Virginia Basketball: 2018-19 keys for Cavaliers to win at UNC

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 05: Braxton Key #2 of the Virginia Cavaliers smiles as he comes off the court beside De'Andre Hunter #12 and Kihei Clark #0 in the second half during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at John Paul Jones Arena on January 5, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – FEBRUARY 09: Jay Huff #30 of the Virginia Cavaliers shoots over RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Don’t Hesitate to Play Jay Huff

Junior forward Mamadi Diakite left early against Duke after a blow to the face and is likely out or at least limited for this game. It is finally time for sophomore center Jay Huff to get the extended minutes he has earned in a big game in his home state.

Coach Bennett has been hesitant to play Huff due to his lack of physicality on the defensive end, but his shot blocking ability and his impressive offensive game more than make up for any of his deficiencies.

Virginia runs an eight-man rotation when fully healthy, which includes Huff in very limited minutes. It would not be out of the question for Bennett to hesitate in giving Huff extended time in favor of increasing the playing time of his guards and forwards and playing smaller. This should be out of the question playing two games in three nights and would be a wasted opportunity.

Huff brings something to the Virginia offense that fellow big men Diakite and Jack Salt do not possess. He has shown a superior ability to catch lobs at the basket while also being able to stretch the floor. In his thirteen minutes against Duke he scored eight points including going 2-2 from behind the arc. Standing at 7’1” his shot is essentially unblockable, and his offensive game is something no other Cavalier possesses.

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The responsibility will also be on Huff however. He has shown a tendency towards quickly picking up fouls, he had three against Duke, and if he wants to stay in the game he will be solely responsible for staying out of foul trouble. If he does, he can play a significant role in a Cavalier victory.

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