Virginia closed the first half on a 14-2 run, heading to the halftime locker room with an 11-point lead that they would never relinquish. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak, getting the Hoos back in the win column and keeping their ACC title hopes alive.
Here are three takeaways from an essential, albeit unconvincing, win.
Clark and Beekman do not belong together
Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman recorded a combined seven assists in the opening half, Clark’s four coming when Beekman was on the bench, Beekman’s three when Clark took a seat. This did not escape Tony Bennett’s notice, who relegated Clark to the bench for the start of the second half in favor of Beekman.
At their core, these are two very similar players. Neither shoots well, both are undersized yet have acceptable court vision, and both look to do most of their scoring off the dribble. Of course there are minor discrepancies between them, but when those outer layers are stripped away you are left with two pieces that fit into the same spot on the puzzle.
In order to complete said puzzle with those two identical pieces, you’re going to have to adjust other parts of it, which is inevitably going to cause damage.
Such is the case with Clark and Beekman. They’ll still play alongside each other at times, but it’s become clear that trying to play either one of them as a shooting guard is going to have very unfavorable results.
Choosing a lineup is all about how players fit, and it’s clear that Kihei and Reece work better apart.
Defense is weak
There has been scattered discussion recently in Virginia basketball circles about whether last year’s team is actually preferable to this one. It’s an interesting debate, this year’s iteration boasting offensive flair and more talent but last year’s possessing a stifling defense.
It may not have always been smooth sailing with the 2019-20 Hoos, but the stout defense could always be relied upon. That staple of Virginia basketball remained last year, and with it came the belief that the Hoos could beat any opponent by shutting them down on defense.
A year later that feeling no longer remains.
The Hoos have been exposed on the defensive end over the past few weeks, unable to come up with stops and allowing opponents free reign in the paint. The beginning of the Miami game stands as a prime example of this, the Canes getting open shots early in the clock and running out in transition unimpeded.
Miami was allowed to score 26 points in the paint, over half of their total offensive output. Virginia may have done better in the second half, but Miami was allowed far too many interior points over the course of the 40 minutes.
The Hurricanes are far from the stiffest opposition Virginia will have to face, and the way they were able to dissect the UVA defense presents a big set of problems.
Depth has returned
The talk pregame surrounded Tomas Woldetensae’s return, and it spiked after Woldo canned a three on the second possession of the game. “Hold my beer,” said Justin McKoy, who himself exploded onto the scene for six quick points, energizing his team and providing a total of eight points and six boards. Isaiah Wilkins 2.0, as he has now been dubbed, did all the things that made the original Wilkins such a beloved figure among Wahoo fans.
But McKoy wasn’t alone in providing a boost off the bench. Casey Morsell and Francisco Caffaro chipped in for six total points, while Beekman added four points and four assists.
Those performances were accompanied by Woldo’s reinstallment in the starting lineup, as well as Trey Murphy’s resurgence after a tough stretch. Murphy’s outing was a particularly good sign, the Rice transfer accumulating 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a very solid 29 minutes.
Tony Bennett played nine guys for eight minutes or more in the game, evoking memories of the early-season days when this was heralded as Bennett’s deepest team ever. Those minutes will probably be scaled back against stronger opposition, but all the same it’s good to see that the depth still exists.
The ability to go to different lineups certainly helped Virginia take down Miami, and hopefully it can do the same Saturday at Louisville. It was far from a convincing performance, but the losing streak is now in the past and Virginia can focus on building momentum for postseason play.
Image – Virginia Athletics