The Virginia Cavaliers did not have a terrible campaign last season, but they definitely fell from a much higher perch. A team which lost Malcolm Brogdon – who quickly became one of the elite rookies in the NBA – did not fully replace him. A team with a reputation for clamping down on defense fell into too many scoring droughts at the offensive end of the floor. Virginia blew late leads to elite teams such as defending national champion Villanova. Games slipped through Virginia’s fingers which, in previous seasons, did not get away. The Cavaliers were inconsistent and often roughed up by the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They suffered a lot of losses but still gained a No. 5 seed because of a ridiculously hard schedule and a lot of quality wins within it.
This year, Virginia will try to bounce back and return to being a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament, which it was from 2014 through 2016. The Cavaliers can’t rely on old stars but must turn to new leaders if they want to be at the top of the ACC.
Offseason Changes
One of the mainstays of Virginia’s hugely successful run the past few seasons was London Perrantes, the dogged defensive guard who hit a lot of big shots late in the shot clock for the Cavaliers. Perrantes ran the offense and gave structure to so much of what head coach Tony Bennett tried to do for the team. Now he is gone, marking the end of one era and the beginning of what is next. Marial Shayok was a wing scorer who provided important baskets at times during the season. He is also gone, but Perrantes is the main person who needs to be replaced. Virginia also began last season with Austin Nichols, a transfer from Memphis who was supposed to shore up the frontcourt. He ran into personal problems and was kicked off the team. Virginia will need someone to step up in the paint this season.
Will Succeed If…
Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy light up the Cavaliers’ backcourt. Jerome is the playmaker and Guy the catch-and-shoot marksman. Both players struggled last year and tried to find themselves in the shadows of Perrantes and the other more veteran figures on the roster. Now this is their backcourt, their moment to stand up and be counted. If Jerome finds a groove as a distributor and a runner of the offense, and Guy can become a lethally consistent long-range shooter, the pieces will fall together for an offense which was painful to watch on many occasions last season. Jerome and Guy are the two players who can most readily prevent UVA from suffering prolonged scoring crises on offense.
Won’t Succeed If…
The big men don’t provide effective interior defense. Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey were pillars of dependability for Virginia’s defense in 2015 and 2016. After their departures, the Cavaliers are looking for the next big man who can anchor their defense in the paint. Jack Salt will be asked to fill that role, and even though he might not fully be able to replace Gill and Tobey, he will be okay if he gets help from forwards Mamadi Diakite and underachieving Isaiah Wilkins. If those supporting players can’t help the backcourt, this team will fall short of expectations.
Roster
Devon Hall
Francesco Badocchi
Justice Bartley
Kyle Guy
Trevon Gross Jr.
Ty Jerome
De’Andre Hunter
Isaiah Wilkins
Nigel Johnson
Marco Anthony
Mamadi Diakite
Jay Huff
Jack Salt
Austin Katstra
Schedule & Outlook
Virginia is not the most talented team in the ACC, but Bennett doesn’t win with talent. He wins with defense, rebounding and effort, supplemented by just enough offense to succeed. Virginia will get offense in the backcourt, but frontcourt scoring could be a problem. Virginia will not be worse than last season’s team, but it’s hard to say if the Cavaliers will be noticeably better. We’ll know more when they battle Wisconsin and No. 11 West Virginia early on in the season.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
