Justin Anderson appendectomy - out indefinitely

[Wahoo2000]

Could possibly return for S16/E8 (if the procedure was laproscopic), but unlikely.

[OldPhiKap]

Could possibly return for S16/E8 (if the procedure was laproscopic), but unlikely.

Wow, very bad news for Cav Country. Sorry to see this.

Get well soon.

[grad_devil]

Could possibly return for S16/E8 (if the procedure was laproscopic), but unlikely.

That's bad news, indeed. Best wishes to Justin for a speedy recovery.

On a good note, UVa has shown the ability to win without Anderson, albeit their ceiling may be a bit lower now.

[Wahoo2000]

Wow, very bad news for Cav Country. Sorry to see this.

Get well soon.

Now everyone on our board is looking for every miracle appy recovery story they can find.... LOL.

Interesting that the best one seems to be none other than your own Grant Hill, who returned to the court just 13 days after his procedure in 2008. Rothlisberger also got back in 2006 after 15 days. Seems like a stretch, but maybe we could get him back for the second matchup of the first weekend after all.

Still, seems close to 100% that he'd miss the conference tourney in it's entirety, which I'd guess is a huge boon to Duke's win probability (and 1-seed probability).

[weezie]

My appy was terrible. I sure hope he got the laproscopic procedure. Poor kid!

[OldPhiKap]

Now everyone on our board is looking for every miracle appy recovery story they can find.... LOL.

Interesting that the best one seems to be none other than your own Grant Hill, who returned to the court just 13 days after his procedure in 2008. Rothlisberger also got back in 2006 after 15 days. Seems like a stretch, but maybe we could get him back for the second matchup of the first weekend after all.

Still, seems close to 100% that he'd miss the conference tourney in it's entirety, which I'd guess is a huge boon to Duke's win probability (and 1-seed probability).

Yeah, but Grant just grew back another one. He was a freak.

(Didn't he have like six toes on one foot or something?)

[Billy Dat]

That's a huge bummer. The only silver lining is that UVA has gotten used to playing without him and hasn't lost yet. It would have been worse if he went out for the first time right now. The rotation is set, they are on a pretty long winning streak, etc.

[Kedsy]

A real shame. I hope he comes back soon as possible and that UVa keeps winning (against everyone except Duke).

[juise]

I echo the sentiments of disappointment for the potential impact on a great team. Oddly enough, this story (http://m.espn.go.com/ncb/story?storyId=12423831&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.googl e.com%2F%22%7D) from yesterday was the first news result that came up for Justin Anderson.

[PackMan97]

I was in the hospital for 8 days from my appendectomy...talk about the suck.

[DukieInKansas]

Wishing him a speedy and complete recovery.

[jv001]

Sorry to hear this bad news for Justin and the Cavs. A couple of positives to take from all this is your defense has still been very good without Justin and you have been playing without him for pretty good stretch now. I hope he get's back quickly. GoDuke!

[subzero02]

I wish him a speedy recovery. We both have big road games remaining in the regular season. It will be interesting to see what type of impact this injury has on NCAA seedings. If we both win our final regular season game, I'd love an ACC championship rematch with UVA for the #2 overall seed.

[devildeac]

Rumor has it we have a pretty good medical center associated with our favorite university. Maybe he could transfer to Duke for a second opinion, faster healing times. ;)

^
(kidding, of course)

Wishing him well. We know the appendectomy story. Have him give Bob Bender a call.:mad:

[alteran]

Could possibly return for S16/E8 (if the procedure was laproscopic), but unlikely.

Horrible news. Best of luck to him.

[CDu]

Ouch. I hope that the surgery went well and that he'll recover quickly. Sounds like two weeks is a reasonable time frame for returning to sports after this procedure. So the ACC tournament is unlikely, but perhaps the NCAA tournament will be okay.

Still, that's a lot of rust to shake off. Bad timing. Hope he's okay, and I wish him a speedy recovery.

[hudlow]

Do The Hoo's have vigils?

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I remember arriving in Greensboro for my first ever ACC Tourney --- so so SO excited. In the corridor I ran into a dear Chapel Hill friend who happened to be a born and bred Tarheel. We had a great relationship and good natured rivalry riddled with good hearted practical Tarheel/Blue Devil practical jokes. (Yep, it's possible --- or at least it was back in the day.) He met me practically busting at the seams to tell me that Bob Bender had been admitted just that afternoon to Duke Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. (Just the sort of thing he'd try to get me to believe and freak out over.) I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, waved him off in spite of his palms-up insistence that he was telling the truth, and went to my seat. When the Devils came out on the floor, I still didn't believe it .... even when I didn't see Bender warming up. I figured it was just some sort of delay that my friend was taking advantage of just to scare me. Just the same, I started woofing down popcorn more nervously than usual.

Finally, they introduced the starting lineups. My fear was realized. No Bob Bender.

All the females in our family were crestfallen at the thought of not seeing him play that night, for we all had crushes on him -- even though every single one of us was either too young or to old for him. I told him that once and his reply was "That's the story of my life."

Wherever you are Bob, we all still have our old crushes. And we bet you had a really cute appendix even if it was problematic.
Love, Ima

[roywhite]

Sorry to hear this.

