Virginia shot 55.6 percent from the floor, 51.7 percent from three-point range and scored 1.48 points per possession in its season-opening 89-54 win over Towson on Wednesday.
The 2019-2020 team that famously ranked 234th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and still somehow won 23 games and was 15-5 in the ACC only shot 50 percent or better in a game three times all season.
The season high in points last year was 78, in the February win over Boston College, and that was also the season high in points per possession – at 1.30.
Virginia was 26-of-45 (57.7 percent) from the field and 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from three in that one.
It took a season of duds – four wins without breaking 48, averaging 57.0 points per game, less than a point per possession, shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three – to get that one masterpiece.
It took 40 minutes on Thanksgiving Eve to get something more like what we saw in 2019.
Tempo
Virginia had 60 possessions, Towson 57.
The adjusted tempo for the 2019-2020 ‘Hoos was 59.4 possessions per game, which ranked 353rd – dead last – in D-1.
This year, there are 357 teams in D-1, so …
Minutes Watch
Because Virginia got up big early, Tony Bennett was able to get his guys some time on the pine.
Kihei Clark and Sam Hauser each got 25 minutes, Justin McKoy got 21, and Reece Beekman got 20.
Casey Morsell: 19.
Jay Huff and Trey Murphy III got 18 each.
Analytics Leaders
This is from StatBroadcast.
- Sam Hauser: 19.6 game score, 18.8 net points (26.4 produced/7.6 allowed)
- Trey Murphy III: 17.0 game score, 11.6 net points (16.4 produced/4.8 allowed)
- Jay Huff: 13.3 game score, 8.0 net points (13.4 produced/5.4 allowed)
Shot Chart
At the rim
- Virginia: 14-of-20
- Towson: 9-of-22
Mid-range
- Virginia: 6-of-14
- Towson: 2-of-11
Three
- Virginia: 15-of-26
- Towson: 7-of-16
Story by Chris Graham
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