VCU Game Report
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By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com
CHARLOTTESVILLE– Muggsy Bogues’ long NBA career ended when Kihei Clark was still an infant, so they’re of different generations. But Clark has access to YouTube, and he knows that when Tony Bennett compares him to Bogues – as Virginia’s head men’s basketball coach likes to do – it’s praise of the highest order.
Bennett, who played with Bogues for three seasons on the Charlotte Hornets, still lights up when talking about his former teammate’s suffocating on-ball defense.
“It means a lot,” the 5-9 Clark said of being likened to the 5-3 Bogues. “He’s a smaller guard, and he played basketball at the highest level. I try to play defense like him and have the heart like he did.”
On a snowy afternoon in Central Virginia, Clark’s grit was on full display at John Paul Jones Arena. He’s scheduled to have surgery Monday to repair a hairline fracture in his left wrist. That didn’t keep him from playing Sunday against VCU with a cast covering his wrist and much of his left hand.
“It didn’t affect his heart or his legs, that’s for sure,” Bennett said.
A freshman from the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles, Clark finished with nine points, a game-high four assists, two rebounds and two steals in the fourth-ranked Cavaliers’ 57-49 victory over the Rams.
What delighted Bennett most, however, was Clark’s relentless defense, especially the 10-second violation he forced VCU guard P.J. Byrd into at the 5:25 mark of the second half. As the home fans roared their appreciation, Bennett bounded onto the court and slapped hands with Clark.
“This was the most amped I’ve ever seen [Bennett],” junior guard Ty Jerome said.
Bennett said Clark “about made me jump out of my shoes when he got that 10-second call.”
Clark’s defensive gem came during the 15-2 run with which Virginia (9-0) seized control of this fiercely contested non-conference game.
With 6:30 left, the Rams led 43-38, but back-to-back baskets by Jerome – the second a 3-pointer from NBA range – tied the game. Then Clark forced the 10-second violation, after which fifth-year senior center Jack Salt made 1 of 2 free throws to put the Wahoos up 44-43.
VCU (7-3) briefly regained the lead, at 45-44, but UVA answered with a five-point possession on which junior guard Kyle Guy was fouled away from the ball while Jerome buried a trey. Guy sank both ends of a one-and-one, and suddenly the ‘Hoos were up four.
“UVA beat us today, and they beat us down the stretch, and that’s the sign of a good team,” VCU head coach Mike Rhoades said.
The Cavaliers’ lead was six when, with 2:35 left, Clark forced another turnover, tying up 6-2 guard Marcus Evans on a drive. The possession arrow pointed Virginia’s way, and redshirt sophomore De’Andre Hunter capped the next possession with two free throws.
Clark played 32 minutes and 45 seconds, and he spent much of that time guarding Evans, who came in as VCU’s leading scorer. Evans hit only 1 of 10 shots from the floor Sunday, and he turned the ball over three times.
“I just wanted to keep him in front, try to disrupt their offense as much as possible, and apply ball pressure,” said Clark, who injured his wrist while taking a charge last Monday night in UVA’s win over Morgan State at JPJ.
Clark “did a good job of messing up rhythm,” Rhoades said. “When you can do that over the course of a 40-minute game, it affects you.”
The Cavaliers’ defense helped rescue them on a day when they struggled to score from the field. The last unbeaten team in the ACC, Virginia came in shooting 49 percent from the floor. They shot only 29.5 percent against VCU. But the Rams fared no better at the other end against UVA, shooting 29.5 percent as well.
“It was not the prettiest shooting game,” Bennett said, “but I don’t think you can fault the defensive effort and some of the plays that were made.”
From the line, the Cavaliers’ marksmanship was much better. Led by Hunter and Clark, each of whom was 7 for 7, Virginia made 26 of 30 free throws.
MR. CLUTCH: Jerome missed his first four shots Sunday and didn’t score until the final minute of the first half. He wasn’t much more accurate after intermission, but he made two of the late-game 3-pointers that have become his trademark as a Cavalier.
“That’s just sort of what he does,” Guy said.
Bennett said: “I’ve seen that in him from his first year to now. He makes big shots, shoots tough shots. You have to give him the freedom to be aggressive, and I told him that you have to be as sound as you can and as smart as you can, but you gotta be aggressive.”
Like Guy, Jerome was 4 for 13 from the floor Sunday. Guy led the Cavaliers with 15 points, and Jerome added 14.
Jerome said: “Eventually one’s gotta go down. I was missing everything in the first half, and I missed a bunch more in the second half [before hitting] two big ones. Everyone made timely plays that all factored into me getting looks. Right after I hit a 3, Kihei got the 10-second call. Everyone made timely plays, and that was a real gritty win.”
STEPPING UP: Mamadi Diakite, whose play off the bench helped UVA sweep the ACC’s regular-season and tournament titles in 2017-18, has been struggling recently. He came into the weekend having scored only nine points in his previous four games, but the 6-9 redshirt junior played well against VCU.
In 21:50 of playing time, Diakite contributed six points, five rebounds and one blocked shot.
“I thought he gave us a tremendous lift,” Bennett said. “I was so happy for him.”
Diakite, who’s from Guinea, came to the United States in January 2014 and enrolled at Blue Ridge School.
“He’s still new to the game,” Bennett said. “You hear me say that. I sound like a broken record. From an American standpoint, he hasn’t played as much, and I think he’s continuing to improve.”
Diakite practiced well on Friday and Saturday, Bennett said. “I said, ‘Mamadi, you know enough. Play hard and don’t worry about anything else.’ And I liked him defensively today. I thought he was locked in.”
THEY SAID IT: Available for interviews in the JPJ press room were Bennett, Rhoades, Guy, Clark and Jerome. Among their comments:
* Bennett on Clark: “He just sets the D, and how can you not be excited if you’re behind that defensively?”
* Bennett on the Rams: “They play with the right kind of heart, and [Rhoades is] doing a heck of a job with that program. That’s good for both teams to play in that game, and both teams were capable of winning that one.”
* Guy, who scored a career-high 29 points against the Rams last season, on the in-state rivalry: “We schedule these games for a reason, and VCU’s a great opponent. I think honestly their half-court defense was even better this year than it was last year.”
* Rhoades on Jerome’s second-half 3-pointers: “Jerome makes plays, as you all know, late in games.”
* Rhoades: “We’re a pretty good defensive team. You guys saw it. Our numbers say that. But you can’t foul all the time. When we limit our fouls and guard like we do, we can stop people. If you told me we were going to limit Virginia to 13 baskets, we’re going to be in a great place even on the road. But we fouled too much.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Final exams start Monday at the University and run through Dec. 18. The Cavaliers don’t play again until Dec. 19, when they visit South Carolina for a 7 p.m. game.
After meeting the Gamecocks, UVA will play its next three games at JPJ. The last game of that homestand is Virginia’s ACC opener, Jan. 5 against Florida State.