Virginia Basketball: 5 Things Cavaliers Must Prove in Conference Play

The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers survived their first major scare of the season last Saturday in an 89-80 double overtime win at Miami. It was also UVa's first conference game.

Before the win at Miami, the Cavaliers had been in cruise control, winning all but one of their games by double figures.

Winning the ACC last year wasn't easy for Virginia, although it seemed to be. The Hoos cruised to a 16-2 conference record before winning the ACC tournament. Repeating, however, will be even tougher. Duke, North Carolina and Notre Dame are all better. And Louisville is now a member of the ACC.

For the Cavaliers, beating Miami was a good start. UVa showed resilience in bouncing back after everything was seemingly going wrong for it.

Saturday was just the beginning of what will be an exciting conference season. Here are five things Virginia must prove in conference play this winter.

Outrebound the Opposition

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Senior forward Darion Atkins pulling down a rebound

Virginia has dominated opponents this season in rebound margin. Currently, the Hoos are No. 3 in the nation, averaging 13 more rebounds than their opponent per game. 

Against Miami, they were outrebounded 43-39.

Is that cause for concern?

The ACC is a rugged league. Duke and Louisville both possess outstanding big men in Jahlil Okafor and Montrezl Harrell, respectively. Virginia likely won't average 13 more rebounds than its opponents in ACC play. It's almost impossible.

The Cavaliers must get back to outrebounding their opponents or they could be more susceptible to being upset by lesser ACC schools.

Justin Anderson Is an Elite Player

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Justin Anderson

Before the 2014-15 season began, one of the questions was who would replace Joe Harris as UVa's primary scorer opposite of Malcolm Brogdon.

Junior Justin Anderson answered that question early. He's led Virginia in scoring all season and has become a much better shooter. Not only has Anderson's shooting improved, but his shot selection also has been much better. 

If Anderson had not been on the court against Miami, the Hoos easily lose that game. He stepped up in both overtime periods, hitting clutch shots to help Virginia survive.

But can Anderson keep up this pace as defenders start making him their primary focus?

We'll see, but thus far, Anderson looks poised for the challenge.

Mike Tobey Is a Dominant Big Man

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Mike Tobey takes it strong to the basket

In his first two years on campus, Virginia center Mike Tobey showed flashes of being a very good big man. The 7-footer was surprisingly athletic and had a nice jump shot, but he would often disappear in games. Whether it be foul trouble or a lack of aggressiveness, Tobey often failed to make an impact late in games for the Cavaliers.

Part of that was adding strength in the offseason. He came into this season in much better shape than he had the past two years, per Daniel Weltz and Matthew Morris of The Cavalier Daily. Not that he was ever in bad shape, because he wasn't, but he added muscle.

Tobey's game around the basket has improved, too. He's become more assertive on both ends of the floor, and he's currently averaging nine points and seven rebounds per game while playing just 20 minutes per contest. 

Dominant may not be the right word to describe him. He will never remind anyone of Shaquille O'Neal. But Tobey has a very good overall game, and he could be Virginia's X-factor this season. The Hoos will need him if they're going to repeat as ACC champs.

They Can Hit Their Free Throws

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London Perrantes

Point guard London Perrantes was 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in the win at Miami. The rest of the team made just 16 of 27 from the charity stripe. 

Justin Anderson missed some big free throws before hitting three in a row when Virginia needed them the most. Anthony Gill, who gets to the line more than anyone, missed four of his eight attempts against the Hurricanes. Even Evan Nolte, a 75 percent free-throw shooter, missed two late in regulation that would've clinched the win for the Hoos. 

Great teams need to be consistent from the free-throw line. Virginia has several players who do shoot well: Malcolm Brogdon, Anderson and Perrantes are all very good free-throw shooters. However, if UVa misses 12 free throws in a game again this season, the outcome may not be the same. 

Back to Gill—someone needs to fix his approach at the foul line. Rarely does anyone shoot well when their shoulders aren't square to the basket. 

Malcolm Brogdon Can Regain His Shooting Touch

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Malcolm Brogdon

Last season, Malcolm Brogdon led Virginia in scoring and became an All-ACC first-team selection. 

This year, his scoring is right about where it was last season. He's second on the team in scoring, but he's struggling from three-point range. On the season, he is 11-of-36 from beyond the arc, a 30 percent clip. Last season, Brogdon knocked down over 37 percent of his treys.

In his past two games, he has shot just 5-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-5 from behind the three-point line. 

Should Virginia head coach Tony Bennett be concerned?

No, and here's why: Brogdon is as steady of a player as there is in the ACC. If he isn't knocking down shots, he's helping in so many other areas. He is a consistent free-throw shooter, good distributor and a terrific defender. He will likely benefit from Anderson's offensive success, as opposing teams will begin to scheme to stop Anderson. 

While his last two games are a concern, don't expect it to carry over into league play.