Editor’s Note: Today our series looking back at UVa’s season and breaking down the ins and outs of each player’s performances through the year as a whole moves along as we break down the numbers, discuss their successes and some issues, and then give a breakdown for what’s ahead. Check out the initial feature on second-year PG Kihei Clark.

Junior college transfer Tomas Woldetensae had an up-and-down season with several great highs and ultimately became a key contributor as the Cavaliers got hot down the stretch.

In his first season in Charlottesville, Woldetensae played 27.1 minutes per game and started most contests. In ACC play, he played 30 minutes or more in 11 of 20 games, and did so in seven of Virginia’s final nine games of the season. Woldetensae had some big scoring games and for the season averaged 6.6 points per contest.

Although he struggled early in the season, Woldetensae eventually became a legitimate threat from beyond the arc, making 36.1 percent of his 3-point tries, taking five per game. He was very good in his limited trips to the free-throw line, making 88.9 percent of those tries. Woldetensae added 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as well, and never had more than six rebounds in a single game.

The Bologna native also did a good job staying out of foul trouble, never having more than three fouls in any one game and averaging less than two infractions per game.

Woldetensae was at the center of two great moments this past season and we’ll call it a tie for the sake of this feature. The first came in a loss, when Woldetensae hit a barrage of 3s at Louisville in a furious second-half comeback that fell just short. He finished with a career-high 27 points in 38 minutes, making 10 of his 13 field-goal attempts and seven of 10 from long range. Woldetensae nearly willed the Wahoos to a big upset win single-handedly, in a performance that seemed to come out of nowhere.

That loss was Virginia’s last of the season, as Woldtensae’s second big moment came a week later in Chapel Hill. With UVa losing the lead late and trailing 62-61 in the final seconds, Kihei Clark drove and found Woldetensae in the corner. In front of the Virginia bench, he pump faked and then knocked down a last-second 3-pointer to lift the Wahoos to a 64-62 win over UNC, sweeping the series and winning their second of what would end up being an eight-game win streak to end the season.

Many players have a learning curve in their first year in the pack-line and that was the case with Woldetensae. His defense improved significantly during his first season and should take another step forward after another offseason in the system.

But the biggest improvement area for Woldetensae going into his senior season is consistency. Flashes of ability were apparent throughout the season, with the 6-foot-5 wing hitting double-figures scoring five times. But as a shooter, Woldetensae had hot stretches and cold. After scoring 10 points or more in three straight games against UNC, BC, and Pittsburgh, he finished the season with just eight points total in the final four games, going 2-for-15 from deep in that stretch and not scoring at all against Duke or Miami.

Woldetensae will need to harness that shooting ability more frequently and consistency as a senior, with more competition for minutes around him.

It was a bit unclear coming into the 2019-20 season what Woldetensae’s role would be with the Cavaliers. He was a bit of an off-the-radar recruit coming from a junior college, and was brought in to help replace what Virginia lost at guard, particularly with regards to 3-point shooting. And going into the 2020-2021 season, his role is still a bit unclear.

During his first season in orange and blue, Woldetensae demonstrated shooting ability but couldn’t perform at a high level often enough to be the focus of Virginia’s offense on the wing. And with Sam Hauser eligible, Justin McKoy and Casey Morsell maturing in the system, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim joining the program, Woldetensae could have more competition for his minutes.

At this point, Woldetensae figures to be a starter or, at worst, a key role player off the bench. And if he can continue to develop on the defensive end and find a way to be a bit more consistent with his shot—or, potentially improve his driving ability—he could be one of Virginia’s key players and go-to weapons on offense next year.