The college football season has gotten underway, sort of. So far, the festivities don't include Virginia.
First, the Cavaliers had their big opener against SEC power Georgia canceled, then the VMI contest was wiped out a month ago, and, finally, the new season-opening matchup at Virginia Tech, which was supposed to kick off this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., was postponed this past Saturday until a to-be-determined date because the Hokies have been dealing with COVID-19 issues. There has been a lot of finger-pointing and gnashing of teeth among the Wahoos and Hokies fan bases about who's responsible for the postponement and who actually wants to play the game. Tech coach Justin Fuente has not been transparent about Tech's infection numbers. But anyway, UVa was supposed to have a bye the week after the Tech game, Sept. 26, before facing Clemson on the road Oct. 3 -- definitely a long time to wait to open the season. Luckily, an audible was called, and now the Cavaliers' contest in Charlottesville against Duke, originally scheduled for Nov. 14, has been moved up to Sept. 26. So hopefully, in about 1.5 weeks, we will get some UVa football.
In the middle of all of these gridiron goings-on, Tony Bennett and the hardwood 'Hoos picked up a verbal pledge from a top prospect.
Very early Sunday morning, on the other side of the world in New Zealand, guard Taine Murray said he wanted to be a Cavalier on Instagram. He has not received a ranking but is expected to be a four-star player once he does get a grade.
Murray is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard, the second New Zealander (known as a "Kiwi") to commit to Bennett, the other of course being screen-setter extraordinaire Jack Salt. Murray is Virginia's first pledge for the Class of 2021, choosing the Cavaliers over Stanford and Maryland.
At the moment, the 18-year-old is playing in the New Zealand National Basketball League with the Southern Huskies as an amateur (meaning he isn't getting paid so that he can keep his NCAA eligibility). Here's an interesting nugget, according to my friends at Hoos Place: Last year, Murray averaged 17.8 points in that league, good enough for second on his team (and he was first in minutes). Former Wahoo Isaiah Wilkins played in the same league in 2018-19 on the Canterbury Rams and averaged 11.3 points. Now, no one would say Wilkins was ever a big-time scorer at UVa, but still, for a 17-year-old to outscore a former Virginia starter who is now a grown man seems like a good sign.
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Taine Murray already has a strong
offensive game at 18 years old. (Tall Blacks) |
This coming season, Murray will be playing for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's National Basketball League as one of its designated developmental players. That league is considered a step above the one in New Zealand, so it should be great for his progression.
Murray is already being compared to former UVa star Joe Harris, given his good size, ability to hit 3s (he made 45 percent last season), and underrated ability to get to the rim. He's long, with a wingspan of 6-9, and has been called a hard worker.
Murray adds to the international flavor present on the Virginia roster, with Kody Stattmann (Australia), Francisco Caffaro (Argentina), and Tomas Woldetensae (Italy) all hailing from outside the United States, not to mention the other foreign players who have been on the team in the past such as Salt, Mamadi Diakite, Marial Shayok, and others.
For a full breakdown of Murray's game, video highlights, and analysis on how he fits into Virginia's plans, I recommend checking out St. Lou Hoo's great article on HoosPlace.com.
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