Virginia basketball season preview

No. 4 Virginia (1-0) vs. San Francisco (1-1) in Uncasville, Conn., today 11:30 a.m. ESPN

I did not quite get to my UVa hoops season preview before the first game of the year, but that's kind of a good thing.

That's because someone I barely mentioned in my August lookahead grabbed everyone's attention as the Cavaliers took down Towson with ease, 89-54, on Wednesday afternoon at "Bubbleville" in Uncasville, Conn.

Junior 6-foot-9, 206-pound forward Trey Murphy III joined the program in April, and he was on board with sitting out a year to gain strength and then hit the court in 2021-22 for his final two seasons. But then because of COVID, the NCAA began handing out immediate-eligibility waivers to transfers like leftover Halloween candy and declared this season would not count against eligibility. It's a "free" year, just like it has been for football players.

Tony Bennett has had to get the Wahoos
ready for this upcoming campaign
during an offseason like no other.
Now he is ready to unleash
this edition of UVa on the nation.

Murphy had apparently been making strides in the weight room since August and impressing his teammates and coaches on the court. So Virginia decided to request a waiver for Murphy. It found out Tuesday night he had been granted one.

On Wednesday, he got to show everyone what he is going to add to this team, and boy, are Wahoo fans giddy. Murphy led Virginia with 21 points off the bench and went 6 of 8 from 3-point land while also showing a willingness to attack the rack.

Needless to say, Murphy's immediate eligibility changes things for this program and will color this preview. A team already expected to be great got even better. Let's dive in.

Losses (with 19-20 stats)

Mamadi Diakite: 13.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg; 48% shooter, 36% on 3s, 75% on FTs; UVa will miss his athleticism and shot-blocking ability. Diakite became a versatile scorer last season and was a key piece of the NCAA championship team. Most memorably, he hit the shot against Purdue in the Elite Eight to tie the game and send it to overtime. Diakite is a fun-loving guy who really developed in his time in Charlottesville. He was not selected during the NBA draft Nov. 18, but recently signed a two-way contract with the Milaukee Bucks, meaning he could be called up to the Bucks during the upcoming NBA season but will likely spend most of his time developing with their G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

Braxton Key: 9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.5 bpg; 44% shooter, 18% on 3s, 58% on FTs; UVa will miss his glue-man attitude, hard-nosed rebounding, and solid defense. Key never developed his 3-pointer while a Wahoo, but he was a solid player who did lots of little things right in making the team better. His versatility on defense came in handy, as did his willingness to clean up on the glass. Key led the team in rebounding in each of two seasons on the court. As far as I can tell, Key is still working to refine his game and hoping to land a professional contract.

Gains

This group includes Murphy, and also a senior transfer playing his one season in orange and blue, three true freshmen, and a redshirt freshman.

Murphy: It will be interesting to see how long Murphy remains a sixth man. I don't even know if coach Tony Bennett expected Murphy to look that good right away.

“We’re so glad that he gets to play,” Bennett said after the game. “You saw his strengths. He’s looked good in practice. He continues to adjust and understand.”

Of course, it isn't wise to assume things will always be like this for Murphy, whose six 3s matched a career high. There will be some growing pains of course, but Murphy is off to a great start.

At Rice, Murphy blossomed into a big-time scorer as a sophomore, averaging a team-leading 13.7 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.6 blocks. He shot 43.4% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc, and 82.4% at the stripe. As a freshman off the bench, he averaged 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 0.5 blocks. He shot 44.2% overall from the field, 42.1% on 3s, and 72.5% from the free throw line.

It will take time for Murphy to learn the ins and outs of the Pack-Line, but his wingspan, at over 7 feet, will cause players problems right away. Expect him to get better and better on defense even if his offense has ups and downs. It's no surprise, but Murphy is said to be a hard worker who will do anything to win. One of those things will include being a starter soon if he continues to play this well.

Sam Hauser: The transfer forward from Marquette was supposed to steal the show Wednesday, but that was before Murphy exploded onto the scene. But make no mistake, Hauser was really good, too. The 6-8, 218-pound Hauser went 3 for 3 from beyond the arc in the first half and finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Before the season, his teammates all said he was the best 3-point shooter on the team, and well, not missing one attempt in his first game is a pretty hot start.

Hauser is a versatile player and ACC player of the year candidate who can score in many ways and is good at shooting everywhere on the court and at the free throw line. In his junior season at Marquette, he averaged 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range (on 219 attempts) and 92.4% at the free throw line. For his career as a Golden Eagle, he shot an incredible 44.5% beyond the arc. To put that in perspective, Kyle Guy is the all-time 3-point percentage leader at Virginia at 42.5%. Hauser is a pretty good passer for a big guy. His defense could be a weak point, but sitting out last year, he began to learn the Pack-Line in practice, so he's not completely new to the system.

