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 celebrate. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

3. Dominate the glass.

Virginia basketball should have a massive advantage on the glass in this matchup. With plenty of size at just about every position, the Cavaliers have the ability to absolutely dominate the boards in many games. Statistically, they are ranked in the top-100 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates as they do a superb job winning the possession game (this is especially true with how they avoid turnovers). They are arguably the best rebounding team in the Final Four (along with Michigan State) and there is a high probability that they control the advantage on the glass in this matchup.

This is due to the idea that Auburn matches up quite poorly with Virginia on the glass. Even though the Tigers are one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the nation (31.7% – 70th nationally), it just so happens that finding a body and crashing the defensive glass is a staple of Virginia’s pack line defense. Part of what makes UVA’s defensive unit so incredible is their ability to shut down any second-chance opportunities and Auburn will certainly have a hard time extending possessions.

On the other end of the floor, Auburn is ranked as one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the nation. They corral their only 66.8% of their opponent’s misses (333rd in the country) and that could come back to seriously bite them against Virginia. The Cavaliers snag offensive rebounds on 31.7% of their opportunities (70th nationally) and could prioritize securing second-chance opportunities. Auburn will also be at a disadvantage in this facet of the game with Chuma Okeke out with his injury.

Next. How Virginia reached the Final Four. dark

In the end, I think Virginia will control the tempo of this game and Auburn’s offense will struggle to adapt. The Tigers will hit enough 3-pointers to hang around but the Cavaliers’ highly-efficient offense will just keep connecting on shots or finishing on second-chance opportunities.

Final Prediction: Virginia Cavaliers – 67, Auburn Tigers – 61.

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