Reminds this old timer of Bob Bender going down with appendicitis at the 1979 ACC Tournament, which factored in the loss to the Heels in the ACC finals and an early NCAA exit.

Best wishes to Mr. Anderson, and I hope you make it back for NCAA tourney action.

**hah, as I was preparing this, Ima recalled Bender's untimely appendectomy, too.

[devildeac]

Rumor has it we have a pretty good medical center associated with our favorite university. Maybe he could transfer to Duke for a second opinion, faster healing times. ;)

^
(kidding, of course)

Wishing him well. We know the appendectomy story. Have him give Bob Bender a call.:mad:


I remember arriving in Greensboro for my first ever ACC Tourney --- so so SO excited. In the corridor I ran into a dear Chapel Hill friend who happened to be a born and bred Tarheel. We had a great relationship and good natured rivalry riddled with good hearted practical Tarheel/Blue Devil practical jokes. (Yep, it's possible --- or at least it was back in the day.) He met me practically busting at the seams to tell me that Bob Bender had been admitted just that afternoon to Duke Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. (Just the sort of thing he'd try to get me to believe and freak out over.) I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, waved him off in spite of his palms-up insistence that he was telling the truth, and went to my seat. When the Devils came out on the floor, I still didn't believe it .... even when I didn't see Bender warming up. I figured it was just some sort of delay that my friend was taking advantage of just to scare me. Just the same, I started woofing down popcorn more nervously than usual.

Finally, they introduced the starting lineups. My fear was realized. No Bob Bender.

All the females in our family were crestfallen at the thought of not seeing him play that night, for we all had crushes on him -- even though every single one of us was either too young or to old for him. I told him that once and his reply was "That's the story of my life."

Wherever you are Bob, we all still have our old crushes. And we bet you had a really cute appendix even if it was problematic.
Love, Ima


Sorry to hear this.

Reminds this old timer of Bob Bender going down with appendicitis at the 1979 ACC Tournament, which factored in the loss to the Heels in the ACC finals and an early NCAA exit.

Best wishes to Mr. Anderson, and I hope you make it back for NCAA tourney action.

**hah, as I was preparing this, Ima recalled Bender's untimely appendectomy, too.

Harruummph.;):o

[fuse]

Adding one more to the "never want to see anyone hurt" (regardless of team) train of thought.
I enjoyed watching Anderson play and wish him a speedy and full recovery.

I hope UVa rallies around Justin Anderson and wins all their non-Duke games.

[Olympic Fan]

Again, hate the news ... I wanted to beat the Cavs Saturday might, but I wanted them at full strength. I still cherish the fact that we got our win in Charlottesville before Anderson was hurt (and our win in Louisville with Chris Jones on the floor).

I do send best wishes and hope he makes it back at least for the Sweet 16 round.

[Merlindevildog91]

Bummer. All the best to Justin Anderson, and to the Hoos, when they aren't playing Duke.

[BobBender]

Rumor has it we have a pretty good medical center associated with our favorite university. Maybe he could transfer to Duke for a second opinion, faster healing times. ;)

^
(kidding, of course)

Wishing him well. We know the appendectomy story. Have him give Bob Bender a call.:mad:

you rang?

Seriously, I am bummed by Justin Anderson's setback. I hope he can get back for the NCAA's. In a way, it may be fortuitous that they have won every time out despite his absence and won't have that doubt in their minds.

[devildeac]

you rang?

Seriously, I am bummed by Justin Anderson's setback. I hope he can get back for the NCAA's. In a way, it may be fortuitous that they have won every time out despite his absence and won't have that doubt in their minds.

I forgot you posted here. Next thing you know, Banks, Dennard, Jimmy and the G-Man will be posting, too.

[MCFinARL]

This must be so frustrating for him--just when he was ready to come back from his injury. (Though I suppose if you are experiencing acute appendicitis you might not have much time to think about being frustrated about not playing.)

I'll echo others' sentiments here that it is at least some silver lining for the team (not for Justin) that they have gotten used to playing without him and won't have to adapt their game on the fly in the post season. But it's still a shame. Hopes for rapid healing.

And I agree with Kedsy--I'm happy to see Virginia beat anyone in their path, except for Duke.

[CameronBlue]

Yeah, but Grant just grew back another one. He was a freak.

(Didn't he have like six toes on one foot or something?)

Not quite, he had 11 toes total but I heard that it was the 7-4 combination.

[eddie_yvp]

Could possibly return for S16/E8 (if the procedure was laproscopic), but unlikely.

I think the title of this thread and your original post was slightly irresponsible - unless you know more than the general public on this subject. His timeframe for return is unknown right now as far as I've read. I think it's likely he's out for the ACCT, but seems well within range of possibility he could play the first weekend of the NCAA's - yet you are saying it's unlikely he can return for the s16/E8? Do you have sources close to the team?

In any event, disappointing news for the Wahoos.

[MChambers]

That's a very tough break, especially when Virginia is so good this year. Hope he can come back quickly.

[Seattle Hoo]

His status for the ACC Tournament is undetermined and there is a chance he can play. Nothing is known at this point.

[OldPhiKap]

Not quite, he had 11 toes total but I heard that it was the 7-4 combination.

Seriously though -- didn't he have like an extra bone for a double pinky or extra toe bone or something? I don't think I'm making this up. Maybe had it removed?

