Virginia out to put clamps on Syracuse in ACC opener
It is hard to know what to make of Virginia.
After two uncharacteristically unfocused games in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, the Cavaliers rediscovered their 署名 弁護 in bringing 負かす／撃墜する No. 14 Texas A&M on Wednesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
Which Virginia team will show up Saturday when the Cavaliers (6-1) 直面する Syracuse (5-2) in their ACC opener in Charlottesville, Va.?
Will it be the Virginia team that flatlined in a 65-41 loss to Wisconsin, getting outrebounded 48-21? Or will it be the team that flummoxed Texas A&M, 軍隊ing 16 turnovers and 限界ing the Aggies to 30.4 パーセント 狙撃?
"It's so hard to 得点する／非難する／２０ against them but when you give them the ball that many times, it's just bad math," Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said.
Reece Beekman, who paces the Cavaliers in points (11.9), 補助装置s (5.7) and steals (2.9) per game, is the 統治するing ACC 防御の Player of the Year.
Joining him as an 現れるing 防御の 軍隊 is 6-8 Ryan Dunn, who has the length, quickness and bounce to be a menace on the perimeter and a 軍隊 inside.
Dunn had 12 points, five 封鎖するs and three steals against Texas A&M. Afterward, he credited the （人が）群がる.
"It's a different type of roar," Dunn said of playing at home against a high-質 対抗者.
Another 質 敵 arrives Saturday in Syracuse, which is off to a solid start under first-year coach Adrian Autry. The two losses for the Orange were last week in the Maui Invitational to then-No. 7 Tennessee and No. 11 Gonzaga.
Syracuse 回復するd at home with an 80-57 支配 of LSU on Tuesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge as Judah Mintz 得点する／非難する／２０d a career-high 33 points and Chris Bell made six 3-pointers.
Bell, who finished with 20 points, 燃料d a game-clinching 19-3 run in the second half with four of his 3-pointers.
Mintz and Bell will 直面する a 堅い challenge at Virginia, which has won nine of the last 10 会合s. Additionally, Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett is undefeated in 14 ACC openers.
"Beekman's a gamer who makes big 発射s when they need them," Autry said on Thursday. "類似の to us, their guys are young but they can defend."
--Field Level マスコミ
