Is Virginia Challenging Kentucky for Nation's Best 'D' After Win vs. Notre Dame?

Cue the Jaws music, Kentucky. The Virginia defense is coming for you.

The Cavaliers not only beat No. 13 Notre Dame 62-56 Saturday, they crushed its offensive will. The Fighting Irish couldn’t get an open shot at all down the stretch, and Virginia gradually pulled away to pick up a marquee ACC victory.

Notre Dame led the nation in field-goal percentage entering the game at 54.8, but Virginia held the Fighting Irish to a measly 33.9 percent clip from the field. The Cavaliers didn’t force a lot of turnovers (six), but their defense is so talented that they don’t rely on forced turnovers to shut down the opposing offense.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Virginia simply stifles perimeter shooters with constant ball pressure and swarms post players with quick-moving double-teams. In fact, the Cavaliers rarely even allow an uncontested shot.

Seth Davis and Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated both came away more than impressed with the overall defensive effort from Tony Bennett’s squad:

The question now is whether we can start talking about Virginia’s defense in the same light we do Kentucky’s.

Virginia is first in the nation in points allowed per game, and Saturday’s performance was arguably its most impressive of the season. Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant is one of the top guards in the entire country, and Virginia held him to a whopping six points on 2-of-8 shooting. He was never comfortable running the offense, and if it weren't for Pat Connaughton’s 21 points, it would have been even worse for the Fighting Irish.

The Wildcats are second in the nation in points allowed per game, so there is one slight advantage in the argument between Kentucky and Virginia.

However, those numbers are a bit misleading. Kentucky is No. 1 in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, while Virginia is No. 5.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The pace-adjusted description is the most important thing about that distinction, because Virginia is 346th in the nation in adjusted tempo out of 351 teams. Good luck finding a power conference squad that slows the ball down anywhere near as drastically as Virginia does.

That means fewer possessions every game for both the Cavaliers and the opposition, so it is really no wonder that Virginia is tops in the nation in opposing points allowed per game. Fewer possessions naturally lead to fewer points. 

However, Virginia’s style of play also makes it more difficult on the opponents, as Davis noted:

The Cavaliers slow the tempo down and frustrate teams that are comfortable getting out in transition like the Fighting Irish. The lack of tempo often takes the opposition out of its element and creates mistakes, be it turnovers or forced shots. Fans saw lackluster shot selection from Notre Dame throughout the game Saturday, because Virginia was simply getting under its skin and testing its patience.

Playing the Cavaliers can be like a root canal, as they slowly pull away with their time-crushing tempo and willingness to shrink the number of possessions in a game.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey discussed what it takes in a game against Virginia, via Norm Wood of the Daily Press: "It takes a real mental toughness to play them. Nothing seems to be easy. You're having to grind on offense, and you're having to grind on defense."

While the tempo may inflate the raw defensive numbers for Virginia, it is also why it is so effective on that end of the floor. It is nearly impossible to prepare for the Cavaliers, because their style is so different than almost any other team in the ACC or even the country.

Still, the strength of Kentucky's overall personnel just makes it seem unrealistic that anyone could possibly catch the Wildcats in the defensive department.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Trey Lyles and Marcus Lee are all likely future NBA bigs who can control the glass and swat shots away at the rim. Throw in point guard Tyler Ulis as a perimeter pest who is always willing to mix it up on the outside and swarm the ball-handlers, and it is no wonder the Wildcats are so good on defense.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

While Ulis certainly helps create havoc on the outside, it is the overall length at every level of the floor that makes the Wildcats so lethal on defense. Teams like Louisville, UCLA, Texas and Kansas simply couldn’t get an open shot against Kentucky, and there is a legitimate possibility that the Wildcats will finish undefeated because of that defense.

It is worth asking if Virginia can catch the Wildcats, especially in light of recent results—when the Cavaliers shut down the Fighting Irish a few days after Kentucky allowed 86 points to Ole Miss—but the proof of Kentucky’s defense lies in the games against marquee opponents. A-level effort from the Wildcats has resulted in stifling defensive performances every time.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Still, the fact that Virginia has even made this into a conversation is a testament to the Cavaliers’ system and overall talent level. It's not as if this was Virginia's first impressive defensive performance, either. It held a nationally ranked Maryland squad to 65 points and 40 percent shooting from the field, and it shut down North Carolina State (51 points and 37.7 percent shooting from the field).

Considering the lack of solid competition in the SEC as compared to the depth of the ACC, the Cavaliers will have more opportunities to make statements down the stretch than Kentucky.

Duke is No. 1 in the country in Pomeroy's offensive rankings, while North Carolina is No. 15. Both squads will test Virginia's defense with some of the best players in the ACC and nation in Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Marcus Paige. The game with Louisville will be a showdown between defensive powers that will put the Cavaliers' stifling style of play in the spotlight.

If Virginia can shut down the likes of Duke, North Carolina and Louisville before March, the result will be a No. 1 seed for the Cavaliers in the NCAA tournament. Perhaps then we can settle this debate with a Final Four matchup.

Follow me on Twitter:

Follow @ScottPolacek