After watching junior forward Laurynas Mikalauskas nurse an injured shoulder for most of the season, Cavalier fans might not have known what to expect upon his return to the hardwood.
Mikalauskas' first game back, however, was not just any game for Virginia. The Cavaliers played their highest-ranked opponent in No. 5-ranked North Carolina, and the 6-foot-8 Lithuanian was matched up against Tar Heel All-American forward Tyler Hansbrough, the ACC's leading scorer and rebounder.
Though the Cavaliers lost a hard-fought battle 74-75? at home last Tuesday, Mikalauskas chalked up a strong performance against one of the best players in the nation. Aggressively guarding Hansbrough, Mikalauskas took a charge only minutes after first checking into the game. In his 13 minutes of play, he scored on a tip and even shook Hansbrough's defense for a baseline layup.
Mikalauskas said it was both exciting and gratifying to get back into the action and contribute immediately, especially in light of the team's recent losing streak.
"It feels great to be back," he added. "From being injured, it's really hard to see [the team] losing and see all this negativity going on, on and off the court."
While Mikalauskas said he always tried to generate as much energy as he could while injured on the bench, he was able to be much more expressive back out on the court. Those around him claim it is this raw emotion that makes him such a fan favorite among the Cavalier faithful at home.
"He's always been a crowd favorite," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "When he does something, he pumps his fists and gets everybody a little bit more excited."
With Mikalauskas' return and the team's increased energy, both on and off the court, Virginia added another win to its on-the-road record Sunday against conference foe Boston College to end a seven-game skid. Mikalauskas proved to be a factor in the victory and, with 13 points, was one of four Virginia players in double figures.
During Mikalauskas' time on the bench, freshman forward Mike Scott usually started at center to fill in for still-injured senior Tunji Soroye. With Mikalauskas now healthy and available to play center, however, Scott has returned to his natural position of power forward. This new-found ability to alter the lineup freed Scott to score 11 points against the Eagles, his highest total against an ACC opponent.
"I guess he's a little more comfortable against bigger and slower guys, and he can shoot the three-ball a little bit," Mikalauskas said. "It works out pretty well."
Coming off a solid defensive performance against Hansbrough, Mikalauskas was again a major factor in the post against the Eagles' offense. Even though his aggressive play led him to foul out of the game with 14 seconds remaining, Mikalauskas finished with four rebounds and a block.
"The back line of your defense is a little bit better protected, because you have a bigger, stronger body in there, as opposed to what we've been faced with," Leitao said, referring to the substitution of Mikalauskas for Scott at center.
While this lineup switch made an impact on the defensive end, Leitao said it also improved offensive play in the post.
"One of the things that we have not done as good a job is to get the ball below the free-throw line," Leitao said, adding that getting to the basket either with a pass or the dribble has been unsuccessful. "We did do a better job [against Boston College]. Even if it didn't amount to a score by a post player, it created action, it created something that, two or three passes later may have been a benefit to us, so it's something that we've got to continue to look at to do better," he said.
If Mikalauskas' 85.7 percent field-goal average against the Eagles is any indication, the Cavaliers may just benefit from his return.
"Lars finished down low, and what more can you ask for?" senior guard Sean Singletary asked, referring to Mikalauskas' performance Sunday. "I think he's what we've been missing"
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