NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Duke, Michigan vie for the top spot

RENO, NV - DECEMBER 15: Cody Martin #11 of the Nevada Wolf Pack and brother Caleb Martin #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack talk to head coach Eric Musselman of the Nevada Wolf Pack during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Lawlor Events Center on December 15, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – DECEMBER 22: Head coach Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers calls. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

4. Virginia Cavaliers

Record: 11-0 (0-0 ACC)

Last Week: No. 5

Everyone knows that Virginia is one of the top defensive teams in the nation. That is no secret at this point. Head coach Tony Bennett knows how to recruit to his system and his players consistently perform at a high level on that end of the floor. With an 11-0 record that includes a strong collection of wins already on the resume, it is clear that the Cavaliers are once again one of the nation’s best teams. And given how Duke struggled with Texas Tech’s defense for the majority of their battle earlier this week, it is also reasonable to think that UVa is the favorite to win the ACC.

In order for that to occur, though, the Cavaliers will need to continue to get strong offensive contributions from their key trio of De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, and Ty Jerome. These players are the entire engine of UVa’s offense and they need to be at their best in order to take the regular-season conference title once again. Additionally, I would love to see more of Kihei Clark‘s penetration on the offensive end. The freshman is already an elite defender and improved offensive play could yield more minutes.

As long as Virginia continues to score at an efficient rate (9th in AdjO), they will be one of the top-5 teams in the nation. Should they take a step back on that end of the floor, though, the team will also drop in the rankings a bit.

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