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S By Whitelaw Reid ome families like to hand down heirlooms. Tony Bennett's handed down a defense. And Virginia basketball fans couldn't be happier about that. This season, Bennett's famed pack-line defense — which he learned from his father — has been clicking on all cylinders. Midway through the season, Virginia was ranked in the top seven nationally in seven defensive categories, including points per game (second, 51.6) and field goal percentage (sixth, 36.4). In late December, Bennett said his team's defense was the best it had been since he came aboard in 2009. "We still have more tests — certainly you get into conference competition and things like that," Bennett said. "But maybe what is a little different this year — and I've talked about it before — is the mobility of Akil [Mitchell] and Darion [Atkins]. They can really cover and move. I think Darion and Akil, when they're focused and locked in — their quickness has been effective in a lot of ways and I think that's made us good. "And then we've been able to have a point guard who can pressure the ball a little to start our defense — whether that's Teven [Jones] or Jontel [Evans] — that has helped us. And then the guys who are in the system for a second year or a third year, like in Joe [Harris] and Akil's case, seem to grasp it better … I think the mobility and the size of the wings has helped us, too." Virginia held six of its first 16 opponents to less than 50 points, and 12 to less than 60, in starting the season 11-5. UVa opponents shot better than 43 percent from the field in just three of those games. Of course, strong defense has been a staple ever since Bennett arrived at Virginia. Last season, UVa set an ACC record during the shot clock era by holding 11 opponents to less than 50 points. Through Jan. 13, Virginia had a staggering record of 23-1 when it held opponents to less than 50 points in the Bennett era. "We're incredibly well-coached on defense," Mitchell said. "Coach Bennett eats, breathes and sleeps basketball — especially defense. "We just all bought into it, and maybe we have more talent now to be more successful than we have been in the past few years. We're a little quicker and we're a lot smarter. This year, as compared to last year, we don't make as many mistakes." After a slow start to the season, UVa started to find its defensive mojo in an inspiring 60-54 win over Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Nov. 28. But one of the Wahoos' most impressive performances was a 46-38 home win over Tennessee Dec. 5. In the contest, Virginia held the Volunteers to 28.8 percent shooting, including just 15.8 percent (3 of 19) from three-point range. Atkins and Mitchell, as they had been in the win over the Badgers, were a big part of that performance. The duo helped hold Tennessee leading scorer Jarnell Stokes — a projected NBA player — to five points. A game later, Virginia held Mississippi Valley State to 39 points on just 19.0 percent shooting (11 of 58) and left head coach Chico Potts scratching his head. "For as much as we shoot, to shoot the ball 19 percent, that's unheard of," Potts said. "You're talking about college athletes, college basketball players shooting the ball for a game 19 percent. I don't know what that was about." A main question was whether Virginia would be able to carry its solid play into the ACC season. UVa quickly answered that when it beat North Carolina 61-52 in the league opener Jan. 6. In the win, the Wahoos held the Tar Heels to 31 points below their previous scoring average and to 37.3-percent shooting (19 of 51).