Why Virginia’s Bench Continues To Drive Winning This Season

The last few outings haven’t been the prettiest for the Cavaliers, who have eeked out wins over Notre Dame, Boston College, and Florida State. One of the factors that has remained the same is the play from the bench and how much of a punch they have provided. You look at the number and think it is only Chance Mallory who is averaging 10.2 points per game. When you take a deeper look, however, it is more than just that.

So, who is driving the bench outside of Mallory? It’s simple. There are two players.

One is Jacari White, who had his best outing since coming off a wrist injury and carried the Cavaliers in scoring with a team-high 19 points on 7-11 shooting. He did the majority of his damage from beyond the arc, knocking down five three-pointers. Before the injury, White was one of the best players for the Cavaliers.

"We're just trying to limit the ball handling as much as we can because it's hard for him, certainly the left hand, and I think he's probably still a couple weeks away from it being off of there where he can be himself. But he was tremendous today. The play in transition where he attacks with his right hand and gets to the rim, that's old Jacari. His offensive rebound was huge. The ball kind of kept finding him, and he kept delivering,” said Odom.

White is a key because he spaces the floor and opens it up for Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, and all of their perimeter players.

Ugonna Onyenso has also been another key. Onyenso has been getting it done with his rebounding and defensive effort every night. He sets the tone for the Cavaliers and doesn’t let any easy buckets at the rim. Onyenso is one of the best shot blockers in the nation this year. In the game against Florida State, he pitched in four points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. His impact is way beyond the stats.

"Yeah, I mean, at the rim, the late contest on some of those threes, just him being there when others drive. Our switching was much better down the last 10 minutes. We were able to keep a body and a chest in front, much like they were doing to us early in the game. We couldn't get in there at all, and so I thought he did a great job there. We had to take him out because they went small when they were searching for the three there, and then with four seconds to go, it made sense to put him on the ball there to disrupt. You know, I was a little bit worried they were going to run something because they had plenty of time to step a guy in. So we had to stay connected to Wiggins there,” said Odom.

You can’t get lost in the box score when it comes to evaluating Onyenso. He gives the Hoos a much-needed presence that can lock down the defensive glass and put a proverbial lid around the basket when he is in. It has been one of the better portal additions for the Hoos.

The Virginia bench is going to be key to them making a run and going deep in the tourney. When you have a solid 8-9 man rotation that can provide a spark, it pays dividends late in the season. It has come up bigger with some of the starters struggling recently for the Cavaliers. The bench is driving winning, and making Virginia a dangerous team.

More Virginia Basketball News:

•Preview and Final Score Prediction For No. 15 Virginia vs Florida State

•How to Watch No. 15 Virginia vs Florida State: Tipoff Time and TV Channel

•How Valuable Has Ugonna Onyenso Been To The Success Of The Virginia Cavaliers?

•Why Duke's Loss to North Carolina Was Huge for Virginia and Their Quest To Be ACC's Top Team

•Virginia Ranked No.15 In The Latest AP Basketball Poll Rankings