The Plus/Minus: Virginia Stumbles on the Road to Cal

The Virginia Cavaliers were out-muscled and out-hustled by the California Bears on the first game of their extended West Coast trip, falling 75-61.

Virginia Athletics

With an 11:00pm EST tip-off, only the most ardent Virginia fan was going to stay up for this game.  But we’re quickly entering I’m-watching-so-you-don’t-have-to territory as Virginia’s season continues to crumble around them.

Minus

Cal came into this game 0-3 in the ACC and on a 1-6 skid.  Virginia was 1-2 in ACC play and sporting a 1-6 record against non-cupcakes.  Both teams were in desperate-for-a-win territory and it was Cal who walked away with the victory.  Taine Murray did a nice job in the first half bodying Cal star Andrej Stojakovic, son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic, holding him to just two points.  In the second half, Stojakovic bullied the other Cavs who were assigned to him and he got the opportunity to go 9/11 from the line as Cal pulled away steadily.

Plus

Redshirt Anthony Robinson had a nice couple of minutes in the first half, grabbing two boards and converting an and-1.  He also played stout defense on Lee Dort, who looks like he ought to be linebacker.  For a team that was struggling on the boards, Robinson gave the team a nice lift.

Minus

When the first plus for a team that was blown out in the second half (again,) goes to a guy who played four total minutes, you know it was a bad game.

Minus

Cal had plenty of height across the front line, and while Virginia matched up pretty well with the Bears, the Cavaliers just had no answer for Mady Sissoko who had 11 points, 11 rebounds (seven offensive,) and four blocked shots (though I counted five.)  We’ve commented before about the stunning lack of physicality on this Virginia team, but it was on full display on this night.  Sissoko is a big guy, and he’s got experience – he was a two-year starter for Michigan State before transferring – but he’s also a career four point-per-game scorer.  He just beat up on Virginia making the entire team skittish when driving in the lane.

Plus

Grist for the “lies, damn lies, and statistics” mill:  Cal pounded Virginia on the boards, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds and scoring 12 second-chance points.  The had one possession where they grabbed two offensive boards and one where they grabbed three.  Cal’s physicality and athleticism overwhelmed Virginia all game long.  As for Virginia?  Well, the Cavaliers also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points.  Blake Buchanan, who is a decent offensive rebounder, especially given Virginia’s lack of emphasis on the offensive glass, had five of his own.  I am stunned looking at the stat sheet to see that because it didn’t feel like it in the game.  It should be a reminder that Virginia is smart, well-drilled, and while they are seemingly blown away by the opponent’s athleticism on a regular basis, the men don’t give up and they play as hard as they can.

Read More: Matt's Takeways

Minus

The refs’ fingerprints were all over this game.  They were largely hands-off in the first half but really clamped down in the second and Virginia never recovered.  Cal went to the line 25 times in the second frame, converting 20.  Most of these were touch fouls and they certainly weren’t called in the first half.  The refs allowed several Cal travels of the sliding pivot foot variety and they allowed DJ Campbell to commit at least three lane violations on free throws.

Minus

Virginia was 16/18 from the foul line, easily their best performance of the season.  Buchanan, a sub-50% shooter on the year, went 4/4.  Anthony Robinson, another sub-50 shooter from the line, converted his and-1.  Elijah Saunders went 8/8.  That kind of performance is usually enough for Virginia to secure the win.  Except that Cal went to the line an astounding 33 times (canning 27) and that 11-point difference was basically the ball game.

Minus

Virginia was down just three points at the half, 35-32, and Andrew Rohde had scored on a nifty drive at the buzzer to give Virginia what should have been a nice little bump going into the locker room.  And yet it was Cal who came out of the half on fire frequently shredding the Cavalier defense just through simple power and tenacity.  Cal put up 40 second-half points despite going 0/4 from three and recording just a single assist.  There was little ball movement, just Cal running right down Virginia’s throats.  Again, Virginia did not give up, they were just no match for what goes for P4 athleticism. 

A prescription for Virginia coach Ron Sanchez, who must surely be coaching for his life right now.  This team does have to find another gear.  Anthony Robinson has to play more because Buchanan and Jacob Cofie just cannot handle grown-ass men at this time.  And he’s got to cut Christian Bliss.  If Bliss is angling to preserve his redshirt and transfer somewhere else (which, admittedly is speculation on my part, but highly likely given what we’ve heard,) then Sanchez needs to speed that process.  Something needs to be done to light a fire under this team, because what the team is doing is simply not working.

Minus

Saunders had an 11-point double-double, but was only 1/8 from the floor.  Rohde had a team-high 14 points, but missed all three of his attempts from the arc (though two were late in the shot-clock heaves.)  Cofie had 12 points but four fouls (two of them stupid) limited him to 18 minutes.  Isaac McKneely had but three points.  (‘Nuff said about that.)  Ishan Sharma stroked his first two threes, but then went 1/5 from deep the rest of the way.  That’s not going to get it done when you give up 75 points.

Up Next:  Virginia stays in the Bay Area this weekend, taking on Stanford on Saturday, January 11th.  Game time is 4:00pm EST and is on ESPNU.

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