Whitey's World

Monday, February 11, 2008

Mikalauskas v. Hansbrough

One of my favorite games from covering Virginia basketball in the last three years was when UVa upset North Carolina in University Hall during the 2005-06 season.
The matchup between the Cavaliers’ Lars Mikalauskas and the Tar Heels’ Tyler Hansbrough—two very physical players—was pretty fun to watch.
Mikalauskas was able to hold Hansbrough in check, propeling UVa to the win.
At the time, they were both freshmen, and it was easy to envision them slamming into each other for the next four years.
But unfortunately for Virginia, Mikalauskas has been riddled with injuries the last two years.
Mikalauskas hasn’t played in 13 games due to a nagging shoulder injury. The last time he played was in that ugly game against Longwood.
It’s just a hunch, but I’m expecting to see Mikalauskas return to the lineup tomorrow night against UNC. He’s looked good in pregame warmups the last two games and I think he’s probably chomping at the bit for another chance to go at it with UNC’s All-American.
With the team riding a six-game losing streak and sitting in last place in the ACC, Mikalauskas’ energy and passion for the game could be a huge boost.