As the student section rushed the court at University Hall to celebrate Virginia's 72-68 win over No. 23 North Carolina, there was a Virginia player in the middle of the mob -- freshman Laurynas Mikalauskas. The 6-foot-8 forward was jumping wildly as students swarmed around him.
"We gave the University a good win," Mikalauskas said of the post-game celebration. "And we appreciate all the fans, especially the student support."
It was a celebration that was earned in part by the efforts of Mikalauskas and fellow forward Jason Cain. The two forwards were able to slow Tar Heels freshman Tyler Hansbrough and also provide enough offense for a victory. With a diminished frontcourt, the two will have to play well if the Cavaliers are to have a successful season.
Cain has been stepping up his play recently. He is currently the fourth-leading scorer on the team after struggling to score early in the season. Since scoring 15 points against Georgia Tech on Dec. 4, Cain has played well on both the offensive and defensive side of the court -- well enough that Virginia coach Dave Leitao has inserted Cain into the starting line-up. Cain has made more starts in this season (9) than he had in his previous two seasons (7).
"More playing time, more confidence, different coaching," Cain said when asked what has changed in his play. "And [Leitao] is always there to help me out, so in games I can figure out what's wrong and correct it."
Cain has certainly made changes to his game this year. Heading into Thursday's game, Cain was the ACC leader in offensive rebounds, with an average of 3.71 per game. In Cain's previous two years at Virginia, he averaged 2.2 total rebounds per game.
Leitao's emphasis on defense and rebounding also has brought a change in Cain's play. Thursday Cain had an emphatic slam dunk in the second half and was quick to get back down the court afterwards instead of taking in the crowd's enthusiasm.
"Actually, I was thinking about getting back on defense after I dunked it," Cain said. "So I wasn't really thinking about [the cheers]."
Mikalauskas received a lot of praise for his performance on Thursday night. The freshman scored in double figures for the third time in his collegiate career and showed how effectively he can play when he is not in foul trouble. Fouls have limited Mikalauskas' playing time in various games this year, and Leitao mentioned foul trouble as one of his chief concerns in regards to Mikalauskas heading into the North Carolina game.
"The thing that worried me the most was foul trouble because of the last few games and because Hansbrough draws so many fouls," Leitao said. "A lot of times [Mikalauskas] was just battling him by himself, and then he was energized enough and asked for the ball enough to make a difference on offense."
Mikalauskas played well in the post against the Tar Heels and also displayed an ability to tip in missed shots from his teammates. In the second half, Mikalauskas had two key tip-ins that helped Virginia maintain its lead.
"I was just trying to get a rebound and get my hands on the ball," Mikalauskas said. "Anytime you deflect a ball, good things can happen."
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