CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Austin Nichols is one of several new players that figures prominently in the rotation for No. 8 Virginia, and while he arrived as a transfer from Memphis with a reputation as a gifted offensive player, hes adapted quickly to Tony Bennetts defensive philosophy.I think we can be a pretty good team, Nichols said after leading Virginia with 11 points in a 72-32 rout of St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Weve just to continue focusing on defense.The Cavaliers (2-0) looked in midseason form at the other end of the floor, holding the Terriers of the Northeast Conference scoreless for a stretch of more than 10 minutes in the first half. Virginia scored 20 consecutive points in that stretch to open a 35-11 lead.The Cavaliers dont have a go-to scoring option so far, and even if one surfaces, Bennett said their focus will always be the same.I think this team understands that were going to have to be so good defensively, he said. Thats going to be our ticket.The Terriers (0-2) ended the drought on two free throws by Yunus Hopkinson with 7.8 seconds left in the half.These games do one of two things for you. They either make you stronger or break you, Terriers coach Glenn Braica said.Glenn Sanabria led St. Francis with 10 points and Gunnar Olafsson had seven.Nichols, who missed Virginias two preseason scrimmages and season-opener at UNC Greensboro while serving a suspension for violating a team rule, scored on an array and shots around the basket. Jarred Reuter added nine points and London Perrantes, Marial Shayok and Mamadi Diakite each had eight for Virginia. All 11 scholarship players for the Cavaliers scored and grabbed at least one rebound.The Terriers finished 11 for 48 from the field, 22.9 percent.BIG PICTURESt. Francis: The Terriers attempted 16 3-pointers in the first half and made just one, which is not the recipe for a team from the Northeast Conference to challenge a ranked or Power Five-level school. Having already lost at North Carolina State, they continue an early season gauntlet at Providence next Monday.Virginia: The early-season indoctrination of youth into coach Tony Bennetts lineup continued as freshmen Kyle Guy (21 minutes) and Ty Jerome (10) each got significant playing time and Diakite, a redshirt freshman, played 14.THE DOWN LOWNichols has plenty of company up front in 6-11 Jack Salt, 6-9 Diakite and 6-7 Reuter, and all made contributions.Jack started and had six points and two rebounds, Reuter and Diakite each grabbed four rebounds and Diakite had a block.Me and Manadi are more like finesse players, Nichols said, and the Bruise Brothers, Jarred and Jack, theyre the bangers inside.BULLSEYEVirginia walk-on Justice Bartley was one of three walk-ons who entered the game for Virginia with about 2 minutes to play, and Bennett was thrilled to see the sophomore score his first collegiate basket on a layup with 30 seconds remaining.HE SAID ITI think its $60,000, or $80,000. -- St. Francis Brooklyn coach Glenn Braica when asked what his team gets from facing Virginia.UP NEXTSt. Francis travels north to play at Providence next Monday night.Virginia continues a three-game home-stand with a visit from Yale on Sunday. 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The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. If youre going to get a rash of injuries, I suppose you might as well get them early in the season and not at the end, when you need your players most. But yeesh, its as if a dark cloud has hovered over the Dallas Stars before the puck even dropped for the 2016-17 season.To wit:Captain and superstar forward Jamie Benn had offseason surgery to repair an injured core muscle. He played his first preseason game Tuesday night and is hoping to be up to speed in time for the regular season.Scoring sensation Tyler Seguin suffered a heel injury in Team Canadas first World Cup pre-tournament game Sept. 8. He started skating this week, and the Stars remain hopeful that he will return in time for the start of the season.Winger Ales Hemsky remains out with a groin injury he suffered while playing for the Czechs at the World Cup. The Stars are hoping hes back for the start of the season.Center Cody Eakin is out until early November because of a knee injury.Forward Mattias Janmark is out five or six months because of joint disorder in his knee.Forward Devin Shore (lower body) could be back around opening night.Forward Jason Dickinson had hip surgery in April and is out until December.For good measure, winger Valeri Nichushkin bolted to the KHL on a two-year deal last month.Uncle! However, if Benn and Seguin get in a full season or close to it, there is no reason the Stars cant contend for the Central Division title they won the past season. Still, it has been an inauspicious start, to be sure.Best new facesThe late August signing of Jiri Hudler to a one-year, $2 million deal might be one of best bargains of the summer, especially with Nichushkin gone to Russia. Pay attention, fantasy players, Hudler might very well start the season on a line with Benn and Seguin. The Czech veteran is just two years removed from a 76-point season in which he scored 31 goals. Playing with Benn and Seguin, he should certainly top the combined 46 points (16-30) he put up in 69 games with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers?last season.Veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis was a quality unrestricted free-agent addition. Whats funny is the Stars nearly acquired him at the trade deadline last season, but the deal with the Vancouver Canucks?fell through. Now the Stars have Hamhuis. He will be an important top-four presence and a character leader in the dressing room.Biggest unknownsHow will the blue line adjust to losing Alex Goligoski, Kris Russell and Jason Demers in the offseason? Hamhuis was added, but the Stars are banking on younger defensemen Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak and Stephen Johns to be ready to take on bigger roles this season.dddddddddddd That might mean the first half of the season is spent with these guys figuring things out. But long-term, the Stars have been preparing for this. Young star defenseman John Klingberg continues his growth as well.The biggest unknown of all, of course, remains in goal, where the veteran Finnish duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi produced mixed results the past season. On one hand, the two combined for 50 wins en route to a Central Division title. On the other, they combined for a .906 save percentage, which isnt good enough. The lasting image of Lehtonen getting pounded by the St. Louis Blues?early in Game 7 wont soon be forgotten. Can they rebound? Is this goaltending good enough for the Stars to get to the Stanley Cup finals? I will say this: By the March trade deadline, there will be teams worried about losing a goalie they like in the June expansion draft to Las Vegas. That could present the Stars opportunities to upgrade in goal, if indeed GM Jim Nill feels that is warranted. Right now, I believe Nill thinks Lehtonen and Niemi can do the job.Sure thingsJamie Benn won the NHL scoring title in 2014-15, with 87 points (35-52) in 82 games, and followed that by finishing second to Patrick Kane last season, with 89 points (41-48) in 82 games. Benn does it all on both sides of the puck. He is a throwback in some ways, with his intimidating style, yet he is blessed with soft hands. OK, Ive got a man crush on Benn, I will admit it.Klingberg finished fifth among all NHL defensemen with 58 points (10-48) in 76 games last season, up from the 40 points (11-29) he put up in 65 games in his rookie season. Hes only 24, and hes still getting better. Hes fun to watch and keys the transition game for the Stars.PredictionThe Stars have had a tough training camp with injuries, but they will get through it and once again entertain us with some of the most up-tempo hockey in the NHL. Fans get their moneys worth watching this club play. But is the goaltending good enough to win come playoff time? I think the Stars will battle the Nashville Predators for the division title but fall short. Second in the Central. ' ' '