Virginia did not have a go-to scorer like him last year, and simply put, he instantly makes the team better by being eligible this year, despite losing Diakite and Key down low. Hauser can roam the court and will pull defenders off of other players and out of the paint, creating driving lanes and leaving other guys open. Hauser is a game-changer who pretty much put UVa in the national title conversation the minute he was eligible. And that was before the Murphy news.

Reece Beekman: The first of the three true freshmen to see the floor Wednesday, Beekman is a 6-3, 174-pound four-star point guard out of Louisiana. Against Towson, he recorded 3 points (1 for 1 beyond the arc), two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 20 minutes, a solid stat line in his first game.

Beekman is a taller point guard closer to Ty Jerome's size and is said to have excellent vision and passing ability, and he can also get a bucket himself. It sounds like he shoots well from 3-point range, but he won't need to do that often this year probably with all the talent around him. He will be distributing the rock plenty, though.

Last season, Virginia didn't have a true backup point guard on scholarship. Because of this, Kihei Clark played 37 minutes per game, 18th in the country. Beekman will be someone that can give Clark a breather early in the season, but later on, don't be surprised when Bennett puts him and Clark on the floor together. It already happened against Towson. Two years ago, Bennett ended up starting Clark with Jerome, and it unlocked the full potential of Virginia's offense. Having two superb ball handlers who have some shot-making talent themselves on the court at the same time is a huge benefit to the offense.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim: Abdur-Rahim is a 6-7, 214-pound four-star small forward from New Jersey and was the highest-rated freshmen in this UVa class. Against Towson, he recorded 3 points on one made triple in four minutes at the end of the game. It was suspected that he could have a big role early on, but that was just the first game.

JAR is the son of former NBA forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was an NBA All-Star in 2002. JAR is said to have a well-rounded game and can attack the rim or shoot from distance. Coming into the season, JAR had the potential to fill a role at the small forward or 3 spot, which was vacated by Key. But the eligibility and emergence of Murphy probably means JAR will be able to sit more and learn. I would look for Beekman to be a big part of this team this year, and JAR could be by March, but I won't count on it now. Look for him to provide spot minutes and depth as he develops. 

Carson McCorkle: McCorkle is a 6-3, 184-pound shooting guard from North Carolina. Like JAR, he played at the very end of the game against Towson and did not score, missing two 3s, but he did contribute two assists and a rebound.

McCorkle is supposed to be a dead-eye shooter that also has a bit of an attitude in his game and an ability to take the ball to the rim. For now, expect him to also be a guy that is learning and will probably only see time mostly in blowouts (and there could be quite a few early on). If Casey Morsell or Tomas Woldetensae stumble at times at the 2, McCorkle could get more playing time. But they both have been in the system for a year, and if one of them is able to shoot well, McCorkle will probably not get a ton of run.

Kadin Shedrick: Shedrick, is a 6-11, 216-pound four-star forward from North Carolina who sat out last season and redshirted. Against Towson, he played nine minutes and recorded two points (1 of 2 from the floor), one assist, one steal, and one block.

Shedrick is a great shot-blocker who is still gaining strength as a collegiate athlete but possesses all the tools to be a significant player in the low post offensively and defensively. Time will tell if he is able to make a major contribution this season. There are minutes to be had in the post with the graduation of Diakite, and Huff will need breaks. Shedrick should continue to see more than a few minutes in blowouts, but we will see if he gets minutes in more competitive games.

Who's back

This group includes two seniors, two juniors, and three sophomores.

Huff: A fan favorite since he stepped on Grounds, the 7-1, 240-pound center is ready for his final season after testing the NBA waters a bit and getting married in the offseason. Huff came storming out of the gates with Hauser against Towson, making the first shot of the season, a 3-pointer. Huff finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting (2 of 3 from 3-point range), four rebounds and three blocks.

In 2019-20, Huff finally blossomed into the monster Virginia fans had waited years to see, averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He shot 65.6% overall and 35.8% from deep. At the line, he was at just 54% after shooting better than 60% his first two years. Down the stretch, he was amazing. In the final three games of the year against Duke, Miami, and Louisville, he put up 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. His best performance came in the biggest moment, versus the Blue Devils, when he tallied 15 points, 10 blocks, and nine boards.

Huff can drive in and dunk from the 3-point line in just a couple steps and is capable of getting hot from beyond the arc. As a sophomore, he shot 45.2% on 3s. He's become an excellent post defender in the Pack-Line who has mastered the hard hedge during screening actions at the top of the key, and he can block shots with the best of them. Coming into the year, he had 100 career blocks. He had 61 last season. Huff will have a shot at reaching second place in career blocks at UVa. Diakite is No. 2 right now with 156. Huff isn't catching Ralph Sampson at No. 1. Ralph blocked a mind-boggling 462 shots.

