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Sophomore Isaiah Wilkins comes to Virginia’s defense Sophomore Isaiah Wilkins comes to Virginia’s defense
(about 4 hours later)
Virginia’s Isaiah Wilkins received a warm round of applause from the capacity crowd at John Paul Jones Arena when he came out of Tuesday’s game against Virginia Tech with less than seven minutes remaining. A small smile played as he high-fived his teammates on the bench before taking his seat.Virginia’s Isaiah Wilkins received a warm round of applause from the capacity crowd at John Paul Jones Arena when he came out of Tuesday’s game against Virginia Tech with less than seven minutes remaining. A small smile played as he high-fived his teammates on the bench before taking his seat.
Wilkins was being rewarded for a career-high 14 points plus three offensive rebounds in 23 minutes of the 67-49 victory, but the appreciation could have just as easily been leftover from his previous performance. Wilkins was being rewarded for a career-high 14 points plus three offensive rebounds in 23 minutes of the 67-49 victory, but the appreciation could have just as easily been left over from his previous performance.
In Virginia’s 64-50 victory at Pittsburgh on Saturday, Wilkins grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and served a career-high five assists, stepping up when starting forward Anthony Gill was saddled with early foul trouble and played about eight minutes fewer than his average.In Virginia’s 64-50 victory at Pittsburgh on Saturday, Wilkins grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and served a career-high five assists, stepping up when starting forward Anthony Gill was saddled with early foul trouble and played about eight minutes fewer than his average.
Save the past two games, Wilkins’s statistics don’t pop. The 6-foot-7 sophomore ranks sixth among the Cavaliers with 4.6 points and fourth with 3.7 rebounds. But he has returned to the starting lineup for the past four games after nearly a month coming off the bench, and is playing the best of his career just as seventh-ranked Virginia appears to be peaking. Save the past two games, Wilkins’s statistics don’t pop. The 6-foot-7 sophomore ranks sixth among the Cavaliers with 4.6 points and fourth with 3.7 rebounds. But he has returned to the starting lineup for the past four games after nearly a month coming off the bench, and is playing the best basketball of his career just as seventh-ranked Virginia appears to be peaking.
The Cavaliers (20-4, 9-3 ACC) , who sit a half-game behind North Carolina in the league standings, will take their seven-game winning streak to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday to face Duke (18-6, 7-4) .The Cavaliers (20-4, 9-3 ACC) , who sit a half-game behind North Carolina in the league standings, will take their seven-game winning streak to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday to face Duke (18-6, 7-4) .
Wilkins, who averaged about nine minutes in 28 games last season, had earned a few starts during nonconference play and in the Cavaliers’ first two ACC games before being rotated out of the lineup.Wilkins, who averaged about nine minutes in 28 games last season, had earned a few starts during nonconference play and in the Cavaliers’ first two ACC games before being rotated out of the lineup.
But Virginia Coach Tony Bennett needed Wilkins’s mobility and, as teams increasingly focused on Gill, his talent on defense.But Virginia Coach Tony Bennett needed Wilkins’s mobility and, as teams increasingly focused on Gill, his talent on defense.
“Isaiah, he’s really an effort guy,” Bennett said. “He’s a help-oriented team defender, and does a lot of the little things that perhaps go unnoticed, and I think that’s important for us. I like his smarts, and his mind-set. That’s a mind-set, to be a team defender . . . he’s kind of wired like that. He was from the moment he got here.”“Isaiah, he’s really an effort guy,” Bennett said. “He’s a help-oriented team defender, and does a lot of the little things that perhaps go unnoticed, and I think that’s important for us. I like his smarts, and his mind-set. That’s a mind-set, to be a team defender . . . he’s kind of wired like that. He was from the moment he got here.”
