The UVA fanbase is still considering whether to push the big red button labeled “panic.” The collective finger’s movement toward it sped up after a disheartening loss to Houston earlier this week, but has now been slightly slowed because of a comfortable 68-52 win over Coppin State.
The Hoos controlled the game from the jump, getting off to an auspicious start with a quick 8-0 lead. That eight-point cushion was never punctured in the remainder of the 40 minutes, and Virginia cruised to victory.
It was a fairly unremarkable game—the inferiority of the opponent was, in truth, the biggest cause of victory—but here are three takeaways.
Bennett still fiddling with lineups
In just over a year, Malachi Poindexter has played a grand total of 5 minutes for Virginia. The walk-on, now on scholarship (as is everybody on the roster), was the last guy many expected to take the court in the first half. But take the court is exactly what he did, and it seems that Poindexter’s minutes came at the expense of Carson McCorkle and Taine Murray’s.
To be clear, Poindexter played fine in his 14 minutes. He made a bucket, grabbed a rebound, and played solid defense. But that doesn’t make his inclusion in the rotation any less confounding.
Maybe there were some undisclosed factors at play here, or maybe Poindexter has been playing really well in practice and Bennett wanted to give him a look against lesser opposition. Either way, Poindexter’s tripling of his career minutes suggests that Bennett is still searching for the right combination. And that is a conclusion supported by another player’s playing time…
Igor Milicic has potential
The first year from Croatia has functioned in a limited role thus far, but exploded onto the scene for 11 points on 2-4 three-point shooting in 13 minutes. As has been noted from all corners of the UVA fanbase, Milicic’s stroke is incredibly smooth, and against Coppin State it finally yielded some buckets after a couple bad misses in previous games.
Over the first four games of this season, the rotation has fluctuated wildly. It’s expanded, it’s contracted, it’s gained members and lost some. Before this game Milicic had not truly been part of it, but his positive performance will give him a chance to break in.
Team still has a long way to go
This is hardly a revelation, but a 16-point victory over Coppin State does little to assuage any fears. Evaluating this group after a game against a team that is literally one of the worst in the nation is a pointless exercise.
Had Coppin State been replaced with a competent opponent, the result might have been significantly different. The Eagles started the game 0-11 from deep, with multiple open threes clanging off the iron. Virginia’s interior defense was good, but again… Coppin State.
On offense, the lack of firepower continues to rear its head. The group is still gelling, but certain guys are going to have to produce consistently for any type of success to materialize. Jayden Garnder and Armaan Franklin, among a couple others, need to turn in solid performances every game.
There’s still over a month until conference play, so the Hoos have time, but improvement needs to begin in earnest in the next couple weeks or it’s going to be a long season.
Virginia will head to Newark, NJ next week for the two-game Legends Classic. They’ll open against Georgia Monday at 7 pm EST.
Image – Virginia Athletics