Anyone? Or is just the ether talking?

[MChambers]

Seriously though -- didn't he have like an extra bone for a double pinky or extra toe bone or something? I don't think I'm making this up. Maybe had it removed?

Anyone? Or is just the ether talking?

I think maybe he had some extra bone in his foot, which was fractured his junior year, and then removed surgically after the season. Could be the wine I had with dinner, however.

Too bad all this occurred before the Interwebs, or we could do some research.

[FerryFor50]

His status for the ACC Tournament is undetermined and there is a chance he can play. Nothing is known at this point.

I'd be shocked if he played in the ACC tourny. But I suppose stranger things have happened.

[brevity]

Interesting that the best one seems to be none other than your own Grant Hill, who returned to the court just 13 days after his procedure in 2008.

Don't thank Grant; thank the knife.

http://i.imgur.com/yaOnpiA.gif


Yeah, but Grant just grew back another one. He was a freak.

(Didn't he have like six toes on one foot or something?)


Not quite, he had 11 toes total but I heard that it was the 7-4 combination.


Seriously though -- didn't he have like an extra bone for a double pinky or extra toe bone or something? I don't think I'm making this up. Maybe had it removed?

Anyone? Or is just the ether talking?

Bueller? CameronBlue is right. Grant was born with 7 toes on his left foot and 4 toes on his right. Legend says that he went to Patrick Davidson during an NBA offseason to get it fixed. Patrick moved one left toe over to the right foot, and removed the supernumerary left toe for safekeeping. Then, in March 2009, the nation held its breath over the fate of Ty Lawson's toe (https://twitter.com/lawsonstoe). Patrick Davidson refused to give him Grant's spare, but offered a bionic prototype he'd started sketching that afternoon.

[Reilly]

Seriously though -- didn't he have like an extra bone for a double pinky or extra toe bone or something? I don't think I'm making this up. Maybe had it removed?

Anyone? Or is just the ether talking?

NFL player Chris Long out of UVa (son of Howie) was born with 6 fingers on one hand:

http://www.readthehook.com/81787/hotseat-rising-son-long-ready-nfl-shot-his-own

[Seattle Hoo]

I'd be shocked if he played in the ACC tourny. But I suppose stranger things have happened.

Matt Cassel played football 11 days after an appendectomy. His status officially is undetermined. I'm sure he won't play Thursday, but don't be surprised to see him Friday or Saturday.

[moonpie23]

sucha bumber........


i want VA at full strength.....aside our possible meetings, i want them to be rugged in the big dance

[CDu]

Matt Cassel played football 11 days after an appendectomy. His status officially is undetermined. I'm sure he won't play Thursday, but don't be surprised to see him Friday or Saturday.

11 days from surgery would be the following Monday. I would be surprised if he plays in the ACC tourney. It would be possible, but I think highly unlikely. Especially given how rusty he will be.

I would very much expect him back for the NCAA tourney though.

[OldPhiKap]

Matt Cassel played football 11 days after an appendectomy. His status officially is undetermined. I'm sure he won't play Thursday, but don't be surprised to see him Friday or Saturday.

ACCT return would be ambitious. Although I hope he can return as soon as possible.

[Tom B.]

11 days from surgery would be the following Monday. I would be surprised if he plays in the ACC tourney. It would be possible, but I think highly unlikely. Especially given how rusty he will be.

I would very much expect him back for the NCAA tourney though.

It wouldn't shock me if they held him out for the first round of NCAA Tournament. They should be able to handle a #16 or #15 seed without him, so might as well give him a couple extra days to heal.

Of course, the other side of that coin is that Anderson is now probably going to be off his feet for a week or so. With the broken finger, he at least could continue running and keeping up with his conditioning, but he won't be able to do that immediately after surgery like this. So, maybe some limited action in a first-round NCAA game might be a good way to shake the rust off.

I hope this doesn't cost UVa a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They've earned it with their body of work over the season, and if Anderson will be back for the NCAA Tournament, they deserve it. IIRC, the Selection Committee does take injuries, and expected returns from injuries, into account when making seeding decisions.

[CDu]

It wouldn't shock me if they held him out for the first round of NCAA Tournament. They should be able to handle a #16 or #15 seed without him, so might as well give him a couple extra days to heal.

Of course, the other side of that coin is that Anderson is now probably going to be off his feet for a week or so, With the broken finger, he at least could continue running and keeping up with his conditioning, but he won't be able to do that immediately after surgery like this. So, maybe some limited action in a first-round NCAA game might be a good way to shake the rust off.

I hope this doesn't cost UVa a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They've earned it with their body of work over the season, and if Anderson will be back for the NCAA Tournament, they deserve it. IIRC, the Selection Committee does take injuries, and expected returns from injuries, into account when making seeding decisions.

Yeah, my guess would be he plays a bit in the first round game to try to shake off the rust. Unlike all the other stories of speedy returns, we are talking about a guy that has already missed almost 4 weeks of play. So he's going to be rusty, both in terms of his skills as well as his conditioning. So, as you said, it would probably behoove UVa to get him some run in a low-risk game before throwing him out there against a really threatening opponent.

I'd be fairly shocked if he came back next weekend, though.

