UVA Basketball: Keys to beating Purdue in the Elite Eight

1. Let it fly, Guy.

It’s no secret that Kyle Guy is struggling from beyond the arc right now. Over the course of Virginia’s first three NCAA Tournament games this season, the junior is an ice-cold 3-for-26 (11.5%) from beyond the arc. And considering his status as one of the most prolific shooters in the entire country, this slump is staggering. With that said, though, it is not the first time he has struggled from deep in the postseason as he shot 1-for-6 from distance in his three Big Dance games prior to this season as well. And while the mental game is obviously an important one in basketball, Kyle Guy is in the caliber of shooters who should just continue to let it fly from deep.

At some point, maybe all he needs is to see a couple of trifectas fall through the net before he catches fire once again. To me, the most important part of his play as of late is the volume that he is launching 3-pointers at. Given the fact that he attempted 12 3-pointers in their Sweet 16 win over Oregon, it seems as though he is not short on confidence with regards to his stroke right now. The shots might not be falling but the coaching staff and his teammates know that he is bound to hit a few of them.

Considering he was shooting 46.3% from distance (on 7.2 3PA per game) prior to this slump, it is very reasonable to think that he could post a strong shooting performance against Purdue. The Cavaliers might not need Guy to get hot from distance to defeat the Boilermakers but it would certainly be beneficial if he could bury a few threes to help secure the win and gain some confidence moving forward. Guy is one of the most important scorers in the country and UVa is simply much better when he has it going.