NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan, Texas Tech climb further
5. Virginia Cavaliers
Last Week: No. 4
Virginia only competed in one game this week and they notched a strong road win over Maryland. The Cavaliers now stand at 7-0 with four consecutive wins away from home. They also can boast back-to-back wins over ranked Big Ten teams (Wisconsin and now Maryland). And while they did fall one spot in these power rankings this week, that has much more to do with the next team than the Cavaliers themselves.
As per usual, Virginia is dominating on the defensive end of the floor so far this season. They are currently allowing just 52.4 points per game (2nd nationally) and they can boast the second-best adjusted defensive efficiency rating in the land. With plenty of length and tenacious perimeter defenders, it is nearly impossible to score against UVA’s pack-line defense. Perhaps above all others, sophomore wing De’Andre Hunter and freshman guard Kihei Clark have been instrumental on the defensive end.
Hunter, a future NBA Draft pick, is also the leading offensive force on the team. At 6-foot-7 with a well-rounded offensive game, he is very difficult to stop and is averaging 16.6 points per game for a team with one of the slowest paces in the nation. In terms of secondary scorers, juniors Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy are both averaging in double-figures.