[W&LHoo]

Yeah, my guess would be he plays a bit in the first round game to try to shake off the rust. Unlike all the other stories of speedy returns, we are talking about a guy that has already missed almost 4 weeks of play. So he's going to be rusty, both in terms of his skills as well as his conditioning. So, as you said, it would probably behoove UVa to get him some run in a low-risk game before throwing him out there against a really threatening opponent.

I'd be fairly shocked if he came back next weekend, though.

The general consensus among the (admittedly freaking out) wahoo fan base is that our best case scenario would be Justin coming back early in the NCAAs. Worst case scenario seems to be that he'd miss the entire thing. I suspect he's back for the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tourney.

[Seattle Hoo]

Chance of playing in the ACC Tournament - 40-50%
Chance of playing the first game of the NCAA Tournament - 90-99%

[CDu]

The general consensus among the (admittedly freaking out) wahoo fan base is that our best case scenario would be Justin coming back early in the NCAAs. Worst case scenario seems to be that he'd miss the entire thing. I suspect he's back for the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tourney.

It would be surprising to me to see him miss the entire NCAA tournament (barring a very early exit by UVa). The tournament doesn't start for 2 weeks, which is about the typical time frame for athletes to return from this surgery (assuming it was a laparoscopic procedure). Missing 4.5 weeks (which is the length of time until the end of the tournament) seems excessively long. Frankly, I'd be more shocked for him to be out 4.5 weeks as I would be to see him play next weekend.

[NYBri]

Bennett's system is strong and it's proven it can withstand missing specific players. I have no doubt that, although it's never fun to have key components out, the pack line and deliberate offense system is one that can manage well with substitute pieces.

Not at all like losing the sharpshooter in a run and gun system that's dependent on outscoring the opponent.

The Hoos will be fine...especially at this point in the season when they are well honed and have played without Anderson for a couple of weeks. Their real test won't happen until the sweet 16, IMHO.

[CDu]

Chance of playing in the ACC Tournament - 40-50%
Chance of playing the first game of the NCAA Tournament - 90-99%

I think you're way too high on the chances of playing in the ACC tournament. But I'd say you're not too far off on the first game of the NCAA. I'd say more like:

Chance of playing in the ACC tournament: ~5%
Chance of playing in the NCAA Opener: ~80-90%

[Seattle Hoo]

The general consensus among the (admittedly freaking out) wahoo fan base is that our best case scenario would be Justin coming back early in the NCAAs. Worst case scenario seems to be that he'd miss the entire thing. I suspect he's back for the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tourney.

The Wahoo fan base is more prone to baseless and fear-driven speculation than any group I've ever been a part of. The only way to read that board for trying to figure out what is going on is to identify the very few posters who actually know something, and read what they say. Ignore what every single other person on that board posts. The format encourages a Facebook-like posting style.

Best case - he plays next Friday. Unlikely but possible.
Worst case - Sweet Sixteen. Highly unlikely, but possible.

Most likely case - NCAAT First Round.

I'm putting my money on a Willis Reed appearance in the ACC Final. :cool:

[Lar77]

Tough deal for the Cavs and their fans. Agree with other posters that they will survive without him but maybe drop to a 2 seed (because I'm confident that we're winning the ACC regardless), but they need him for a deep run.

[Seattle Hoo]

Tough deal for the Cavs and their fans. Agree with other posters that they will survive without him but maybe drop to a 2 seed (because I'm confident that we're winning the ACC regardless), but they need him for a deep run.

Even if Duke wins the ACC Tournament, UVA will be a 1 seed because the committee is not going to drop them for losing in the ACC Final game.

[Tom B.]

Even if Duke wins the ACC Tournament, UVA will be a 1 seed because the committee is not going to drop them for losing in the ACC Final game.

Yeah, I tend to agree. If UVa beats Louisville and makes it to the ACC Tournament final, then I think they're a #1 seed, especially if it looks like Anderson will be back for the NCAA Tournament.

Just please, pretty please with sugar on top, don't lose to UNC in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

[captmojo]

I don't think Anderson's absence will affect UVA's chances for the immediate future, as this has already shown. In the NCAAs however, it'll be against some other questions. They will not survive to advance to regional finals without him.
Also, it should be considered how the other players will respond to his return, when that happens. Will their play regress with it, as has been the case with so many others under similar circumstances?
Either way, I wish him quick healing.

[captmojo]

I forgot to add a, "Harumph!".

[NYBri]

Even if Duke wins the ACC Tournament, UVA will be a 1 seed because the committee is not going to drop them for losing in the ACC Final game.

Agree with this. A loss in the ACCT Final will still mean a #1 for the Hoos, and they would certainly deserve it. The only effect that loss would have would be the ranking of the #1s. A loss in the first round, the committee would pause, but I bet they would still give them a 1. Hard to take that away from a team with their schedule with only 2 losses...unless they get killed by BC or VT...which ain't gonna happen. UVA doesn't play a system that can lead to "getting killed." Can't score enough points on them to do that.

Note how I'm assuming a W in Louisville tomorrow. Just don't see how the Cards can score enough to win.

