If junior wing Sam Lewis’ ACC Tournament performance says anything, it is that Lewis can make a real difference in March. Across three games in Charlotte, N.C., the sharpshooting Toledo transfer scored 45 points on 73 percent three-point shooting, adding 12 rebounds and three steals to boot.
The third game of that stretch — the Saturday final against No. 1 Duke that likely confirmed his spot on the all-tournament first team — may have been his best of the bunch. The 6-foot-7 Chicago native scored 17 points, shot 7-11 from the field, logged two steals and turned the ball over zero times in his 28 minutes of play.
Considering the stakes — along with his zero-point, two-turnover outing against the Blue Devils just two weeks prior — the Lewis of March looked like a legitimate X-factor on No. 9 Virginia. He had shown signs of that in conference play, scoring 20 points in the first half against NC State in January and forcing overtime with a three against Notre Dame in February. But his role in the Cavaliers’ starting lineup has gradually transformed from being more of a spot-up shooter into a genuine offensive catalyst.
“I feel like coming into conference play I got my groove back,” Lewis said in an interview before the ACC Tournament. “Not that I lost it, but coming into myself and then just being more aggressive. And that's who I am as a player, and that's what the team wants from me.”
Lewis said that he felt his role change as he progressed this spring, something which he attributes primarily to his confidence. He said that the increased confidence has allowed him to play more aggressively — opening up opportunities to attack the rim, create in the mid-range and facilitate for his teammates.
“I don't think [my mentality] changes,” Lewis said. “It’s just more confidence. More battery in your back. Just to do more for your team, and then your team sees how valuable you are and vice versa.”
That surge in confidence saw Lewis’ 9.6 points per game before conference play rise to 11.4 on a tougher and higher-volume shot diet. He began taking more shots towards the end of the shot clock — this tough stepback against the Wolfpack comes to mind — and looked confident drawing from a deep bag of gathers and moves. He is also in the 90th percentile in points per possession as a cutter, with his elite 40 percent shooting from three highlighting his prowess as an offball scorer.
Lewis’ higher offensive workload has not come without some wrinkles. Virginia’s first meeting with Duke — a Feb. 28 blowout loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium — was possibly his worst game as a Cavalier, missing all six shots he attempted.
Games like that can really mess up a player’s confidence — and the veteran leaders in the Virginia locker room recognized that in Lewis. Graduate forward Devin Tillis said that he and graduate guard Dallin Hall pulled Lewis to the side after the loss at Cameron, just to talk to him about his performance and his mentality afterwards.
“We were just like ‘dude, you're so much better than what you put out there the first time,’” Tillis said. “And he took some accountability for that. And, you know, he's just grown so much this year, not only as a basketball player, but as a human being. And he's so special for us. We look to him when we need a bucket [and] he's always giving energy. He's a great team guy, and I think that translates to his game on the court.”
Coach Ryan Odom, talking about Lewis, echoed Tillis’ sentiment. Lewis only scored two points in the following game — an all-too-close win over Wake Forest that saw him foul out after 14 minutes of court time — but had some “dynamite” defensive possessions and, most importantly, showed some real confidence.
“You’re always going to have some ups and downs throughout the season,” Odom said. “And I thought he did a great job in that game … The aggressiveness was back, the confidence was back and it was great to see.”
Across Virginia’s three ACC Tournament games, Lewis showed his capacity to be the difference in close games against tournament-quality teams as a shotmaker, defender and creator. He said he believes that too, and thinks that his revamped role and confidence will allow him to further the team in the postseason.
“I see myself as an X-factor,” Lewis said. “That'll be a big piece coming up, especially in March. The team needs that, but we play off each other, so anybody can do that at any time. But me being aggressive and being my best self ultimately helps the team.”
Virginia will kick off its NCAA Tournament run Friday afternoon against Horizon League champion Wright State. If the Cavaliers are to extend their postseason into a second, or even third, weekend, then the version of Lewis that emerged in conference play then shone in Charlotte may need to come with them.
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