2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions: Virginia
November 16, 2010
The Virginia Cavaliers started off hot last season, sitting first the ACC standings with Duke at the halfway point last season. Head coach Tony Bennett was well on his way to earning ACC Coach of the Year honors, but then the Cavs fell apart. Virginia lost nine straight ACC games to end the season, and also lost their top scorer in Sylvester Landesberg and guard Calvin Baker for off-court reasons. Virginia ended up 15-16 last season and 5-11 in conference play, their third straight year with five or fewer wins in league play. The Cavaliers are once again in rebuilding mode this season and will have to rely on a lot of incoming freshman that have a lot of talent. These new recruits will be thrown into the wolves right away, and it’s almost certain that Virginia has no chance of repeating what they did to start last year. The Cavs have only five scholarship players returning, and they lost Landesberg who declared for the NBA Draft.
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Frontcourt:
Mike Scott has been waiting for his chance for three years, and he’ll finally get his chance to show his stuff this season. The 6’8” senior looks to be Virginia’s top scoring option this season. He put up 12.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG last year and is a great at hitting the offensive glass. It is murky outside of Scott, where walk-on Will Sherrill started seven games as a junior last year, is the only other proven returnee. Freshman James Johnson is likely the best bet to start right away as his athletic ability cannot be ignored. Will Regan is a hard-nosed freshman, and 7-foot junior center Assane Sene is basically just a shot blocker.
Backcourt:
Bennett is a former NBA guard, and he values versatility at the position. He should have a few more options in the backcourt this season since that is where he has the most depth. Junior Sammy Zeglinski should be back to full strength after hip surgery in the offseason. He averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 37.7% from behind the 3-point line a year ago. He has improved every season with the program and is the team’s best outside threat. Freshman K.T. Harrell will challenge senior Mustapha Farrakhan for the starting spot at the two. Harrell was Alabama’s class 4A Player of the Year as a senior. Sophomore point guard Jontel Evans gained valuable experience last year, and Bennett loves what he brings to the defensive end of the floor. Freshman Billy Baron has the pedigree as his dad is Rhode Island coach Jim Baron and will be counted on to play immediately.
Jack’s Pick: 12th Place in the conference – Bennett finally has his recruits in place, and this is a squad that definitely fits what his system. There are still six players around that aren’t typical for his system, but the six newcomers certainly should have a bright future with the program. The problem is that the results aren’t likely to be seen this season as this is clearly a rebuilding year at Virginia. Bennett said it perfectly, “They’ll have to form a bond quickly, and if they do I think we could be enjoyable to watch, and fans will see some hope for the future.” Even Bennett doesn’t expect a turnaround this year, and neither do I.
