Two six-minute scoring droughts made for some rough viewing, but when all was said and done Virginia defeated NC State 64-57 for an important bounce-back win.
The win may not do much for the resume, but it does instill some confidence back into the hearts of the Wahoo players. Sports are a business where wins are the most valued currency, and Virginia chalked up another on Wednesday night in Raleigh.
1) Murphy and Hauser continue to knock shots down
Sam Hauser and Trey Murphy both tallied 18 points in what were two very impressive performances. They’ve been a very dynamic pairing, two players with differing skill sets but one thing in common: the ability to hit the three ball.
Very few players are shooting the three at a better rate than Murphy’s 49%. Six of his points came from beyond the arc in the win, but that wasn’t the only place where the Rice transfer did damage. He also scored six points from the charity stripe, and the remaining six came at the rim.
Those inside points are a good sign, and they serve to dispel the fear that Murphy might not have much to offer past his shooting. If he can become a threat off the dribble it will free up more space for threes, not to mention the added bonus of another player who can consistently get to the rim.
Hauser has been one of those players, but recently he’s ventured a little too far into the realm of threes. He did better in that sense against NC State, taking a higher percentage of two-point shots than he had in the previous two games.
He and Murphy both said postgame that they wanted to be more aggressive against NC State than they were against Virginia Tech, and it showed. They tried harder to get to the rim and to hit the midrange shot, two places where they need to spend more time going forward.
2) Defense is better, but big men remain a threat
Virginia’s defense has taken great strides from the beginning of the season, but they are still susceptible on a number of fronts. Opposing big men, in particular, are getting used to profiting from a matchup with Virginia. Keve Aluma scored 29 Saturday, Jericole Hellems went for 23 Wednesday, and this weekend sees Justin Champagnie make a trip to Charlottesville.
If the prior two opponents were able to take control the way they did, the prospect of what the ACC’s leading scorer and rebounder can do is a terrifying thought indeed.
The Hoos still managed to hold NC State to 57 points in spite of Hellems’ performance, part of a recent defensive resurgence. The Pack got very few easy looks, and Virginia has gotten much better at shifting on the ball and forcing contested shots.
The Hoos are yet to fully click and become the stout group of years past, but they are trending in the right direction.
3) Virginia spent time at the free-throw line and it made a difference
Virginia’s free throw statistics are striking. According to sports-reference.com, they are 347th in the nation in free throws attempted per game, and an astonishing second in free throw percentage.
To be clear, that low number in attempted free throws is partly due to Virginia’s slow pace of play. But KenPom has them at much the same number, and those stats are adjusted for things like tempo.
The Hoos went 20 for 22 from the line against NC State, after going a mere three of four against Virginia Tech. Just from those numbers, it’s obvious which game was the win and which was the loss. Virginia did a much better job attacking the rim against NC State, unsurprisingly resulting in more free throws and a huge leg up.
Free throws are an easy source of points, and the way Virginia’s been shooting them they need to continue taking advantage of that.
4) Huff can be better
Virginia has played nine ACC games this season, and Jay Huff has reached double figures scoring in all nine. He can score with his back to the basket, finish lobs with ease, and hit the three—in short, Huff is an extremely versatile player.
Unfortunately, he seems unaware of that fact. Rarely are all the facets of his game on display in the same outing—Huff is a three-point shooter one game and a post player the next. He looked to be going the former route for much of the NC State game, taking a high percentage of threes and spending most of his time on top of the key.
Eventually, he realized that as the biggest player on the court he could score easily at the rim. I attribute the win largely to that realization.
But Huff needs to strike a better balance between the three-pointer and his inside game. As one anonymous ACC coach said in a recent Athletic article: “He’s not the most physical guy in the world. I know he can make 3s, but I’d rather him shoot there than around the basket.”
It’s generally a good idea to do the opposite of what an opposing coach wants you to do, and in this case that’s getting to the basket. Huff is found outside the arc way too often, and for him to fulfill his potential that needs to change.
5) The backcourt trio
Five players labeled as guards played for Virginia against NC State. Of them, Trey Murphy is more of a swingman than a ball handler, and Tomas Woldetensae’s impact has been virtually nonexistent this season.
That leaves three: Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, and Casey Morsell. Morsell had a poor performance in the win, going for 12 minutes and recording two turnovers with just one assist. He continues to show flashes of potential, but his offensive game is too one-dimensional right now.
Clark and Beekman have become the primary backcourt pairing, but they too leave a lot to be desired. They combined for 16 points against NC State, but the more telling stat is a 7:6 assist/turnover ratio.
Separately, they’re two very good players, but they are yet to learn how to work together effectively. Neither is really an off-ball guard, so when one has the ball in his hands the other often seems slightly lost. It will come with time, but Virginia’s three guards have to develop a better relationship in the backcourt.
After notching their eighth ACC win, Virginia will return to JPJ for a home game on Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Image – Virginia Athletics