[W&LHoo]

The Wahoo fan base is more prone to baseless and fear-driven speculation than any group I've ever been a part of. The only way to read that board for trying to figure out what is going on is to identify the very few posters who actually know something, and read what they say. Ignore what every single other person on that board posts. The format encourages a Facebook-like posting style.


Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I spend more time reading this page.

[Seattle Hoo]

In the NCAAs however, it'll be against some other questions. They will not survive to advance to regional finals without him.

I'll take that bet. Final Four could be a different matter, but as a 1-seed, UVA absolutely can beat any 4-seed caliber team or lower without Anderson.

[wk2109]

I'll take that bet. Final Four could be a different matter, but as a 1-seed, UVA absolutely can beat any 4-seed caliber team or lower without Anderson.

Can you be certain that's true, though? A few weeks ago, I posted that I thought Duke had a good chance to catch UVA after Anderson's injury and ended up being wrong (though I'm happy that I was right about Duke having a good chance to have an undefeated February). Alas, a 10-game win streak wasn't enough due to UVA's own 9-game win streak.

But who exactly did UVA beat after Anderson's injury that would give you confidence that UVA could beat a 4-seed? Their best win came against bubble team NC State by 4 points. I think UVA's holding off of Duke was more a function of its weak schedule than its ability to maintain a high level of play without Anderson.

I don't particularly care whether UVA wins or loses any of its games unless they're playing Duke, but I think UVA is in a very precarious situation: without Anderson, I don't think their ceiling is nearly as high as it would be with him, but if/when Anderson comes back, he'll have missed at least a month's worth of action. Will he be able to shake off the rust and will UVA be able to integrate him back into the lineup?

[CDu]

Can you be certain that's true, though? A few weeks ago, I posted that I thought Duke had a good chance to catch UVA after Anderson's injury and ended up being wrong (though I'm happy that I was right about Duke having a good chance to have an undefeated February). Alas, a 10-game win streak wasn't enough due to UVA's own 9-game win streak.

But who exactly did UVA beat after Anderson's injury that would give you confidence that UVA could beat a 4-seed? Their best win came against bubble team NC State by 4 points. I think UVA's holding off of Duke was more a function of its weak schedule than its ability to maintain a high level of play without Anderson.

I don't particularly care whether UVA wins or loses any of its games unless they're playing Duke, but I think UVA is in a very precarious situation: without Anderson, I don't think their ceiling is nearly as high as it would be with him, but if/when Anderson comes back, he'll have missed at least a month's worth of action. Will he be able to shake off the rust and will UVA be able to integrate him back into the lineup?

Well, to be fair, the original post in question said with certainty that UVa won't make the Regional Final without Anderson, which is also not a fair thing to say. I'd say that UVa absolutely can make the Elite-8 without Anderson (heck, we've had double-digit seeds make the Final Four numerous times). But I'm not sure I'd consider it likely. They allowed Louisville to make a decent comeback in Charlottesville after they lost Anderson, and since then they haven't faced a team remotely close to a 4/5 seed.

Of course, I suspect this is all moot: I think Anderson will be back for the NCAA tournament.

[Wahoo2000]

Can you be certain that's true, though? A few weeks ago, I posted that I thought Duke had a good chance to catch UVA after Anderson's injury and ended up being wrong (though I'm happy that I was right about Duke having a good chance to have an undefeated February). Alas, a 10-game win streak wasn't enough due to UVA's own 9-game win streak.

But who exactly did UVA beat after Anderson's injury that would give you confidence that UVA could beat a 4-seed? Their best win came against bubble team NC State by 4 points. I think UVA's holding off of Duke was more a function of its weak schedule than its ability to maintain a high level of play without Anderson.

I don't particularly care whether UVA wins or loses any of its games unless they're playing Duke, but I think UVA is in a very precarious situation: without Anderson, I don't think their ceiling is nearly as high as it would be with him, but if/when Anderson comes back, he'll have missed at least a month's worth of action. Will he be able to shake off the rust and will UVA be able to integrate him back into the lineup?

Our "struggles" are almost entirely related to how well we shoot the ball. Almost every single other aspect of our game is consistent week to week (if not game to game). We pretty much ALWAYS defend well, rebound well and pass well/take care of the ball. You might find 1-2 games over the course of the season where we don't do those three things extraordinarily well, but it's very rare. Shooting, more specifically 3pt and ft shooting seems to be our #1 indicator of whether a game was a blowout or a tight one. If we just have an AVERAGE game shooting the ball, we tend to win comfortably. If we shoot really well, it's a blowout. If we're clanking, it's going to be a tight game, almost regardless of competition (top 8 type teams excluded maybe).

Anderson was ON FIRE in the non-conference schedule. I think he was over 60% from 3, and over 80% at the line. He was kind of struggling in ACC games though - under 40%. Brogdon, Perrantes, and Nolte have all had stretches where they really struggled with the 3 as well. That said, in the last 2-3 games, it seems like we're coming around a little bit. In the end, Anderson or not, I think we're final 4 caliber if we shoot the ball slightly above average (say team averages of around 37% from 3, and around 72% from the line), and don't run into a team that beats us in those categories by more than 7-8%.

[Dev11]

Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I spend more time reading this page.

How long have you been around this loony bin? If you want to see some peak DBR insanity, go find the Kyrie's toe vigil thread.

