The revitalization of Virginia basketball under Tony Bennett started with defense. Behind a unit that finished top five in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings each of the last two years, the Cavaliers have won 30 games and the ACC regular season title in consecutive seasons.
How defensive powerhouse Virginia built the best offense in the country
Virginia’s offense has finally caught up to its defense. The rest of the country has been put on notice.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The problem for Virginia has always been offense. Virginia has been trending upward on that side of the ball, finishing No. 21 and No. 24 respectively in offensive efficiency the last two seasons, but still failed to break 60 points in NCAA Tournament losses to Michigan State in 2014 and 2015. For this season to be different, Virginia’s offense would have to follow the jump of the defense and go from good to great.
Through its first 10 games, Virginia’s offense is doing just that. The Cavaliers exploded for 1.43 points per possession in an 86-75 win over No. 12 Villanova on Saturday, scoring 53 second half points to seal the victory. One season after leading the country in defensive efficiency, Virginia is now leading the country in offensive efficiency.
Somehow, Virginia has gotten even better after losing Justin Anderson to the first round of the NBA draft and reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year Darion Atkins to graduation. How’s Virginia doing it? It starts with a combination of a smart and experienced rotation, elite three-point shooting and a flexible offensive system that knows how to get its best players good looks.
As a team, Virginia is making 40.3 percent of its three-pointers this season. That’s up from 35.2 percent last year. Bennett starts three players shooting above 40 percent from three-point range, and brings a fourth off the bench in sophomore wing Marial Shayok.
Bennett’s favorite way to spring those shooters is with flare screens. Here’s one Virginia ran early in the second half for junior point guard London Perrantes, which helped spark a 14-0 run to take control against Villanova:
No player on Virginia’s roster has improved as a shooter more than Perrantes, who is now hitting 56.7 percent of his three-point attempts this season after making only 31.6 percent from deep as a sophomore. If he keeps shooting like this, no one will want to see Virginia in March.
Perrantes’ partner in the backcourt, shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon, is also making a leap. One of the best seniors in the country, Brogdon is averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game while raising his shooting percentages across the board. He’s always been a big, strong guard and an elite defender; this season, Brogdon is morphing into a great offensive player, too.
At 6’5, 220 pounds with a 6’10 wingspan, there’s just not many opposing two guards who have the size to matchup with Brogdon. Bennett has been able to leverage that size by running high-lows to invert the floor and get Brogdon deep position in the paint. When you have big men who can pass like Virginia’s, it’s easy money almost every time:
The third staple of Virginia’s offense is the down screen, a weapon that can be used to free shooters at the wing or force the defense to collapse on the drive. Here, Perrantes curls around a screen from Anthony Gill, makes Gill’s man take a step over to defend him, and hits Gill with a pass for a layup:
Gill has also taken his game to a higher place as a senior. He’s posting a remarkable 65.5 true shooting percentage, has turned into a monster on the offensive glass and rarely turns the ball over. Put it all together and Gill’s 137.3 offensive rating is No. 17 in the country, according to KenPom.
When all else fails, Virginia has the talent succeed with isolations, too. This clear out for Brogdon was the dagger against Villanova.
Virginia has disappointed in the NCAA Tournament after outstanding regular seasons the last two years, but this year’s team has the look of a squad that can go deep in March. There’s heady point guard play, go-to options inside and out (Brogdon and Gill rank third and fourth in KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings, respectively) and shooting to spare.
With back-to-back wins over West Virginia and Villanova, Virginia has earned its No. 1 ranking in KenPom’s standings. For once, it’s the offense leading the way.
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