Michigan State vs Virginia: 5 significant storylines for 2020-21 matchup

Virginia’s three-point shooting

Like any good story, there are multiple conflicts that the protagonist must overcome. In Virginia’s story, they have an internal conflict with their relationship with three-point attempts. Such is the musing of Hamlet that Coach Bennett must ponder “To shoot, or not to shoot, that is the question.”

While Jay Huff has stepped up to average 12.3 points while scoring on 79 percent of his two-point field goals, the departure of Mamadi Diakite (13.7 ppg) has left Huff as the sole traditional post player.

To compound the problem, the scoring in which Diakite supplied has been replaced by Sam Hauser (14.5 ppg) who attempts a team-leading four three-pointers per game. As a team, the Cavaliers are averaging just over 20 three-pointers per game, for an average of almost an additional two per game in comparison to last season.

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they have upped their percentage to 37 percent this season from 30 percent last season. With the Spartans primed to score more than the 64 Kent State did in overtime, which stands as the most Virginia has surrendered, the Cavaliers are going to need to find more points.

After starting hot from the arc versus Townson by hitting 15 of 29, their performance has faltered somewhat. In their loss to San Francisco, they hit three of twelve, against Saint Francis they made five of twenty-two, then in the overtime game hit seven of eighteen.

There is no clear correlation between attempting more and being successful, or even a higher success rate prevents them from going into overtime. With all these questions, Coach Bennett has to wonder “To shoot or not to shoot.”