The two slowest and most fundamental basketball teams in America met last night when Wisconsin and Virginia met in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
This one finished with a blistering Virginia victory in a high scoring shootout that resulted in a final score of 49-37. Some people tune into college basketball to see the flashy plays, big dunks, poor defense, run and gun offenses and future NBA players. This game was the exact oppose.
This game was the Super Bowl for fans of old school basketball that is played the way it’s meant to be played. If any team cracks the 50 point mark that’s a sign of coaching failure and great shame. Fans from around the country came together last night to watch a game that included great ball movement, tight on-ball defense, tough screens, corner three point shots, fundamental post moves and never looking for a shot if there’s more than five seconds on the shot clock. Wisconsin’s star player Ethan Happ was literally born to be a 1940s NBA star, and the same can be said for Virginia big man Jack Salt.
Watch all the big plays from the Hoos 49-37 win over Wisconsin courtesy of @VaSportsTV! #GoHoos #Wahoowa pic.twitter.com/U5cI3SQs5X
— Virginia Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 28, 2017
Sure, Kentucky has at least five first rounders on their roster, and their games resemble dunk contests. However, how many players on Kentucky do you think could set three screens on a single possession and immediately turn around to draw a scrappy charge on defense? Not many.
Watch this up and under at the 40 second mark and tell me that’s not some of the purest basketball you’ve ever seen.
It’s a shame those of us who love basketball being played the way as it was intended got our Super Bowl so early in the year, but at least it didn’t disappoint. A combined score under 90 has Coach Naismith smiling down from basketball Heaven.
You guys can keep your fast pace school yard basketball. I’ll keep my basketball games that are fully of scrappy hard workers, guys with a coach’s son mentality and players who are willing to die while boxing out. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s what basketball is all about.
