NCAA Tournament 2019: Top takeaways from first night of Sweet 16
By Brian Rauf
Virginia 53, Oregon 49
Kihei Clark‘s emergence
Virginia’s backcourt has been the strength of their team in recent years but it was the most unexpected member of that backcourt, 5-9 freshman Kihei Clark, that had the biggest impact in this game.
A noted defender, Clark pestered Oregon star point guard Payton Pritchard all night, limiting him to just 3/12 shooting. He also scored 12 points and made three three-pointers, both of which tied career highs and gave UVA a needed boost with Kyle Guy having an off night.
Clark is not an explosive offensive player but, when he contributes like this, he gives the Cavaliers an added wrinkle that makes their offensive extremely tough to stop. He gets a lot of open looks as opponents focus on Virginia’s stars and, if he can make them again on Saturday against Purdue, UVA will be headed to the Final Four for the first time since 1984.
Virginia’s newfound lack of depth
While Clark has become a legitimate player on both ends of the floor, Tony Bennett showed that he really only has five players that he trusts.
UVA’s starting lineup of Clark, Ty Jerome, Guy, De’Andre Hunter, and Mamadi Diakite was on the court for virtually the entire second half – the bench combined for just two second-half minutes.
It worked as Clark’s shooting and the defense of him and Hunter spearheaded the Cavaliers late in the game, but it was surprising to not see guys who had vital roles like Jack Salt, Braxton Key, and Jay Huff get a chance to contribute in the second half.
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Purdue doesn’t have a ton of depth but they do have size, which lends itself to Salt and Huff seeing more minutes. But, if Bennett only feels comfortable with this starting five moving forward, that really limits their versatility.