The most talented Virginia team in recent memory was the one that had its bubble burst by COVID.
Not just the way that one ended, with the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Ohio, after a week in quarantine and a walk-through.
Everything about that 2020-2021 season was off because of COVID.
The team did go on to win an ACC regular-season title, but with Trey Murphy, Sam Hauser and Jay Huff leading the way, there should have been more.
Catching up with the Big Three at the next level, each is making a mark.
Trey Murphy III: Big contributor for the Pels
The story of the New Orleans Pelicans the past few years has been Zion Williamson not being available.
The 2019 #1 overall pick played in 29 games this season, averaging 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, but he wasn’t on the floor after a Jan. 2 loss at Philadelphia.
Williamson has played a total of 114 games in his four NBA seasons.
The Pels drafted Trey Murphy III in the first round in 2021 thinking he’d be a floor-spacer with his ability to stretch defenses on the perimeter.
After a so-so rookie season, the 6’8” Murphy put up big numbers for New Orleans this season, averaging 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, just missing being a 50-40-90 guy – shooting 48.4 percent from the floor, 40.6 percent from three and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line.
His productivity was at its best as the Pelicans were in their drive to earn a play-in berth – he averaged 18.7 points per game in March, and 23.4 points per game in April, the highlight night being March 12, in a 127-110 win over Portland, in which TM3 went for 41 points on 13-of-20 shooting, 9-of-14 from three.
That was one of his four 30+-point nights in the season’s final four weeks.
Sam Hauser: Big numbers down the stretch for the Cs
Sam Hauser got big minutes in Boston’s final two regular-season games with coach Joe Mazzulla looking to rest his starters with the playoffs in mind.
Hauser, a 6’8” forward, took advantage of the extra floor time, putting up 26 points in each of the final two, a 121-102 win over Toronto on Friday and a 120-114 win over Atlanta on Sunday.
In the wins, Hauser shot a cumulative 14-of-26 (53.8 percent) from three.
Not afraid to let it fly, that one.
For the season, Hauser averaged 6.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three.
Jay Huff: G League award, nice finish with Wiz
You may have heard that UVA alum Jay Huff was named the 2023 G League Defensive Player of the Year. That wasn’t the end of things for the seven-footer, who went on to put up back-to-back-to-back double-digit games for the Washington Wizards last week.
Huff, who’s actually 7’1”, so that no one emails me to tell me I’m selling him short, started the impressive stretch with 17 points and nine rebounds in a 140-128 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Tuesday.
The next night, Huff had 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks in a 134-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
No, the Wiz don’t play much D.
On Friday, then, Huff had 13 points and four boards in a 116-108 win over the Miami Heat.
Not bad there: 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, shooting 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) from the floor and 6-of-12 (50 percent) from three.
In the G League this past season, Huff averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, shooting 64.5 percent from the floor and 40.4 percent from three.
It still boggles my mind that a 7’1” rim-protecting three-and-D guy hasn’t been able to get a full-time NBA gig, but that may be coming.
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Chris Graham
