UMBC vs. UVA: 3 Reasons Why David Will Beat Goliath
By Vivek Shukla
3. UVA Will Be Playing Without De’Andre Hunter
While De’Andre Hunter is a freshman who does not start for UVA, he is a big-time off the bench player who won the sixth man of the year for the ACC. Hunter averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. It will be interesting to monitor how UVA will be able to play without him into the rotation.
It’s easy to look at UMBC and talk about what they are capable of achieving, however, it’s important to acknowledge that Virginia is a lockdown top-notch defense in the nation. If UMBC relies too much on the three ball and the shots are not falling, this will hurt the team.
UVA could force UMBC into only shooting those shots be preventing dribble penetration to the basket and drawing fouls. Virginia has handicapped teams this year and allows a nation-low 53.4 points per game.
UMBC will run its game plan and will have to make in-game adjustments from man to man to zone to keep UVA off balanced. I am looking forward to battling this team and would not be surprised if the game is competitive late in the second half.
Next: UMBC's Journey to America East Champs
UMBC will have to execute a perfect game plan and hope for an off day from UVA just as they did with Vermont. Congratulations to UMBC on this epic journey that has brought support all across the state of Maryland and best of luck against UVA. Go UMBC Retrievers!