Jay Huff had 13 points and 5 blocks off the bench as the ‘Hoos added another win to the tally, defeating Columbia 60-42. The Lions were never really in the game, as UVa jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and cruised from there. Tomas Woldetensae returned from his brief absence due to ankle injury, adding 5 points and 6 boards in a team-high 33 minutes.
Positives
- The defense was stifling yet again, allowing 17 points in the first half and limiting Columbia to 28% shooting from the field.
- Diakite had 13 points and 8 boards in only 20 minutes, a trend that must continue once ACC play begins if this Virginia team wants to be successful.
- Huff filled up the stat sheet, with 13 points, 5 blocks, 2 steals and 6 boards in only 19 minutes. If Huff can maintain his current play it’s going to be scary for opponents.
- The rebound battle was won yet again, with the ‘Hoos pulling down 42 as opposed to Columbia’s 36. The three-headed monster down low of Diakite, Huff, and Key totaled 23 of those, continuing the streak of out-rebounding opponents.
- The 40% from the field was similar to the results of the first two games, a good trend and one that should not be taken lightly.
Negatives
- Another trend is developing, and a much more distasteful one. The ‘Hoos shot a collective 5/15 from deep. This comes after a 4/15 performance at Syracuse and a 4/25 performance against JMU. This means that through three games UVa is 13/65 from deep, or 20%. So… Not good, to say the least. However, this is an in-experienced team and hiccups are expected in November. The three-point shooting woes will go away with time.
- A 7/14 performance from the charity stripe is not a good sign either. You simply can’t miss half your free throw attempts if you want to win close games. Still, the season is early, and we should expect improvement in due course.
- Casey Morsell has not lived up to the hype so far. Labeled “Coach Bennet’s most college-ready player,” he has not looked ready for the big stage in the slightest so far. Again, it’s early, and there is still plenty of time for Casey to turn it around.
Things to Take Note of
- Jay Huff, despite arguably being Virginia’s most productive player throughout the opening part of the season, is still not a starter. No doubt Coach Bennett has his reasons, but that doesn’t make it any less confusing.
- Tomas Woldetensae, in his first game after being sidelined due to an ankle injury, played a team-high 33 minutes
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, not much can be taken away from three games in November. Bennett will work his magic, and a team that has already showed incredible proficiency on the defensive end will begin to gel on the offensive side as well.
Up Next
The Hoos will stay home for a game against Vermont(4-0) on Tuesday Night.