No kidding? Thank you Captain Obvious, and it’s a pretty known concern. It’s not like saying the Earth is flat.
I would contend that it's not a very well-grounded statement. Sure, we shoot awful from deep, nobody is impressed when you shoot under 32%. But our 3-point field goal defense is 29.5%. You were making the same tired argument that we've heard all season long. And what you forget in the midst of your emotional distress, is there are many phases of basketball. Duke bet UVA at home shooting 2 for 14 from three. Sure, we can lose on a poor shooting night, but so can anyone. I would note that Duke shoots 58.5% from the field on two-point shots, which is #3 in the country.
You can't just beat Duke by out-shooting us. You have to have limit transition points, you have to rebound, you have to contain Zion and RJ, you have to deal with Tre Jones and a host of relentless ball pressure. It's not a guarantee that we'll win the title, or even make it to the FF. But, we are the favorite - and deservedly so. Shooting aside, there are no deficiencies on this team. We have a much, much higher margin for error with all the areas we excel in.
#1 in blocks per game
#1 in block percentage
#3 in steals per game
#1 in steals per possession
#9 in field goal percentage defense
#13 in 3-pt field goal percentage defense
#16 in Field Goal Percentage
#15 in Rebounding Margin
#2 in scoring margin (Gonzaga, which obviously doesn't have a comparable schedule)
#27 in turnover margin
#3 in transition points
#3 in KenPom Adj Offensive Efficiency Margin
#4 in KenPom Adj Defensive Efficiency Margin
So yes, when you're worried about our title hopes in the middle of a road game that sees us down by 20+ points, I might think you're being a little over dramatic. Especially considering we've already beaten more elite teams than anyone else in the country.