Work Still to be Done

It's no one's fault but my own. I bought into Coach Tony Bennett and the eight straight victories near the beginning of the 2010 calender year. I bought into the University of Virginia playing tough defense. I bought into a motion offense focused on screens, low post presence, and shooters who could knock down the big shot. I thought that the Cavaliers were well on their way to earning a trip to the NCAA tournament.

I was wrong.

After losing four straight games and dropping to 14-10 and 5-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bennett and the Wahoos need to focus on improving and preparing for the future. It does not matter how the team finishes this year because Bennett has shown thus far that he can be successful at UVa. Now its time to focus on 2010-2011.

One year ago, the Cavs finished 2-14 in ACC, even with Rookie of the Year in Sylven Landesberg. Afterwards, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage brought in a relative unknown to Virginia fans and hired Bennett from Washington State. Bennett led the Cougars to two NCAA tournament appearances, won the AP Coach of the Year award, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in his three years in Pullman.

Expectations were low in Charlottesville as fans hope to see a more defensive minded team that could compete each night against ACC foes. Bennett met that with a 12-4 start going into a late January match up against Wake Forest. A sloppy effort against the Demon Deacons, coupled with a ten point collapse with only three minutes to play against rival Virginia Tech, started a 2-6 slide. Of those six, two came against the Hokies, one to Maryland by 19 that looked closer in the box score than on the court, and finally, another embarrassing performance against Florida State tonight.

The season can be written off as one where the Cavaliers need to take some bumps and bruises and find an identity under Bennett. By no means do I believe that his job should be in jeopardy, or that Littlepage hired the wrong guy. I do believe, though, it is time to start preparing for the future.

Next season, the first recruiting class of Bennett will feature three players ranked by rivals.com as top 150 recruits. The class ranks as the number 15 class in the country, ahead of powerhouses such as Connecticut, Florida, and Villanova. Sitting on the bench this season for Virginia is another heralded recruit ranked in the top 100 prospects named Tristan Spurlock. Spurlock has only appeared in 11 of the 'Hoos 24 games because of Bennett's belief that he is not ready to play strong defense.

The bottom line is that in the last two games, no one on Virginia appears ready for the defensive effort that Bennett expects. Instead of letting talented players like Spurlock or freshman Jontel Evans to take lumps, Bennett tried to sneak into the tournament with walk-on Will Sherrill playing significant time. Wednesday night in 13 minutes Sherrill accounted for zero points, one block, three turnovers, and three rebounds. In five minutes of action, Spurlock had a steal, a block, and five points.

Whether Spurlock is ready to be an All-ACC candidate is not even a sane idea. What is obvious is that Virginia lacked the effort to play against a solid, athletic team like Florida State tonight. On Monday, Maryland was more athletic, physical, and skilled than Virginia. It's time Bennett gives his most skilled guys an opportunity to see if they can play in the ACC.

This season is a learning experience for the players. It's time the coaches caught on.