That might not be the image that comes to mind of Wilkins’s stepfather, the “Human Highlight Reel” Dominique Wilkins, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And other than wearing Dominique’s No. 21, Isaiah has largely evaded his shadow. When the Atlanta Hawks legend began dating Isaiah’s mother when Isaiah was in seventh grade, Dominique thought he had a budding baseball player in his future family.That might not be the image that comes to mind of Wilkins’s stepfather, the “Human Highlight Reel” Dominique Wilkins, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And other than wearing Dominique’s No. 21, Isaiah has largely evaded his shadow. When the Atlanta Hawks legend began dating Isaiah’s mother when Isaiah was in seventh grade, Dominique thought he had a budding baseball player in his future family.
“He was a great baseball player — at 12 years old he was throwing 70 miles an hour as a pitcher,” Dominique said. “He woke up one day and said, ‘You know what, Dad, I don’t want to play baseball anymore, I want to play basketball.’ I looked at him and was just like, ‘What?’ But he proved me wrong, he turned out to be a hell of a basketball player.“He was a great baseball player — at 12 years old he was throwing 70 miles an hour as a pitcher,” Dominique said. “He woke up one day and said, ‘You know what, Dad, I don’t want to play baseball anymore, I want to play basketball.’ I looked at him and was just like, ‘What?’ But he proved me wrong, he turned out to be a hell of a basketball player.
“He had this natural instinct for the game, and he was willing to work at it. . . . He really perfected the game on his own. I introduced him to it, but he excelled.”“He had this natural instinct for the game, and he was willing to work at it. . . . He really perfected the game on his own. I introduced him to it, but he excelled.”
The two players’ games are generally compared only in jest. Isaiah Wilkins, who took the Wilkins name when his mother, Robin, and Dominique married, isn’t nearly as flashy. And his disciplined and unselfish defensive mentality fit perfectly with Bennett’s system. He’s more frequently compared to Darion Atkins or Akil Mitchell, two former standout Virginia defenders.The two players’ games are generally compared only in jest. Isaiah Wilkins, who took the Wilkins name when his mother, Robin, and Dominique married, isn’t nearly as flashy. And his disciplined and unselfish defensive mentality fit perfectly with Bennett’s system. He’s more frequently compared to Darion Atkins or Akil Mitchell, two former standout Virginia defenders.
Isaiah said he doesn’t lean much on Dominique for basketball guidance any more. He looks up to teammates Malcolm Brogdon and Gill, and his mother’s father, the grandfather who helped raise him, sends him encouraging texts and tips after every game.Isaiah said he doesn’t lean much on Dominique for basketball guidance any more. He looks up to teammates Malcolm Brogdon and Gill, and his mother’s father, the grandfather who helped raise him, sends him encouraging texts and tips after every game.
“He knows how to text — barely,” Wilkins said of his grandfather. “But I get them every time.”“He knows how to text — barely,” Wilkins said of his grandfather. “But I get them every time.”
Wilkins, a fast talker and quick to a smile, is known for over-helping on defense at times — he’ll come off his man too early, and Bennett wants him to work on his three-point shot over the summer. But Gill said Wilkins’s dependability and instincts ease his teammates’ jobs on defense. As evidenced in games like Pittsburgh, the sophomore is getting more comfortable sliding into a bigger role.Wilkins, a fast talker and quick to a smile, is known for over-helping on defense at times — he’ll come off his man too early, and Bennett wants him to work on his three-point shot over the summer. But Gill said Wilkins’s dependability and instincts ease his teammates’ jobs on defense. As evidenced in games like Pittsburgh, the sophomore is getting more comfortable sliding into a bigger role.
“Defensively, I can always improve,” Wilkins said. “I want to feel like if someone’s killing us I can switch onto them and slow them down and shut them down, things like that. I look at guys like Malcolm, who really takes pride in being able to frustrate a lot of guards, and I want to be able to do that. Whether it’s improving my footwork or making sure they can’t get a catch, I’ll do anything to get better.”“Defensively, I can always improve,” Wilkins said. “I want to feel like if someone’s killing us I can switch onto them and slow them down and shut them down, things like that. I look at guys like Malcolm, who really takes pride in being able to frustrate a lot of guards, and I want to be able to do that. Whether it’s improving my footwork or making sure they can’t get a catch, I’ll do anything to get better.”