After missing out on the NCAA Tournament last season, and reach the quarterfinals of the NIT, Tony Bennett brings back the best team he has had in his time at Virginia. There is plenty of talent, and depth at those positions. But despite all of that depth and talent, there is one big question that looms.
Backcourt
The big question I alluded to is who is going to start at point guard now that Jontel Evans has graduated. There are many options here. Malcolm Brogdon sat out last season with an injury, but he is in the mix, along with Teven Jones, and freshmen Devon Hall and London Perrantes. Brogdon is likely to start, and his size (6-5) could be a tough matchup for point guards. The same goes for Hall, who is also 6-5. No matter who starts at point guard, they will be feeding the ball a lot to Joe Harris. The senior is coming off of a season in which he increased his scoring by five points per game, up to 16 points per game last season. He also shot 42% from three point range. Also with Harris in the backcourt is sophomore Justin Anderson, who is a prime breakout candidate for the Cavs this year after playing really well in the NIT.
Frontcourt
Virginia's frontcourt is every bit as deep as the backcourt. And because of that, Virginia can be more physical around the basket this year. The big addition to the frontcourt this year is Anthony Gill, who transferred in from South Carolina, and sat out last season. He will contribute immediately. Returning for the Cavs this year is Akil Mitchell, who blossomed last year from a meddling bench player to an All-ACC caliber player, averaging 13 points and nine rebounds per game. Evan Nolte and Mike Tobey both had pretty good freshman seasons, and should improve more this year. Darion Atkins returns as well. He can contribute off the bench, especially on the defensive end.
Schedule
This season's non conference schedule will be far more challenging than last season, and that starts with the second game of the season against VCU. The Cavs play in the Corpus Christi Challenge this year, where they will get to face an up an coming SMU team, and either Texas A&M or Missouri State. For the second consecutive year, Virginia will play Wisconsin in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. After that, the Cavs will play Northern Iowa and Tennessee before heading in to conference play, where they will be on the road with three of the first four on the road, including a game against Duke, before having three straight at home, with a game against UNC in there, then going back on the road for three of the next four, then closing with four of the final seven at home.
Prediction
This is one of the best all around teams Virginia has had in a while. They can score, rebound, and most improtantly, play Tony Bennett's trademark defense. This will still be one of the best defensive teams in the ACC, if not the country. The depth is key here, as Virginia can sustain an injury and not be in trouble, unlike in recent years. Even though there are questions at point guard, I think it will sort itself out rather quickly. With the depth and talent on the roster, the Cavs will be near the top of the ACC, and should be in the NCAA Tournament this year.
With his ability to shoot it from anywhere on the court, Joe Harris is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He hit at least one three in 31 of 35 games last season, and shot 42% from three point range.
