the Final Four matchup quickly approaching, let’s take a look at three potential keys to success for the Cavaliers. (Note: All statistics used in this article were found via Sports-Reference or KenPom.)

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