Each season, Huff has become more consistent, and he is going to be super dangerous this year because of the addition of Hauser. Teams will have to pick their poison, and at times, Huff, with a seasoned skill set at this point of his career, will feast.

Woldetensae: The 6-5, 197-pound junior college transfer is in his second and last season in Charlottesville. Against Towson, he came off the bench and played 12 minutes, scoring 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting (1 of 3 on 3s) while adding two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Woldetensae came to UVa with a reputation for being an excellent 3-point shooter. But he was recovering from a wrist injury at the beginning of last season and really struggled as a result. However, he caught fire over a seven-game stretch in the middle of the campaign, hitting 28 of 60 (46.7%). He hit 6 of 10 and the game-winning 3 at North Carolina, but his crowning achievement may have been scoring 27 points while making 7 of 10 3s in a losing effort at Louisville. Over the entire year, Woldetensae averaged 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while hitting 36.1% of his 3-pointers. He shot only nine free throws but made eight. He was a scrappy player who picked up the Pack-Line well and became a good defender.

Woldetensae started several games in a row to close the season but did not start against Towson, with Morsell getting that spot. If Morsell continues his shooting woes, Woldetensae could find himself back in the starting lineup, though again, Murphy's emergence — and maybe even Beekman — may play a part in limiting Woldetensae's minutes. Though they aren't the exact same type of player, with Tomas a shooting guard and Murphy more of a forward, Bennett is one of the game's best coaches and will find a way to get the best five players on the floor the most often, traditional starting positions be damned. A potential starting lineup could feature Huff, Hauser, Murphy, Beekman, and Clark. So Woldetensae could be squeezed out at times. But his role, however large or small it may be, will be as a quick-strike scorer from deep and a hard worker on defense. As long as he does those things well, he will get some time.

Clark: Another fan favorite, the diminutive 5-9, 160-pound junior guard is running the show as the starting point guard for the second full year in a row, though as I mentioned, he also ended up being a starter on the national championship team, albeit with a different role. Against Towson, Clark tallied 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting (at least one being a nifty up-and-under), three assists, and one turnover. He did not attempt a 3.

In 2019-20, Clark had to take on a bigger scoring burden than in his freshman year. He struggled at times with that role and with turnovers, but he really began to turn a corner at the end of the season when Virginia got hot and won 11 of its final 12 games. Clark hit game-winning 3s against Virginia Tech and Louisville, and he also knocked down the game-winning free throws at Miami. On the season, Clark averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 assists (more than Jerome did on the title team), 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. He shot 37.5% from the field overall and also 37.5% beyond the arc, which led the 'Hoos. At the line, he shot 87.6%.

Clark will not need to be a major scorer this season. Last year, he was pushed into that role on a team that was lacking offensive firepower. He'd drive to the basket and often wind up in trouble in the closing seconds of the shot clock. He got more decisive as the year went on, but it was still an issue at times. With Huff's development and the addition of Hauser and Murphy, Clark will be able to go back to being more of a distributor and be able to pick his spots to shoot. If he falls below last season’s mark of 10.8 ppg, it probably won't mean he isn't having a good year. He will just recognize he is able to take a back seat on scoring, sort of like Joe Harris did in his senior season.

And also, as mentioned above, Clark will probably not have to play as many minutes as last year. The reason for that is twofold: Beekman is a solid enough player to back him up at point guard for significant stretches, and because Virginia is likely to blow out more opponents.

Kody Stattmann: The Aussie junior forward is listed at 6-7, 204 pounds, but word is he has grown to a little over 6-8. Against Towson, Stattmann came in off the bench to play 12 minutes and put up 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting (0 for 1 on 3s) and two rebounds.

In 2019-20, Stattmann started 10 games but none after mid-January. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds. He shot 41.3% from the field, 26.9% from deep, and 66.7% at the line (6 of 9). Stattmann is sneaky athletic and threw down a few nice dunks. If he continues to struggle on 3-pointers, I'd like for him to just be a crafty shot-maker in the paint. He is a good defender who causes problems for smaller guards with his length.

With minutes to be had at the 3 spot, I thought Stattmann had a chance to start against Towson, but that didn't happen. With Murphy playing now, that will eat into Stattmann's time. If he continues to not shoot well, that could hurt his chances of seeing the court even more. But his experience and defense could give him a role off the bench.