[NYBri]

How long have you been around this loony bin? If you want to see some peak DBR insanity, go find the Kyrie's toe vigil thread.

Generally stay away from vigil threads. That word doesn't bode well for reasoned discourse.

[Troublemaker]

Sorry to hear about Anderson's latest setback, Wahoos.

What you're going to miss out on is the opportunity to use the Louisville game and the ACC tournament to re-integrate him. Now that has to be done in the NCAAs. I think UVA might bring him off the bench at first, like Duke in 2001 with Boozer.

Carlos returned in the Sweet 16, came off the bench, and gradually built up, playing 22 minutes(S16), 22 minutes(E8), 25 minutes(FF), and finally 30 minutes in the national championship game against Arizona.

Hopefully UVA will have Anderson at the start of the NCAAT, though.

[eddie_yvp]

Can you be certain that's true, though? A few weeks ago, I posted that I thought Duke had a good chance to catch UVA after Anderson's injury and ended up being wrong (though I'm happy that I was right about Duke having a good chance to have an undefeated February). Alas, a 10-game win streak wasn't enough due to UVA's own 9-game win streak.

But who exactly did UVA beat after Anderson's injury that would give you confidence that UVA could beat a 4-seed? Their best win came against bubble team NC State by 4 points. I think UVA's holding off of Duke was more a function of its weak schedule than its ability to maintain a high level of play without Anderson.

I don't particularly care whether UVA wins or loses any of its games unless they're playing Duke, but I think UVA is in a very precarious situation: without Anderson, I don't think their ceiling is nearly as high as it would be with him, but if/when Anderson comes back, he'll have missed at least a month's worth of action. Will he be able to shake off the rust and will UVA be able to integrate him back into the lineup?

Can anybody be certain about any team making a deep run?

In any event, there isn't a large enough sample size to show how good UVA can be w/o Anderson. They definitely struggled initially trying to adjust without him, but I personally see a team that was struggling well before Anderson got hurt, and is finally starting to resemble the team that was extremely efficient on offense during the first half of the season. Yes, part of that early success was due to Anderson's ridiculous 3 point shooting, but it was offset by guys like Perrantes and Nolte shooting below their expected %'s - which seems to being trending up right now.

UVA is certainly a better team with Anderson, and this latest setback will hurt because it gives them less time to integrate Anderson back in the rotation before the pressure really ramps up. But as talented as Anderson is, he very well may be the easiest starter on the team to replace. That's assuming somebody from the bench can provide halfway decent outside shooting, but UVa has plenty of other talented players that can shoulder the load on offense to sustain a deep run. They just seem to get bored playing offense.

[Seattle Hoo]

I saw this old thread from 2011 on Justin Anderson at the bottom of the page and thought I would go take a look. Some very interesting reading from the perspective of 2015. A lot of you guys saw these last two years coming back then. What someone posted about Anderson near the end was spot on. He has stuck around long enough to become a great defender, and all around physical presence.

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?18958-Justin-Anderson

[eddie_yvp]

But who exactly did UVA beat after Anderson's injury that would give you confidence that UVA could beat a 4-seed? Their best win came against bubble team NC State by 4 points. I think UVA's holding off of Duke was more a function of its weak schedule than its ability to maintain a high level of play without Anderson.

And wanted to add - they beat everybody on their schedule. Might not have played any elite teams, but winning consistently against average (and below average) teams is likely stronger than most 4/5 caliber seeds have shown during the same stretch.

Honestly, hate to play the "no respect card", but UVA faces more "yeah but" sentiment than any team out there. Beating Syracuse at the Dome by 12 after sleep walking through the first 14 minutes can be viewed as a quality win. Or a sign of impending doom because of that awful stretch to start the game. And why the "only 4 points" distinction when talking about beating NC State on the road? Didn't Duke lose at NC State?

I hate to make those kind of comparisons - but it was your example so I think it's fair to make that point. UVA is far from perfect, and they very well may drop their next 2 games and fall to a 2 seed. But they've proven they are mentally and physically tough - gotta give them that much.

[OldPhiKap]

And wanted to add - they beat everybody on their schedule. Might not have played any elite teams, but winning consistently against average (and below average) teams is likely stronger than most 4/5 caliber seeds have shown during the same stretch.

Honestly, hate to play the "no respect card", but UVA faces more "yeah but" sentiment than any team out there. Beating Syracuse at the Dome by 12 after sleep walking through the first 14 minutes can be viewed as a quality win. Or a sign of impending doom because of that awful stretch to start the game. And why the "only 4 points" distinction when talking about beating NC State on the road? Didn't Duke lose at NC State?

I hate to make those kind of comparisons - but it was your example so I think it's fair to make that point. UVA is far from perfect, and they very well may drop their next 2 games and fall to a 2 seed. But they've proven they are mentally and physically tough - gotta give them that much.

But for a great comeback by Duke, UVa would be undefeated with Kentucky.

UVa is not flashy. Just really damn good. With Anderson healthy, they could clearly win it all.

[-jk]

I'd love to see a UVa-UK matchup. Unfortunately, I suspect it'd have to go through us. So no...

-jk

[OldPhiKap]

I'd love to see a UVa-UK matchup. Unfortunately, I suspect it'd have to go through us. So no...

