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18 CAVALIER CORNER they are settling in nicely for a team that lost 98-75 to No. 1 Gonzaga before going on a winning streak to open ACC play. The Cavaliers have been able to fully appreciate the addition of both transfers as well as fel- low newcomers. "You know it's interesting, I don't think I've ever been on a team with this many players [seeing game action]," redshirt fourth-year forward Jay Huff said. "That's really cool because we get to see a lot of guys, a lot of combinations. We just get to see how different guys work. "And I think learning to play with every- body is something that we're going to have to figure out, and I think we're learning how to do that." "It's a lot different," third-year guard Ki- hei Clark said. "We lost guys like Mamadi [Diakite] and Braxton [Key], defensive studs, but this year we have a lot of shoot- ers, so I think it makes my job easier on the offensive end when they are hitting shots. "We just have a lot more weapons, which makes us a tougher team to guard." The team this year reminds Bennett of the 2018-19 national championship squad that had shooters like Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De'Andre Hunter. "I knew it'd be a little bit like a couple of years ago," Bennett said. "We're going to get our shooting a lot from Jay and Sam. We didn't know Trey was going to be eligible, and thought he was going to redshirt. "Then when that happened, I'm like, 'Okay our three, four, five positions are where we can stretch the floor.' So that's a little different, we got playmaking and not that Kihei won't take threes and knock them down, or other guys, but I thought we'd be able to stretch the floor with those guys and wanted them to shoot. "I knew Sam could obviously [shoot], Trey and I've seen it with Jay, so I thought we'd be able to stretch it. I knew that would be important and obviously at times you can't live by it, but it's an important piece of our offensive production." It has been a season where Virginia has seen multiple players scoring in double figures each game, something that hasn't always been the case. During its 11-3 start, Virginia scored 71.8 points per game — the highest average for the program since put- ting up 76.8 during the 2007-08 season. Much of the offensive success can cer- tainly be attributed to the addition of Hauser and Murphy joining veterans Huff and Clark. They have all developed a team-first mindset that has allowed each player to shine this season. "When you make shots that helps, but I like our movement, how we shared the ball," Bennett said. "Sharing the ball and when Sam, Trey and Jay are shooting like that and the other guys are making good decisions, it feels right." Hauser echoes the sentiments of his head coach. "I think Jay and Trey and myself, and guys that come off the bench as well, every- body has the mindset like, 'You know, we might have a good shot, but if we make one more [pass], it's a great shot.' So playing with unselfish guys is awesome," Hauser said. "It's just trying to get the best shot pos- sible. Our guys are smart enough to know when someone's hot to get them the ball. "When attention is drawn to one player, it opens up the floor for another, and that's what makes us dangerous on that end of the floor." Virginia will continue to prioritize its de- fense-first mentality, but it certainly helps to have some offensive power on its side with Hauser and Murphy. Murphy made 6 of 8 three-pointers in his Virginia debut and was shooting a team-best 51.0 percent (33 of 68) from three-point range through 14 games. PHOTO COURTESY UVA "We just have a lot more weapons, which makes us a tougher team to guard." THIRD-YEAR GUARD KIHEI CLARK