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In each of Bennett's first three years at Virginia, the Cavaliers ranked last or second to last in the ACC in blocks. In 2009-10, UVa averaged 2.6 rejections per game. In 2010-11, the number increased slightly to 3.0. Last season, it dipped to 2.8, which ranked 231st in the country. However, through 16 games this season, Virginia was averaging 4.8 blocks per contest, which ranked tied for fourth in the ACC and tied for 58th nationally. "Absolutely that helps your defense when guys get broken down and you have some athletic guys who can bother a shot," Bennett said. Atkins was averaging 1.6 blocks, which ranked seventh in the ACC. First-years Justin Anderson and Mike Tobey were averaging 0.8 and 0.6 blocks, respectively. Anderson had some highlight-reel swats — the most impressive coming in a game against Morgan State in December when he chased down a player from behind. "I think blocked shots happen naturally," Bennett said. "Darion and Akil are pretty quick off the floor. Darion has good timing with his." Bennett said that the best shot blockers are often those who come over and provide help from the weak side, which was exactly what happened last season when Harris had his memorable swat on North Carolina standout Harrison Barnes. "We work hard to be disciplined on the ball and we always say we want to be the second [player] to leave the floor and not get faked out a lot," Bennett said. "It doesn't mean you can't block a shot on the ball — as long as you're not getting lifted. "So if we're disciplined in staying down, then you can get it that way — or you can get it coming off the ball. Those are OK, but not where it becomes a gamble or [you're] out of the play [and] you give up offensive rebounding. That's what you have to be mindful of, or [picking] up silly fouls." Essentially, the pack-line is a "sagging" man-to- man defense that was developed by former college head coach Dick Bennett, Tony's father. The line itself is an imaginary one that is located about a foot inside the three-point arc, though Virginia actually has a line in masking tape on its practice court. The idea is to "pack" the lane, forcing opponents into contested outside shots. Typically, one defender pressures the ball outside, and the other four defenders sit inside the pack line. This allows the pass on the perimeter, but closes down the gaps and prevents dribble-penetration. The keys to the defense are "close-outs" — how well a defender rotates or recovers to get a hand in the shooter's face; getting back in transition and eliminating easy fast-break points; and limiting offensive rebounds by the opponent and preventing second-chance points. The system was a big part of Dick Bennett's Wisconsin squad making it to the Final Four in 2000 (Tony was on that staff). If played well, the pack-line defense causes the opposition to take a longer amount of time on each possession. In turn, that lowers the total number of possessions in the game and, subsequently, the score. The most important defensive stat to Bennett is opponents' field goal percentage — from both twoand three-point range. "You always say, 'Did you make them work to get shots? Did they have to shoot contested shots?'" Bennett told The Daily Progress in 2010. "If they're getting transition baskets or in the lane or at the rim a majority of the time or getting a bunch of secondchance opportunities — those things hurt." Mitchell said thinking about defense first and foremost is the key to the entire program's success. "That's the mindset I try and just float throughout the team," he said. "When we have that mindset, we lock teams down. That's what we do. We've taken that as our identity and kind of grown into it and I'm proud of it." ◆