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| Anthony Gill takes the lead as Virginia drives to verge of Final Four | Anthony Gill takes the lead as Virginia drives to verge of Final Four |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| CHICAGO — Few things were as beneficial for Anthony Gill’s postseason play as his teammate winning ACC player of the year. | CHICAGO — Few things were as beneficial for Anthony Gill’s postseason play as his teammate winning ACC player of the year. |
| Throughout much of league play, Virginia’s opponents had to either split their time trying to limit both Malcolm Brogdon and Gill, the Cavaliers’ senior leaders and top scoring options, or focus on one or the other. Toward the end of the season, coaches often chose Gill. After scoring in double figures in each of the season’s first 22 games, the 6-foot-8 forward’s production dipped, sometimes drastically. He had four points and three rebounds in a Feb. 6 win at Pittsburgh and scored 12 points total in two games against Miami after scoring 15 against the Hurricanes in their first meeting. | Throughout much of league play, Virginia’s opponents had to either split their time trying to limit both Malcolm Brogdon and Gill, the Cavaliers’ senior leaders and top scoring options, or focus on one or the other. Toward the end of the season, coaches often chose Gill. After scoring in double figures in each of the season’s first 22 games, the 6-foot-8 forward’s production dipped, sometimes drastically. He had four points and three rebounds in a Feb. 6 win at Pittsburgh and scored 12 points total in two games against Miami after scoring 15 against the Hurricanes in their first meeting. |
| Brogdon took the reins, scoring at least 20 points in 10 of the Cavaliers’ final 16 pre-NCAA tournament games, earning two top individual ACC honors and being selected as one of four finalists for the Naismith Award, college basketball’s highest individual honor. Opposing coaches were forced to adjust. | Brogdon took the reins, scoring at least 20 points in 10 of the Cavaliers’ final 16 pre-NCAA tournament games, earning two top individual ACC honors and being selected as one of four finalists for the Naismith Award, college basketball’s highest individual honor. Opposing coaches were forced to adjust. |
| Now, it’s Gill leading the way once again, averaging a team-high 20.3 points and 7.7 rebounds through three NCAA tournament games entering Sunday’s Midwest Region final against Syracuse. He spurred top-seeded Virginia (29-7) to its first Elite Eight appearance in 21 years with a season-high 23 points in Friday’s 84-71 victory over Iowa State. It was Gill’s first 20-point game since Virginia’s conference opener, against Notre Dame on Jan. 2, and two points shy of matching his career best. | Now, it’s Gill leading the way once again, averaging a team-high 20.3 points and 7.7 rebounds through three NCAA tournament games entering Sunday’s Midwest Region final against Syracuse. He spurred top-seeded Virginia (29-7) to its first Elite Eight appearance in 21 years with a season-high 23 points in Friday’s 84-71 victory over Iowa State. It was Gill’s first 20-point game since Virginia’s conference opener, against Notre Dame on Jan. 2, and two points shy of matching his career best. |
| [Latest scores and updates from March Madness] | [Latest scores and updates from March Madness] |
| The game “opened up for him,” point guard London Perrantes said. “He didn’t really change at all throughout the season, and he does have a little bit of pressure released off of him. But he’s also just playing super hard.” | The game “opened up for him,” point guard London Perrantes said. “He didn’t really change at all throughout the season, and he does have a little bit of pressure released off of him. But he’s also just playing super hard.” |
| Another key, Perrantes said, has been how difficult Virginia’s practices have become. Going up against that competition in practice has sharpened Gill, as well as senior center Mike Tobey. | Another key, Perrantes said, has been how difficult Virginia’s practices have become. Going up against that competition in practice has sharpened Gill, as well as senior center Mike Tobey. |
| [Perrantes knows which buttons to push for Cavs] | [Perrantes knows which buttons to push for Cavs] |
| Tobey also hit a season high on Friday with 18 points against Iowa State, part of a dominant front-line performance in which Virginia scored a season-high 52 points in the paint. That number stood out to Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, whose Orange lost to Virginia, 73-65, in Charlottesville during the regular season, but it didn’t come as much of a surprise. | Tobey also hit a season high on Friday with 18 points against Iowa State, part of a dominant front-line performance in which Virginia scored a season-high 52 points in the paint. That number stood out to Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, whose Orange lost to Virginia, 73-65, in Charlottesville during the regular season, but it didn’t come as much of a surprise. |
| “I think with any team that’s achieved the level that Virginia has for the last three years, it’s not ever about one guy,” Boeheim said. “It takes everybody, and particularly at this stage of the year, to play and to play well.” | “I think with any team that’s achieved the level that Virginia has for the last three years, it’s not ever about one guy,” Boeheim said. “It takes everybody, and particularly at this stage of the year, to play and to play well.” |
| Virginia Coach Tony Bennett isn’t surprised either — after all, Gill led the Cavaliers in scoring during nonconference play, so seeing Brogdon and Gill rotating as the team’s leading scorer seems natural by now. For Bennett, the most important thing is a dependable scoring option, whoever it might be, to step up when Brogdon is limited. | |
| Of course, it helps that Gill is shooting 71.9 percent from the floor and 78.9 percent from the foul line during the NCAA tournament. | Of course, it helps that Gill is shooting 71.9 percent from the floor and 78.9 percent from the foul line during the NCAA tournament. |
| “Our balance has been so important for us . . . but what Anthony has done, he’s been so efficient, and guys got him the ball,” Bennett said. “When he had some offensive rebounds, some of those plays at the end of the press and Malcolm is getting really guarded hard. . . . Anthony, he’s capable.” | “Our balance has been so important for us . . . but what Anthony has done, he’s been so efficient, and guys got him the ball,” Bennett said. “When he had some offensive rebounds, some of those plays at the end of the press and Malcolm is getting really guarded hard. . . . Anthony, he’s capable.” |
| Gill, for his part, said he’s just responding to the natural ebb and flow of the season. He wasn’t needed as much when Brogdon was streaking throughout conference play. “I didn’t want to take any shine away from Malcolm, because he was hot,” Gill said. “He really carried us through ACC play.” | Gill, for his part, said he’s just responding to the natural ebb and flow of the season. He wasn’t needed as much when Brogdon was streaking throughout conference play. “I didn’t want to take any shine away from Malcolm, because he was hot,” Gill said. “He really carried us through ACC play.” |
| Now that Brogdon’s drawing other teams’ focus, Gill characterizes his big games as little more than filling holes. | Now that Brogdon’s drawing other teams’ focus, Gill characterizes his big games as little more than filling holes. |
| “It’s pretty much my teammates are just finding me, and I’m not really doing anything too special,” Gill said. “They’re just really looking for me, and I’m just happy right now. That’s it.” | “It’s pretty much my teammates are just finding me, and I’m not really doing anything too special,” Gill said. “They’re just really looking for me, and I’m just happy right now. That’s it.” |
| Anthony Gill | Anthony Gill |
| Mike Tobey | Mike Tobey |