Duke basketball: Top 10 ACC players for 2020-21 season
By Matt Giles
No. 5 in the ACC this season is not a Duke basketball player
Jay Huff. 446. Pick Analysis. Forward. Scouting Report. Senior. 5. player
Up until the noticeable upgrades to his game last season, Jay Huff was simply a role player in Charlottesville, averaging single-digit minutes per game, albeit for two Virginia squads that combined to go 66-6 (33-3 in the ACC) and cut down April nets.
Now, with the graduations of former full-time starters down low in Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key, the 7-foot-1, 240-pound Huff is all but sure to draw a starting nod in every game this season. Naturally, the towering big man is also likely to see an even larger role for himself around the basket, on both ends of the floor.
As a junior who benefitted from improved footwork, championship experience, and heightened instincts, Huff started 18 times and averaged 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks across 25.0 minutes per game. As a senior, the 22-year-old could become a double-double machine.
Jay Huff is also capable of popping out beyond the paint. If he can progress beyond his respectable 19-for-53 clip from 3-point land last season, he could provide semi-frequent floor-spacing 3-pointers to help draw defenses away from the sharpshooting Cavalier who comes next here on this list…