For the first time in recent memory, Virginia basketball doesn’t have that go-to star player. How will that affect them for this season?
Under Tony Bennett, Virginia has become a consistent basketball program known for having arguably the best defense in all of Division-I basketball. Last season was no different, with the Cavaliers finishing No. 1 in the country in points allowed at 56.4 ppg.
The question was always about the offense, and whether they could score enough to advance in March. They tried to address that issue in a couple of ways. First, the team got a highly decorated 2016 recruiting class featuring 4 four-star players. The other route was with a former McDonald’s All-American transfer in Austin Nichols, who was eligible to play last year.
Unfortunately, he ended up getting kicked off the team after just one game and left a big void on the offensive end. The star of the team London Perrantes did his best to make up for it, averaging 12.7 ppg and 3.8 apg. The problem was that he was the only double-digit scorer on the team, and off days by him meant certain doom in terms of winning.
That “doom” happened in the second round of the NCAA tournament, where the Florida Gators utterly humiliated them. The Cavaliers couldn’t even manage to get to 40 points. It’s been the main criticism of Bennett’s system, which in a single elimination tournament makes them more vulnerable than other good teams.
This year’s team looks much different than before, with not only Perrantes gone but Marial Shayok and Darius Thompson both electing to transfer. That leaves no one left who scored more than 8.5 ppg last season. There’s a need for a new “guy” to step up and lead the team offensively. Who that person is will be the question.