there's always that element of offensive rebounding."
In December, with the toughest portion of the
non-conference schedule beginning, Wilkins joined
the starting lineup. Bennett inserted the second-year
forward for the Villanova game. UVA beat the 12th-
ranked Wildcats, then proceeded with wins over
California, Oakland and Notre Dame.
Wilkins' statistics during that stretch weren't
mind-blowing, but he was always right in the middle
of things — a big block or dunk here, a slick pass
there.
"He's a glue guy," Bennett said. "I think that abil-
During UVA's 15-4 start, Wilkins was averaging just 4.5 points per game — but he led UVA in blocks
(17), was third in steals (15) and was fourth in rebounding (3.8 boards per contest).
PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA
