ACC Basketball: Analyzing each team's overall offense for 2020-21 season

ACC Basketball: Analyzing each team’s overall offense for 2020-21 season

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 10: Teammates Jordan Goldwire #14, Wendell Moore Jr. #0 and Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils react after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – MARCH 07: Tomas Woldetensae #53 of the Virginia Cavaliers (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Virginia Cavaliers

2019-20 57.7 ppg in ACC play

The two easiest statements of the 2020-21 season could very well be: Virginia Basketball is going to have the lowest-scoring offense in the ACC and Virginia Basketball will average more points than last season. The latter may be surprising with the graduation of their leading scorer Mamadi Diakite (13.7 ppg).

The 2019-20 season saw Diakite finish a lot of plays when his defender would leave him to stop Kihei Clark’s (10.8 ppg) penetration. Even without Diakite, Coach Tony Bennett will still be able to implement the pick’n’roll offense, except it will no longer be Diakite fading to the three-point line, but Sam Hauser.

After sitting a year due to transferring from Marquette, Hauser adds a different element when he high screens for starting point guard Clark. Unlike Diakite, Hauser does not have to roll to the basket, but can just as easily open up at the three-point line for one of his six three-point attempts per game. Yet, Hauser has the ability to use his body to take a smaller defender off the dribble as Diakite was doing.

Clark will continue to use 7’1 Jay Huff’s (8.5 ppg) screen and his quickness to get to the basket and lead the team in scoring. When not making contested shots, he will have Thomas Woldetensae (6.6 ppg)spotting up from beyond the arc, who can also put the ball on the floor. The absence of Braxton Key will cause Coach Bennett to go with a three-guard front by starting Casey Morsell (4 ppg).

Kody Stattman will provide a little more height off the bench at around 20 minutes per game, with the more interesting option being No. 36 on the RSCI, freshman Jabri Abdur-Rahim. Listed at 6’7 / 205 Abdur-Rahim is not as athletic as Braxton Key, but more of a threat from the outside. Before year’s end, Abdur-Rahim may push Morsell to the bench.

With true freshman, No. 57 on RSCI point guard Reece Beekman being able to run the offense off the bench and redshirt freshman 6’11 Kadin Shedrick hopes a year of development will enable him to eat some minutes in the frontcourt.