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No. 24 Men's Basketball handles JMU in opener, 61-41

Sophomores guard Malcolm Brogdon, forward Anthony Gill both shine after long layoffs

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Property of the Cavalier Daily

Malcolm Brogdon knows a lot about waiting. A foot injury sidelined him for the entire 2012-13 season, and all Brogdon could do was watch his teammates from the sideline. Going into Friday’s opening game against James Madison, the redshirt sophomore had not played for Virginia in a regular season game for 20 months.

Starting at point guard, Brogdon did not wait long to make an impact. On the first possession of the game, Brogdon drained a 3-pointer, quickly dispelling any fear that he would be ineffective after the long layoff. He would end up with nine points in his return, helping lead the Cavaliers (1-0) to a 61-41 opening win.

“I was just excited to be back out there,” Brogdon said. “My adrenaline was pumping in the first … it’s still pumping right now. I’m just excited to be back. This season, I’m healthy — I can’t ask for anything more.”

Brogdon was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, which helped atone for a relatively pedestrian shooting night for the Cavaliers. Outside of Brogdon, the team made just one 3-pointer on 14 attempts. The sophomore said he was not necessarily looking to shoot from long range, but he took advantage of the Dukes’ (0-1) defensive scheme early.

“I take my shots when I have an open one,” Brogdon said. “I feel like getting people open, getting people involved is my first strength, and then other than that, I shoot it, I put the ball on the ground, I just try to take what the defense gives me.”

James Madison eventually adapted to Brogdon, and he was held scoreless after making three first-half 3-pointers. For his first game back though, coach Tony Bennett was pleased with Brogdon’s impact.

“I thought he was very good early,” Bennett said. “He was a steady force for us … I thought in the second half he showed a little bit of rust, he got in trouble, he got up in the air and got lost, and I challenged him defensively … All things considered, it was good to have him out there.”

The Cavaliers’ poor shooting forced them to try and go inside, and they found success down low with sophomore forward Anthony Gill. The South Carolina transfer was impressive in his Virginia debut, scoring a team-high 13 points and picking up two rebounds. He and Brogdon combined for 17 points in the opening period, guiding Virginia to a 32-14 lead.

“[Gill] is aggressive and he draws fouls,” Bennett said “We have got to cash in at that free throw line … but you saw him, he is aggressive, he draws contact, he plays through contact and goes for the basket.”

Last season, Gill took a redshirt per NCAA transfer rules and could only practice with the team. He validated the preseason hype surrounding his development and impressed home fans that had never seen him play at John Paul Jones Arena. Gill relished finally being able to showcase his talents alongside Brogdon, who also sat out last year, in an actual game.

“[We] created a bond last year that was pretty much inseparable,” Gill said. “We worked hard every single day, and to come out here with him and be on the court with him was great.”

Gill’s 13 points led the team, but much of the Cavaliers’ scoring came by committee. Sophomore center Mike Tobey had 10 points, Brogdon had nine and junior forward Darion Atkins added eight off the bench. Bennett said he was pleased that the team was able to win without one player taking over offensively.

“I think we’re a more balanced team this year,” Bennett said. “I wouldn’t say we’re a great shooting team, but we have guys, when their feet are set, that can get it going, and I think that can open up the game … That’s the depth and the balance that we need, I think, to be effective.”

Senior guard Joe Harris had just five points in the game on 2-of-6 shooting, and senior forward Akil Mitchell had seven points. Harris was asked to provide much of the team’s scoring last year, but Virginia’s impressive depth this season means that he may not be asked to shoot as much as he was accustomed to.

“I think that we do have a lot of options offensively,” Harris said. “Anybody can produce on any given night, and I think tonight was a good example of that. You have a number of guys that can come out and produce offensively, whether it be getting rebounds, knocking down shots, but at the same time we’re a very unselfish group. I don’t think anybody really cares who gets the credit.”

Virginia’s lead was never in much doubt throughout the game, thanks to lockdown defense and James Madison’s 31.3 percent shooting performance. The Cavaliers shot just 41.7 percent for the game, but they maintained their 20-point lead for much of the second half.

Despite the big win, Cavalier players were not particularly pleased with their performance, especially with a game against No. 14 Virginia Commonwealth coming up Tuesday. Bennett specifically pointed to the team’s 22.2 percent shooting from long range and 50 percent free throw shooting as areas of concerns. The struggles were not altogether unexpected as the team seeks to shake off its preseason rust.

“It would be a problem if we were perfect at the beginning of the year and we had nothing to build off of for the rest of this season,” Harris said. “So the fact that we might have been a little sloppy in some areas, or weren’t working hard enough defensively, or picking up on schemes — any of that stuff — it isn’t a bad thing. That’s the way the beginning of the season usually starts. It’s good for us to go back to the drawing board, have something to learn from, and try to be more productive from here on out.”

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