Darion Atkins highly critical of Virginia's effort against Michigan State

Troy Machir

Darion Atkins highly critical of Virginia's effort against Michigan State image

The No. 2 seed Virginia Cavaliers were bounced from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday with a 60-54 loss to No. 7 Michigan State.

The Cavaliers could not hit the broad side of a barn, making just 17-of-57 from the field and 2-of-17 from beyond the arc.

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Senior forward Darion Atkins, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, provided the most entertaining moment of the game, with a monster first half block on Alvin Ellis. But Atkins also provided some rather stern criticism of his teammates.

"To be honest, yeah, I felt like I wanted it more than a few other guys on the team," Atkins said after the game according to Martin Rickman of Uproxx Sports.

Later in the interview, he was asked about a heated timeout in the second half in which assistant coach Jason Williford got in the face of Mike Tobey and tried to fire up the team. "That was a gut check and a heat check. I felt like we were just playing like some p—s to be honest. I mean, I don't know."

The Cavaliers typically made their mark by being more physical and not wilting under pressure. While their shooting clearly did not do them any favors on Sunday, they did not show the unflappability that they have become known for.

 

Troy Machir