Cavs-tigers: Contrast in styles
Team that controls pace of play may be the team in final
Virginia and Auburn meet at the Final Four in the latest installment of a long-running competition in basketball: Slow and steady vs. fast and furious.
The top-seeded Cavaliers are rarely in a hurry, playing a style as deliberate and methodical as the Supreme Court. The Tigers take a frenetic approach. More like Judge Judy.
The first national semifinal Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium is likely to be decided by whether Auburn or Virginia dictates the pace of play.
“We’re not going to compromise on how we play, but at the same time, our style of play is just to win,” Virginia guard Kyle Guy said.
Uncompromising is a good way to describe Cavaliers coach Tony Bennet’s philosophy, which was passed down by his father, former longtime coach Dick Bennett. The Cavaliers’ pack line defense and milk-the-clock offense can lead to ugly games. When Virginia became the first No .1 seed ever to lose an NCAA Tournament game to a No. 16 seed last season, critics of that style were quick to pounce.
The Cavaliers owned the UMBC upset and came back stronger this season, better than ever offensively under Bennett, but steadfast in their approach.
According to Kenpom metrics that measure pace of play, Virginia is among the slowest in Division I.
“To be honest I feel like we just have to keep playing the way we’ve been playing, pushing the ball in transition,” Auburn guard Bryce Brown said. “We may have to make more 3s than usual.”
While facing Virginia is a test of patience, Auburn wants to make the opposition feel rushed.
The Tigers rank 153rd in the country in Kenpom’s pace of play metric, and 69th
in average length of offensive possession at 16.9 seconds. Coach Bruce Pearl’s team will take some chances defensively. That could lead to a forced turnover or a quick basket. Either way, the Tigers keep it moving.
As much as Virginia has become synonymous with stifling defense under Bennett, the Cavaliers come into this game as the third-most efficient offense in the country based on points per possession.