No. 9 Virginia plays at Villanova on Thursday, October 22, in its final exhibition. The Cavaliers held Richmond to 25.4 percent shooting and won the rebounding count 54-29 in their previous home exhibition. That is a strong defensive line. Villanova offers a useful test of how much it travels.
Villanova's October 21 preview says Devin Royal averaged 22.5 points and nine rebounds in its first two exhibitions. Tyler Perkins averaged 19 points and five rebounds. Royal made 16 of 27 field-goal attempts. Perkins scored all 20 of his points against George Mason after halftime. The two have produced in different ways and at different moments, which makes a defense account for more than one scorer.
Virginia can point to more than the Richmond final score. Its official account says it trailed 20-12 before a 26-point run changed the game. Chance Mallory scored the first seven points of that run. The Cavaliers also collected 21 second-chance points. Their own extra possessions helped make the defensive stretch decisive.
There is a limit to that comparison. Richmond was the smaller team, as Virginia's report notes. Villanova has a productive forward in Royal and a returning scorer in Perkins. If Virginia wins the rebound battle again, it will carry more information about its defensive finish than another large margin against Richmond did. If Royal finds room anyway, Virginia will have a clearer question to bring into the regular season.
The game will not settle whether Virginia is the nation's ninth-best team. The October 19 AP preseason poll is a starting position, and exhibition results have their own limits. CBR's Virginia returners analysis asked who would organize difficult late possessions on offense. Thursday's matchup asks whether the Cavaliers can end enough difficult possessions on defense when Royal and Perkins are both involved.