-jk

Let's let them play, and we'll take the winner on a Monday in April.

But a serious tourney question -- are the regional matches set (South v. East, etc.) or is that also set by the committee when they fill in the brackets?

[tbyers11]

Let's let them play, and we'll take the winner on a Monday in April.

But a serious tourney question -- are the regional matches set (South v. East, etc.) or is that also set by the committee when they fill in the brackets?

For the last several years, which region winner plays which have been decided by the committee on Selection Sunday. They rank the 1 seeds 1-4 and have #1 region play #4 region and #2 region play #3 region in the Final Four.

[wk2109]

And wanted to add - they beat everybody on their schedule. Might not have played any elite teams, but winning consistently against average (and below average) teams is likely stronger than most 4/5 caliber seeds have shown during the same stretch.

Honestly, hate to play the "no respect card", but UVA faces more "yeah but" sentiment than any team out there. Beating Syracuse at the Dome by 12 after sleep walking through the first 14 minutes can be viewed as a quality win. Or a sign of impending doom because of that awful stretch to start the game. And why the "only 4 points" distinction when talking about beating NC State on the road? Didn't Duke lose at NC State?

I hate to make those kind of comparisons - but it was your example so I think it's fair to make that point. UVA is far from perfect, and they very well may drop their next 2 games and fall to a 2 seed. But they've proven they are mentally and physically tough - gotta give them that much.

Don't get me wrong -- I think UVA is a VERY good team. Definitely a worthy #1 seed. My post was in response to another post expressing certainty that UVA could beat any 4-seed without Anderson.

You make plenty of good points, including the fact that Duke lost to NC State on the road (I'll also point out that Duke beat UVA with Anderson at UVA so using one or two games to prove some overarching point doesn't work for either of us). One thing I do disagree with you about: I don't think UVA faces more "yeah but" sentiment than Gonzaga does. And why does Gonzaga have so many doubters? Because they amassed a very good record against a relatively weak schedule. That's the point I'm making about UVA over the past eight games -- their best win came against a bubble team. You can't really look at the past eight games and come away with the conclusion that UVA could definitely beat any 4-seed. Am I saying they would definitely lose to a 4-seed? No way -- I wouldn't even say that they would definitely lose to Duke in the ACC final without Anderson. I just don't think there's enough evidence to make a prediction either way with any certainty.

[eddie_yvp]

Don't get me wrong -- I think UVA is a VERY good team. Definitely a worthy #1 seed. My post was in response to another post expressing certainty that UVA could beat any 4-seed without Anderson.

You make plenty of good points, including the fact that Duke lost to NC State on the road (I'll also point out that Duke beat UVA with Anderson at UVA so using one or two games to prove some overarching point doesn't work for either of us). One thing I do disagree with you about: I don't think UVA faces more "yeah but" sentiment than Gonzaga does. And why does Gonzaga have so many doubters? Because they amassed a very good record against a relatively weak schedule. That's the point I'm making about UVA over the past eight games -- their best win came against a bubble team. You can't really look at the past eight games and come away with the conclusion that UVA could definitely beat any 4-seed. Am I saying they would definitely lose to a 4-seed? No way -- I wouldn't even say that they would definitely lose to Duke in the ACC final without Anderson. I just don't think there's enough evidence to make a prediction either way with any certainty.

Fair enough. I just think you were being overly dismissive of UVA's wins during the post-Anderson stretch. A lot of people out there (I would guess you included based on your prediction that Duke would catch UVA) thought UVA was looking at 3-4 losses to close out the regular season, but UVA has continued to roll with relative ease (yes, I know the Wake game at UVA was closer than it should have been - that is the only "bad win" that I remember). But instead of giving UVA credit for continuing to win, the sentiment is that they are struggling against weak competition. That's a double standard. Or something like that.

But's it's all fun. I get your point. Maybe I'm just overreacting to Battier saying last night that UVA may be emotionally fragile as they are struggling down the stretch and Anderson having another setback - that is just silly talk.

And I certainly wasn't trying to argue that UVA is better than Duke by bringing up the Duke loss against NC State - just pointing out that it isn't a bad "best win". Of course Duke holds the ultimate trump card (as of right now) with their win in Charlottesville. Would love to see a rematch next weekend.

[wk2109]

Fair enough. I just think you were being overly dismissive of UVA's wins during the post-Anderson stretch. A lot of people out there (I would guess you included based on your prediction that Duke would catch UVA) thought UVA was looking at 3-4 losses to close out the regular season, but UVA has continued to roll with relative ease (yes, I know the Wake game at UVA was closer than it should have been - that is the only "bad win" that I remember). But instead of giving UVA credit for continuing to win, the sentiment is that they are struggling against weak competition. That's a double standard. Or something like that.

But's it's all fun. I get your point. Maybe I'm just overreacting to Battier saying last night that UVA may be emotionally fragile as they are struggling down the stretch and Anderson having another setback - that is just silly talk.

And I certainly wasn't trying to argue that UVA is better than Duke by bringing up the Duke loss against NC State - just pointing out that it isn't a bad "best win". Of course Duke holds the ultimate trump card (as of right now) with their win in Charlottesville. Would love to see a rematch next weekend.

