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

2. Limit Auburn’s open looks from three.

Auburn is going to let it fly from deep. There is no secret about that. The Tigers are one of the most prolific shooting teams in the entire nation and they do not hide the fact that they are going to launch trifectas at will. Over the course of the season, they are rated as the 15th-most accurate (38.3%) team in the country while also attempting 3-pointers at the 8th-highest rate (49.5% 3PA/FGA). These statistics made them one of the most “hit-or-miss” teams heading into the NCAA Tournament because they are very beatable when shots aren’t falling. So far, though, they are certainly falling more often than not.

And Virginia will let them shoot. This might seem backward considering the elite status of UVA’s defense but it is the truth; head coach Tony Bennett’s team is allowing opponents to attempt 3-pointers at the 67th-highest rate in the country. But even though the Cavaliers allow a fair number of 3-point attempts, they also rank as one of the nation’s best teams with regards to their opponent 3-point percentage. In fact, they are holding their opponents to just 28.7% shooting from beyond the arc (3rd in the country). This shows just how well the team contests 3-point attempts and they will need to do more of the same in this matchup.

Assuming both teams maintain their identities heading into this meeting, fans should expect that Auburn will get off their fair share of 3-point attempts in this game. The Tigers will actively seek out quality looks from beyond the arc all contest long but that might be difficult given Virginia’s defensive scheme. One of the primary aspects of UVA’s pack line defense is limiting dribble penetration and that means that Auburn’s Jared Harper may not be able to drive and kick as often as he has been able to in the past.

Regardless, though, the Tigers will look to let it fly from three throughout the contest. Auburn has launched at least 20 3PA in every game this season and they will get at least that many off in this matchup. Virginia needs to focus on contesting every single “open” look and contain the possibility of Auburn catching fire from the perimeter. If the Tigers are limited from distance, Virginia could pull ahead quickly. One worry for UVA, though, is that all four of their NCAA Tournament games rank in their nine worst performances of the season with regards to defending the three.