If you were sitting on your couch watching Virginia play Vermont experiencing mild PTSD, that’s okay. You’re not alone. With Anthony Lamb seemingly making threes at will, it was almost impossible not to flash back to the Purdue game from last year’s national championship run. Needless to say, Carsen Edwards’ performance outshined Lamb’s… But still. The Vermont star was dealing. Luckily for the ‘Hoos, Kihei Clark made some big buckets down the stretch, doing enough to weather the storm until Lamb finally started missing. While Clark finished with a mere 14 points–insignificant compared to Lamb’s 30–he was just as important to Virginia as Lamb was to Vermont. Thus far Clark has been an instrumental part of the team’s success, and there are no signs of that trend stopping. For every three Lamb hit, Clark just came back with a layup or three of his own. The Virginia point guard shot 5/7 from the field and 3/4 from deep to go with 4 assists. Clark didn’t have to do it all alone either. Mamadi Diakite poured in 19 points and 6 boards and Braxton Key had 15 and 6, including a crucial three near the end of the game.
While some might dismiss this game as insignificant, even shaming UVA for only beating an American East school by 6, in reality this is a very good win for the Wahoos. Vermont owned a 4-0 record coming into the game, with an impressive win at St. Johns (who Virginia could face this weekend in Connecticut). Down the road, this could turn out to be a solid win, and one that could be looked at on Selection Sunday.
Positives
- Three point shooting is BACK! Virginia connected on 8/23 from beyond the arc, good for 34.8%. While not yet all the way back to where it should be, it is a massive step in the right direction. Clark, Diakite, and Key were a combined 8/12, an important note given that these are the players that will be needed to make threes down the stretch.
- The “Big Three” underneath continue to dominate opposition. Diakite, Huff, and Key combined for 42 points and 19 rebounds. In past years, Bennett teams have relied first on the guards, next on the big men. Well, this year those roles could be flopped
- Kihei Clark is turning out to be the player for this team. The leader, the guy who can be called upon to make big shots. He looks solid, reliable, and smart—In other words, he looks like a Tony Bennett player.
Negatives
- Casey Morsell is still not looking comfortable on offense. The freshman guard was 1/6 from the field. He’s a great defender, but he needs to pick it up on offense.
The Bottom Line
Vermont was a good challenge for this team, and the ‘Hoos prevailed despite the heroics of Anthony Lamb. Overall, it was a solid game for Bennett’s team.
Up Next
Next, Virginia will go to Connecticut for the Hall of Fame Tip-Off against UMass (5-0) and then either St. John’s (4-1) or Arizona State (2-1).