Based on his encouragement from the bench and on the court, Jason Clark may be the least expected Virginia basketball player to receive two technical fouls.
Yet after a questionable scuffle with an opposing player and a pull-up on the rim following an alley-oop from Sean Singletary, Clark was in fact ejected from Friday's game with just seven minutes remaining. The senior, however, continued to push his teammates from the sideline. He was the first to jump up, smile broadly and cheer when any of them -- starter or walk-on -- accomplished a feat to help the team.
It was this type of enthusiasm for the game and the team that helped the Cavaliers to complete a 129-75 victory over Marymount University in their final exhibition contest.
Virginia got on the scoreboard early with a short jumper from senior center Elton Brown, only to have Saints' guard Corey Diamond tie the game up 2-2 with a lay-up eight seconds later. The Cavaliers, however, went on a scoring run to pull away from Marymount. Just under four minutes and 30 seconds later, the score stood 18-2 in favor of Virginia.
The remainder of the game did not proceed much differently, though Marymount would keep a slightly more even pace and narrow the lead to 72-39 at halftime.
The Cavaliers experimented with a broad expanse of combinations on the court -- from the fastest to the biggest to the youngest. Virginia started Singletary at point guard in an attempt to figure out whether it will be he or sophomore T.J. Bannister who receives the starting nod when the regular season commences on Friday. The remainder of the starting lineup in the exhibition was filled by shooting guard J.R. Reynolds, small forward Devin Smith, power forward Clark and Brown.
Following a week of extra practice and individual help from the coaching staff, Reynolds provided the most pleasant surprise of the evening, ending with 23 points in 23 minutes. The sophomore shot an astounding 63 percent from three-point land.
"I thought J.R. was tremendous tonight," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "He shot the ball well, he was in the gym two or three times this week doing extra, putting time in. He did the extra and he was in a groove tonight. He played like a real big time player."
Brown also played impressively, showcasing a multitude of inside moves to accumulate 23 points and boxed-out to grab 16 rebounds.
Freshman forward Adrian Joseph showed the Virginia faithful why he has been so often complimented by Gillen for his athleticism. Joseph nailed a three-pointer, blocked three shots, snagged six boards and ended with 10 points in only 19 minutes of playing time.
Joseph "is going to be a key player," Brown said. "He brings a whole lot of energy when he gets on to the court. He can make highlight films. He can dunk, block shots, hit threes and that's what we're going to need from him this year."
Yet for the Cavaliers, the contest may have revealed some glaring defensive lapses, as the team allowed 75 points to a Division III opponent. This may be attributed to the extensive number of players and combinations put onto the court by Virginia, but defense has to be the focus heading into Friday's season opener at home against Robert Morris University.
"This week in practice we just have to work on our defense," sophomore forward Gary Forbes said. "We were a little sluggish, we were mixing guys in and out, but things will change come next week."
For the second home game in a row, the Cavaliers showed why they are an entertaining team to watch -- at least during exhibition season. Only in the new year will the Cavaliers be able to see if their unity and passion for the game can sustain them through a brutal ACC schedule.
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