Let me just point out that I never said that UVA struggled during a stretch of weak competition, only that the competition was weak. (I pointed out that the win over NC was by 4 points more to show that UVA's 8 game winning streak without Anderson wasn't particularly earth-shattering than to argue that UVA was struggling.) But your points are well taken.

My honest feeling is this: Duke has a higher ceiling than UVA, but UVA has been more consistent than Duke over the entire season. However, Duke's current 10-game win streak gives me hope that the team has found its stride and has developed UVA's ability to avoid any "WTF?" kind of losses from here on out.

[eddie_yvp]

Let me just point out that I never said that UVA struggled during a stretch of weak competition, only that the competition was weak. (I pointed out that the win over NC was by 4 points more to show that UVA's 8 game winning streak without Anderson wasn't particularly earth-shattering than to argue that UVA was struggling.) But your points are well taken.

My honest feeling is this: Duke has a higher ceiling than UVA, but UVA has been more consistent than Duke over the entire season. However, Duke's current 10-game win streak gives me hope that the team has found its stride and has developed UVA's ability to avoid any "WTF?" kind of losses from here on out.

Sorry - poorly articulated on my part. That UVA has been struggling is a general sentiment that's out there - didn't mean it was from you.

I agree that UVA's stretch without Anderson isn't impressive on its own. I guess my point is that their play during that stretch hasn't been bad enough (on the whole) to suggest they aren't still an elite team that should be favored against a 4 seed on a neutral court. So yeah, I've seen enough during that stretch to think they should still get to the regional finals without Anderson. Doesn't mean they will and hopefully they won't have to play without him.

As to who has a higher ceiling - who knows. I'll concede that Duke certainly is more explosive. And that they have looked better than UVA more often than not over the past month or so. But I think either team could win it all this year. I'm ok with that ceiling for UVA.

[BobBender]

Fair enough. I just think you were being overly dismissive of UVA's wins during the post-Anderson stretch. A lot of people out there (I would guess you included based on your prediction that Duke would catch UVA) thought UVA was looking at 3-4 losses to close out the regular season, but UVA has continued to roll with relative ease (yes, I know the Wake game at UVA was closer than it should have been - that is the only "bad win" that I remember). But instead of giving UVA credit for continuing to win, the sentiment is that they are struggling against weak competition. That's a double standard. Or something like that.

But's it's all fun. I get your point. Maybe I'm just overreacting to Battier saying last night that UVA may be emotionally fragile as they are struggling down the stretch and Anderson having another setback - that is just silly talk.

And I certainly wasn't trying to argue that UVA is better than Duke by bringing up the Duke loss against NC State - just pointing out that it isn't a bad "best win". Of course Duke holds the ultimate trump card (as of right now) with their win in Charlottesville. Would love to see a rematch next weekend.

Shane Battier has got to be better than this. He has shown a penchant for making impertinent points since he started the gig on ESPN. When I heard him make the "emotionally fragile" comment in regards to UVa, I chalked it up as downright stupid. As I've said before in different ways, there is too much of the "yeah,but" thing with Virginia. Note to those who do this ( including many on DBR): this is not figure- skating------there are no extra points awarded for style. Remind yourself of that when the UNC game tonight becomes a free-wheeling , high-scoring , matador-defense affair. It may be visually pleasing to some, but it's not the be-all and end-all in how the game should be played.

[NYBri]

That UVA has been struggling is a general sentiment that's out there -

I am certain there are a few teams out there that would love to struggle like UVA has. Like every one of them except maybe UK.

[W&LHoo]

Sorry - poorly articulated on my part. That UVA has been struggling is a general sentiment that's out there

We had some tough games. We also did some remarkable things. UVA 70 - Wake 34. And that was on the road.

Even without Justin, when this team clicks things work. We've got the largest average margin of victory in the ACC, so we're beating teams by as much or more than anyone, and we've gone essentially half the conference season with JA on the bench.

Obviously we're better with one of our starters in but it really does seem to me like our guys are the most undervalued team with a record like this I can remember.

[captmojo]

Obviously we're better with one of our starters in but it really does seem to me like our guys are the most undervalued team with a record like this I can remember.

Methodical
Without flash or an abundance of fanfare
Consistent, boring sameness
You know, just another win

[Newton_14]

We had some tough games. We also did some remarkable things. UVA 70 - Wake 34. And that was on the road.

Even without Justin, when this team clicks things work. We've got the largest average margin of victory in the ACC, so we're beating teams by as much or more than anyone, and we've gone essentially half the conference season with JA on the bench.

Obviously we're better with one of our starters in but it really does seem to me like our guys are the most undervalued team with a record like this I can remember.

Really hate this for Anderson and UVA. Both were having great seasons. Hopefully he can go for the Sweet 16. You guys need to be at full strength heading into the FF. Forget Kentucky. I want an all ACC final. Seriously.

Best wishes to Anderson in his recovery.

[gumbomoop]

F... Kentucky. I want an all ACC final. Seriously.

Save for the unfortunate fact that Evil-Auto-Incorrect [a redundundancy] makes your tag quote sound marginally, if appropriately, naughty, I, too, would seriously love one particular all ACC NC matchup, the HooDu one. But I'll be very surprised, to the verge of shock, if Hoo and Du aren't on the same side of the bracket, opposite UK.