Huff’s career highs make for fun night for the big man as he sparks Cavaliers past Jackets
Posted on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, 12:16 am
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By Jerry Ratcliffe
ATLANTA — Jay Huff hadn’t made a 3-pointer since Dec. 29, but his timing on a big make Saturday night couldn’t have been better for a staggering Virginia team trying to break out of a three-game losing streak.
The 7-footer, an uncommonly effective bomber for his size, has caused some nightmarish matchup problems for opponents in the past with his ability to shoot the 3, but also a terror in the paint with his dunking ability. But the long-range part of his repertoire had been missing somewhat this season until he dusted it off at a key moment in Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion.
Virginia had been in control most of the game and had even built a 14-point lead with 14:47 to play (43-29). The Yellow Jackets, who have been better on the road than in their own building this season, rallied out of a timeout and gnawed away at the Cavaliers’ lead, answering with their own 12-3 run, cutting the deficit to a mere 48-46 with 8:13 to play.
Huff, who had done most of his damage in the paint, caught the ball at the top of the arc and let it fly.
BAM!
He swished the 3 to halt Georgia Tech’s momentum and the Cavaliers never looked back in a close 63-58 ACC road win.
For the record, Huff had a breakout night with a career-high 17 points, and a career-high six blocked shots to go along with a team-high eight rebounds to lift UVA to a 12-5 record, 4-3 in the wacky, unpredictable ACC.
While the 3-pointer was huge to slow the Jackets’ roll, it wasn’t his last big basket of the night. He hit a key jumper after a Mamadi Diakite blocked shot on one end, drilling a 15-footer for a 55-48 lead with three minutes to play.
Two minutes later, Tomas Woldetensae was trapped around the 3-point line but spotted Huff alone underneath the basket and whipped the ball to him for an easy dunk and a 59-52 lead.
Good night, Yellow Jackets.
“It’s 48-46 and Huff hits two big shots for them,” Tech coach Josh Pastner said.
Pastner was asked how difficult was it for his team to break down Virginia defensively but then still have to contend with Huff, and he didn’t have an answer. Neither did his Jackets, who dropped to 8-10, 3-5 in the league, and 0-3 at home in ACC games.
UVA’s Jay Huff throws one down against James Madison earlier this season (Photo by Jon Golden).
Virginia coach Tony Bennett was pleased to see Huff’s recent surge continue.
“That’s the third game in a row where he’s really played very solid,” Bennett said. “He gave us continuous effort on the glass, he bothered shots. I though he and Kihei [Clark] were terrific the whole game, minus Kihei’s free throws at the end. Everyone chipped in at different times, but specifically Jay. He really gave us a lift rim-protecting.”
Huff has strung together some solid performances with 16 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime home loss to Syracuse, and a decent game in a loss at Florida State. Saturday night in Atlanta was another major step in the right direction.
His plus-minus rating was a plus-17. No other player for either team approached that figure in the game.
Huff, a modest and fun-loving guy, said that he hadn’t even looked at a score sheet this year, although he’s heard some things about plus-minus, even though he’s not certain what all that means.
Told his rating was plus-17, the big man grinned.
“Oh, wow … that’s not bad, right?” Huff asked media huddled around him outside the Virginia locker room. “I don’t know much about that stuff, but it sounds good.”
Indeed.
When the topic of his 3-point shot came up, about that time, UVA associate head coach Jason Williford was walking up the steps toward the bus, spotted Huff and in his unmistakable deep voice shouted down, “Good game, Jay Huff.”
The unexpected praise produced a big smile from Huff, who turned to the small media gathering and said, “Did you guys get that?”
Virginia’s big man had come under some criticism of late, one podcast describing him as soft. Maybe he heard it?
Georgia Tech certainly wouldn’t agree with that analysis after he slapped their shots away like a ceiling fan would a balloon.
Oh, but back to the 3-pointer.
“I’ve been shooting a lot recently, getting in the gym and working on that specifically,” Huff said. “I haven’t shot that many this year (6 of 21 coming in to Atlanta). Not as many as last year (14 of 31). Depending on the defense, sometimes it will be open, sometimes it won’t.”
It was open when it mattered on Saturday and UVA’s losing streak is over as the Cavaliers prepare for a quick turnaround with NC State coming to town on Monday night.
Huff will be ready.
“This was a fun win,” he said. “Basketball is supposed to be fun. Today felt fun to me.”
Not to Georgia Tech.
