What to expect from Ron Sanchez at UVA

More slow pace, bad O and prioritizing D

After Tony Bennett’s shocking retirement from UVA just weeks before the season, Ron Sanchez joins the list of new ACC basketball coaches. I’ve already opined on what to expect from the other newcomers, so I’m rounding out the coaching carousel by adding Sanchez’s resume. He’s a long-time UVA assistant and had a brief stint at Charlotte that showed he’ll likely continue the painfully slow brand of UVA basketball.

His tenure at Charlotte was unremarkable, with a 72-78 (48%) record. His teams average tempo rank was 322nd — which is actually a bit above UVA’s rank (352nd) over the same period — but a snail’s pace nonetheless.

The UVA pace and pack line defense ground games to a halt, but the recipe isn’t successful unless the defense is smothering. Sanchez’s Charlotte teams averaged 180th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency, which is the lowest of any of the new coaches joining the ACC.

The UVA system requires players to relish defense (like celebrating shot clock violations) and spend years learning the intricacies and communications to build the defensive line. Those goals feel particularly outmoded in the portal era. If Sanchez is going to simply run with the same Bennett system without the charm, charisma and coaching chops of Bennett, UVA will slide back to the middle of the ACC.