Virginia men’s basketball will open the season Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena against Towson.
The No. 5 Cavaliers return to action after a historically dominant season that ended with a historic upset.
Virginia finished the season 31-2, with an impressive 17-1 record in ACC play. The Cavaliers captured both conference regular season and conference tournament titles. Virginia won the ACC for the third time in five years, indicative of the powerhouse program Coach Tony Bennett has established.
Ranked No. 1 in the nation, and expected to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia surprised the college basketball world by falling to No. 16-seed UMBC in the first round of the tournament. It was one blemish on what was an immensely successful season.
The Cavaliers are ready to prove doubters wrong this year, returning many of their best players and making key additions that will ensure Virginia remains a national contender.
Virginia returns one of the best backcourts in the nation. Junior guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome make up arguably the best backcourt in college basketball. Both players have spent two years in Tony Bennett’s system, and possess both the defensive intensity and shooting stroke that has carried Virginia basketball in the Bennett era.
Guy was one of the best scorers in the ACC last year, and will look to add to his game by driving to the basket more this season. He led Virginia in scoring last year, averaging 14.1 PPG. Guy made 83 three-pointers on the season, and his quick release three-pointer is hard to defend.
Jerome is one of the most balanced point guards in college basketball. He was third in scoring for Virginia last year, with 10.6 PPG. He also led the Cavaliers with 3.9 APG, and his ability to drive and dish frees up shooters like Guy on the perimeter.
“Ty is a natural leader. He’s very bold,” Bennett said. “He’s very competitive. That’s one of the things I loved about him when I first recruited him.”
Jerome certainly will have a difficult role replacing the leadership of recently-graduated seniors guard Devon Hall and forward Isaiah Wilkins, but has already shown great ability to rally the team.
Hall and Wilkins are big losses for Virginia, especially at the defensive end, where the Cavaliers’ identity lies.
“It’s a different team,” Bennett said. “You lost some key experienced guys. Isaiah was one of the best cover guys. He covered for everybody.”
One of the other experienced players who will have to fill Wilkins’ shoes is senior center Jack Salt.
“He’s a warrior,” Bennett said. “His physicality, his ability to screen, run the floor, get on the glass, use his body … brings that grittiness and toughness.”
Along with returners Jerome, Guy and Salt, sophomore guard and 2017-18 ACC Sixth Man of the Year De’Andre Hunter figures to play an even bigger role than he did last year. Hunter’s defensive versatility, athleticism, and scoring ability puts him in position to be the X-factor for Virginia this year.
Junior forward Mamadi Diakite, sophomore guard Marco Anthony and sophomore forward Jay Huff should also play crucial roles this year. Diakite’s length, ability to stretch the floor and defensive energy will be key for Virginia, and Anthony should provide a good spark off the bench. Huff has the potential to terrorize opponents with his ability to shoot the ball well from the perimeter at 7-foot-1.
Virginia’s incoming freshmen, guards Kody Stattmann and Kihei Clark, will look to bolster Virginia’s depth. Clark’s quickness, finishing ability and defensive stamina could bring a lot to Virginia, and Stattmann has a great shooting stroke.
The most highly-anticipated newcomer, however, looks to be junior transfer guard Braxton Key. Key transferred from Alabama, where he was a great scorer and defender. His length and versatility will allow the Cavaliers flexibility with lineups, and he should have instant impact.
Virginia’s opponent Tuesday night, Towson, had a solid season last year, but has lost a bevy of key players to graduation and transfers, including leading scorer Zane Martin.
The last time the two teams met was in 2011, a matchup which Virginia won 57-50.
John Paul Jones Arena should be electric Tuesday night as the Cavaliers return to action to start off the 2018-19 campaign.
“I love playing in JPJ,” Salt said. “The atmosphere’s always amazing.”
Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
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