Virginia Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 71-63 during the championship game of the 2018 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 10: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Under Tony Bennett, Virginia basketball has ascended to elite levels thanks to relying on experience. This incoming 2018 recruiting represents the future.

Virginia basketball has been remarkably consistent over the last few years. Even though many have complained about the Cavaliers’ methodical pace and reliance on defense, nobody can argue against how successful the program has been…in the regular season. Virginia is yet to get over the hump and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament but that should only be a matter of time. Most people thought that UVA would make a deep run this past season as the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance, but we all know how that ended up. Sorry for bringing that up again, Virginia fans.

Nonetheless, head coach Tony Bennett is one of the best in the business and he constantly gets the most out of his players, especially defensively. With a strong returning core for this season featuring players like De’Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy, UVA looks poised to be a preseason top-10 team. In addition, they should compete right at the top of the ACC alongside Duke and North Carolina. There should be no questions regarding the firepower for Virginia in 2018-19.

However, is the depth strong enough to make a deep run? Virginia suffered a demoralizing result in the NCAA Tournament last year and it is fair to say that the loss of Hunter to injury played at least a minor role in that. With two major pieces leaving (Devon Hall and Isaiah Wilkins), who will fill this spots? In addition, who represents the future of the program after this core leaves?

Enter Virginia’s 2018 recruiting class. With three members all ranking outside of the top-100, this class does not seem like one that would catch the eye of anyone. However, Coach Bennett has been a pretty good talent evaluator in the past so it is safe to say that we shouldn’t count these players out. Without further ado, let’s break down the three incoming UVA recruits. (This piece does not include Francesco Badocchi because, although he will be a freshman this year, he was a member oft he 2017 recruiting class.)

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