The Virginia men’s basketball team opened its season with a convincing 80-50 win against Tarleton State on Monday night. There were several encouraging individual performances and hints of others that could contribute in that first game too.
No. 1 on the list is actually No. 2. Senior guard Reece Beekman, who wears the 2 jersey, put together a sterling line of 16 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 0 turnovers, 5-9 shooting, and 6-7 free throw shooting in just 27 minutes. T-State coach Billy Gillispie said afteward that Beekman was “totally under control” and could “totally dominate the whole game” before adding that “he made it easy for a lot of people.”
That’s the type of season debut that Hoos fans were hoping for from Beekman. Others with impressive stat lines included Isaac McKneely (15 points, 4-8 on 3’s, 4 assists), Ryan Dunn (9 points, 7 rebounds), and Leon Bond III (12 points, 9 rebounds).
That sets the stage for a big neutral site showdown in game two as the Hoos travel to Charlotte to take on Florida. The Gators rolled past Loyola Maryland in their opener, 93-73, with Riley Kugel (23), Micah Handlogten (16), Tyrese Samuel (15), and Alex Condon (13) all in double figures. There should be several interesting wing matchups in the game between the two teams in this Hall of Fame Series game (note, Ralph Sampson is being honored during this event as well).
With those two games fresh in the minds of Virginia fans, here are some message board threads about the UVA hoops team to pass the time until tipoff Friday night.
- Here are a few thoughts from our first game. Beeks was the best player on both ends of the court. No surprise there. ~ Hoos in da house
- Honestly, I was really pleased with last night. This is a young team that came out and asserted themselves. ~ Hoos1809
- Thoughts on us “rushing” on offense? I felt like we should have worked the clock a little more. ~ CAV itee
- Has Bennett ever had a guy with Buchanan’s skill set and size? ~ xxWahooWAxx
- Leon Bond … I heard a Justin Anderson comparison. I don’t see it. The ex Hoo that he reminds me of [is Bryant Stith] ~ bigkole
- New comp for Leon Bond III – Fletch with more athleticism. ~ LexingtonCav
- What I love about Beekman … ~ JR_Hoo
- Really intrigued about this UF matchup. Might be the best game between two unranked teams all day on Friday. ~ ThatDadgumBiscuit
- Observations after watching Florida v Loyola ~ Donhoodat
Let’s check out the weekly fan photos too.
Fan(s) Of The Week
Smile, it’s time to cheer on the Hoos!
Student Fan(s) Of The Week
Front row fun at Scott Stadium.
Feature Photo Of The Week
Ryan Dunn and the Hoos got off to a good start in the season opener.