Morsell: The 6-foot-3, 196-pound sophomore guard came to Charlottesville with major hype but was a major disappointment on offense. He scored just 4 ppg and shot 38.3% from the field and a dismal 17.6% from beyond the arc. When he did get to the line, though, he was great at 85.7% (12 of 14). He also averaged 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists. For a freshman, he played pretty strong on-ball defense. A few times, he also showed he was capable of driving into the paint for a bucket. In the win over Arizona State, he led the team 19 points, and at North Carolina, he went 2 for 2 from deep and put up 10 points.

Morsell started at the beginning of 2019-20, but Woldetensae took his spot by the end of the year. Morsell did start against Towson, though, putting up 5 points on 2-of-6 shooting (1 of 3 on 3s), four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

If Morsell continues to struggle offensively, he may find himself behind Woldetensae again. But the increased offensive firepower on the team should help Morsell. Last year, he was thrust into the starting role and had to be a major scorer on a team that was lacking them. Originally, he would've backed up Guy, but he went to the NBA. The plan would've been to develop Morsell slowly. Instead, he sputtered under an intense spotlight. But this year, he won't have to feel like he needs to be "the guy;" he can just be a dude on a team sporting plenty of offensive options. I'm not expecting Morsell to all of a sudden be a 40% shooter from deep, but I think it is reasonable for him to land a little above 30% at least. And he is pretty good going to the rim, so I think he can do more of that if he is struggling with his shot. I think Morsell will take a major stride offensively while continuing to be a solid piece of the defense.

Justin McKoy: The 6-8, 215-pound sophomore forward was the surprise starter against Towson, putting up 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting, five rebounds, and three assists.

"First, Justin's very competitive, and he plays really hard, and he's practiced well," Bennett said. "He's improved, very good offensive rebounder, plays continuous. I just liked that bigger, more physical lineup I think to start. Could have gone a number of ways, but I liked what he has brought and again, he's had a good fall and early, early part of the preseason.”

McKoy averaged 1 point and 1.1 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game in 2019-20. His main contribution was as a springy rebounder and defender off the bench. He shot 38.5% from the field and 66.7% from the line (4 of 6). His breakout performance came against UNC at home when he played 12 minutes and recorded 4 points, five rebounds, and one steal. He was a real pest on defense and on the glass. However, McKoy did not play after January, which is why I was surprised he started against Towson.

I was not sure what kind of player McKoy was going to be when he came to Virginia. He is sort of like a 3 and sort of like a 4. I wondered if he would be a player more in the style of Key or De'Andre Hunter. After watching him, though, he reminds me the most of Isaiah Wilkins. He is a glue guy who does the little things right and hustles after the ball and plays tough-nosed defense. Bennett loves those guys, and I'm sure that is one of the reasons why he started against Towson.

There will always be a place on a Bennett team for a player like McKoy, but he is another guy whose time could be in jeopardy if Murphy continues to play well. But he surprised me already, so maybe he will have a major role for the 'Hoos.

Francisco Caffaro: The 7-foot, 250-pound sophomore played three minutes against Towson and recorded one rebound. He did not take a shot.

Caffaro averaged 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game in 2019-20. He started twice. He shot 52.9% from the field and 66.7% from the line (10 of 15). Like McKoy, Caffaro's best game came versus UNC in early December when he tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, and a block in 21 minutes. He brought a real physicality to that game that Virginia needed to win. In that particular contest, Caffaro outplayed Huff. He played off and on during the stretch run of the season, but did not contribute that much again.

Caffaro is a huge guy who is going to be mostly used as a post defender. He does not bring much offensive ability, though he did show a bit of a low-post game at times. Caffaro will be competing with Shedrick and possibly McKoy for time to back up Huff.

Caffaro is probably most like Jack Salt, a player who is going to do the dirty work and probably never be a star, but Caffaro's offensive game last season did show more refinement than Salt's ever did. If he works hard, Caffaro could be a fan favorite by the time he leaves Charlottesville just like Salt. His lack of scoring ability will probably hold him back from being a big contributor, but he could see time against especially big teams, like he did last year with UNC.

Alrighty, that is a look at the team through the lens of the roster. To say Virginia is loaded is an understatement. This might be the deepest team in UVa history. The Wahoos are going to win a lot of games and many in blowout fashion. The offensive issues of last season should not be a problem in 2020-21. We are so lucky to have Bennett as our coach to where we can expect these dominating performances.  

I hope this gave you an overview of what to expect this year. Games have already begun, and we will know even more about the team soon. I do plan on doing my annual game-by-game schedule prediction, so look for that sometime after the matchup with San Francisco and before Tuesday's home opener versus St. Francis (Pa.). Until then, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy watching the Wahoos take on the Dons of USF, who are 1-1 after defeating Towson, 79-68, on Thursday.