Kevin Hervey returned from a midseason knee injury to provide Coach Scariolo with a reliable presence in the paint down the stretch.
Fans of Virtus can only ask “What if?” when reviewing Hervey’s season – his second in the 7DAYS EuroCup and first with the club. He was at his best when he led Virtus to a 90-84 victory over Umana Reyer Venice in Round 5 with a monster game. Hervey posted 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks for a performance index rating of 31 and was then 12th in the competition in scoring and fourth in steals. However, he then suffered from a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, underwent surgery and missed three months of action.
Upon his return, Hervey boosted Virtus where needed, whether through scoring, rebounding or defense, though he never fully regained the explosiveness from before the injury. Nonetheless, his self-sacrifice reflected the spirit of a championship team. Hervey marked his EuroCup return with 8 boards and 4 assists against Frutti Extra Bursaspor in early March and scored 13 points in 19 minutes against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in the regular-season finale.