Augusta Free Press editor Chris Graham provides live updates, commentary and analysis from John Paul Jones Arena as #15 UVA battles Kent State.
Pregame coverage
Kent State won 20 games in 2019-2020, finishing 9-9 in the MAC and winning its MAC Tournament opener over Eastern Michigan, before COVID shut the season down.
The Flashes were picked seventh in the 12-team MAC for 2020-2021 after losing five guys from Senderoff’s nine-man rotation, including two of their top scorers, Antonio Williams (14.7 ppg) and Troy Simons (12.8 ppg), to graduation.
Senderoff does have back preseason second-team All-MAC selection Danny Pippen, a 6’9” forward who averaged 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game a year ago, and 6’4” junior guard Anthony Roberts, who averaged 12.7 points and shot 36.3 percent from the floor in 2019-2020.
The rotation features a number of new names and faces. Portland State transfer Mike Nuga led the Flashes in the opener with 17 points and had five steals. JUCO forward Gabe O’Neal had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and six rebounds in 12 minutes.
Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Hernandez had 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Temple transfer Justyn Hamilton had eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass.
The Skinny
- BartTorvick.com: Virginia 73-51, 98% win probability
- ESPN BPI: Virginia +19.7, 96.6% win probability
- KenPom.com: Virginia 72-55, 94% win probability
- Vegas Consensus: Virginia +19, 126 over/under
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