behind the scenes EUROPEAN HOOPS TOUR
Head coach Tony Bennett said the Cavaliers benefitted greatly from the competition they faced on their 10-day European tour.
PHOTO COURTESY UVA
Virginia's 10-day European basketball excursion in early August provided exactly what head coach Tony Bennett was looking for. "Real competition gives you a reality check,
While the win-loss numbers may not have been stellar,
said of Virginia's third trip to Europe since 1996. "When you play summer ball you can get lulled into a false sense of security and you don't realize how intentional you have to be as a team. Whether it comes down to the little
" Bennett
things on offense or defense, there's something about competition. "I thought the competition exposed some things when
we were lax or not quite focused. I don't want to say I gave the first-years a pass, but I understood their breakdowns more than I did the returners. And we spent a fair amount of time in those 10 practices trying to work on [those areas]"
continued on next page CAVALIER CORNER ◆ OCTOBER 2012 ◆ 24
