Well, it wasn’t pretty, but the ‘Hoos took care of business against Maine. While the 46-26 scoreline may look like a halftime score to some, for Virginia fans, it’s something that has come to be expected and even applauded. However, that’s not to say that the game went exactly according to plan. UVA shot a collective 38.6% from the field, a disgusting number that does not promote optimism within the UVA fan base. On the bright side, the three-point shooting is at least improving somewhat, as the average prior to the Hall of Fame Tip-Off was 20%, and the ‘Hoos shot 33.3% tonight. With that said, more than 6 shots from behind the arc (the number made today) need to fall for this team to ultimately have success. We can’t just rely on the defense to hold opponents under 40 points every game.
Speaking of the defense, the 26 points scored by Maine were tied for the lowest at JPJ with Harvard a few years back. Although Maine shot a laughable 19.2% from deep, this is not all attributed to the Virginia defense. There were a number of times in which Maine got wide open looks for three and simply were unable to convert those opportunities. Undoubtedly, Coach Bennett will look to shore up those holes in his defense before next week’s tests at Purdue and against North Carolina.
Positives
- Mamadi Diakite looked really good out there. Diakite seemed really relaxed, letting the game come to him and, for the most part, making the right decision. There’s no doubt that he’ll be essential for this team in the long run, so Diakite will need to step up. Right now, he’s looking every bit as good as he needs to be.
- Just like Mamadi, Kihei Clark played a subtle, yet impactful game. He only had 9 points on 3/4 shooting for three, but the sophomore point guard dished out 5 assists and had a solid defensive game. Much like Diakite, Clark will need to step up and be a leader. Unlike Diakite, Clark is more of a background player, making sure the ball goes to the right place. Kihei needs to keep up the good work, and there is no sign that he won’t be able to.
- Jay Huff continues his impressive play. He had 13 points and 5 boards, including the first 7 points of the game. So far, Huff is averaging 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. One thing that doesn’t show up on stat sheets but is every bit as important as anything else? Tip-outs on offense. Countless times this season Huff has tipped the ball out after a miss, saving a possession. If Huff continues his current rate of production, it could bode well for the ‘Hoos in the future.
- The defense has already been mentioned, but it’s worth talking about twice when you hold an opponent to 26 (26!) points. Maine made 8 shots the whole game. Let that sink in for a minute. I mean, even by Tony Bennett standards that’s ridiculous. If this team can’t score, at least we know the other team won’t be able to either.
Negatives
- This team now has a very, very short bench. In fact, right now, this team does not really have a bench. Of the four players that came off the bench tonight, not one played more than 12 minutes in any other game, and most of those minutes came in garbage time anyway. With Braxton Key and Kody Stattmann currently out, Virginia is a very thin team. Luckily, there are hopes that they will be back soon.
- Tomas Woldetensae has not been the player he needs to be. For a guy with very little athletic ability, Woldetensae needs to be able to make the three, something he has not been able to do this year. He was 1/4 today to drop his overall percentage to 15.8%. Woldetensae needs to be the three-point assassin for this team, something he is certainly not right now.
The Bottom Line
The same trends continue: Great defense, unenviable offense. The team is starting to take shape as the conference slate draws closer and closer.
Up Next
Next Wednesday the Wahoos travel to Indiana to face Purdue (3-2) in a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight.