Thursday night, Virginia dominated Villanova in a 93-71 road victory to close out the preseason slate. Coach Ryan Odom's squad is ranked No. 9 in the country for several reasons, some of which were displayed tonight. The Cavaliers have averaged 87 points per game in three exhibition contests.
Before the Nov. 3 opener against Drexel, here are instant takeaways from an inspiring victory over the Wildcats.
Cavaliers can shoot, and everyone is letting it rip
As a team, Virginia made a blistering 50% of its shots and 44.7% of its three-point attempts. Without Johann Grunloh's 0-6 mark, the Cavaliers would have netted an incredible 53.2%. Thijs De Ridder was 2-3, and Nolan Adekunle was 3-6. Those numbers are very encouraging for the general spacing of this offense.
De Ridder led the team with 17 points on an efficient 7-8 shooting. Chance Mallory was close behind with 15 points, then Sam Lewis with 13 and Adekunle with 11.
However, the real star was the lone remnant of the Tony Bennett era, featured below.
Elijah Gertrude clearly deserves a rotation spot
Gertrude was a preseason star once again. The fourth-year guard put up 16 points (5-6 from deep). He added five steals and four rebounds. Once a member of the back of the bench, Gertrude has looked like a two-way star who should be the team's sixth man.
Even if Gertrude is a bit further down in the rotation, he has absolutely earned the right to play consistent minutes this year. He could be the X-factor this year.
Virginia needs more from its centers
It's just one exhibition game, but Grunloh and Favour Ibe rode the struggle bus. Grunloh scored four points on 1-8 shooting and brought in just two rebounds. He was called for four fouls and did not have a block or steal. Meanwhile, Ibe recorded no points and just one rebound and one foul in nine minutes of action.
Villanova forward Devin Royal dominated the paint, scoring 21 points on 8-8 shooting. Last time he played Virginia (with Ohio State), he shot just 2-12. Agile slashing forwards could be an issue defensively.
Odom started experimenting with smaller lineups, like putting De Ridder at center. The Cavaliers are going to need more defense and efficiency from Grunloh and Ibe (and Kalu Anya too), otherwise small ball may reign supreme. That could be a problem against some ultra-physical ACC opponents, especially if De Ridder ever gets into foul trouble.
Rotation remains unclear
The starting five is settled. That will be Mallory, Lewis, Adekunle, De Ridder and Grunloh. Behind them, Ibe, Gertrude, Jurian Dixon, Jan Vide, Christian Harmon and Kalu Anya are also locks. However, Martin Carrerre and Silas Barksdale could still help this team — if they get the chance.
Virginia is extremely deep, and there simply aren't enough minutes to go around. Barksdale only played three tonight, and Carrere had 10. On another front, the minutes distribution could be flexible. Odom will have to see which lineups are the most efficient and successful. That requires some more testing in the early goings of the regular season.
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