March Madness: 8 bold predictions for 2019 NCAA Tournament

6) Virginia ends March woes

If you’re thinking Virginia is going to choke again in March because they lost to Florida State in the ACC Tournament, think again. This Cavaliers team is different and is poised to make the Final Four for the first time under Tony Bennett.

This year’s group is more explosive offensively than the UVA teams of year’s past. They’re second in the country in offensive efficiency and have routinely crossed the 70 and 80-point marks despite playing at the country’s slowest pace.

Kyle Guy’s game has reached a new level and Ty Jerome continues to be one of the country’s best playmakers. But it’s the emergence of De’Andre Hunter and arrival of Alabama transfer Braxton Key that has made the biggest difference. Both players are athletic 6-7, 6-8 wings that pose matchup problems on the offensive end because of their versatility – the kind of versatility Virginia hasn’t had on the wing previously.

They also make them more athletic, which is an area they can no longer be exploited in (with the exception of teams with the most elite athletes like Duke). Freshman guard Kihei Clark helps in this area on the defensive end.

Plus, as we touched on before, their region sets up perfectly for them. There is no offensive juggernaut in the region. There is no team that plays at an insanely fast pace in the region. There is no pressing team in the region.

Basically, there is no team that plays to Virginia’s weaknesses and, unless you can exploit their weaknesses, Virginia will beat you. We’ve seen it so many times over the last few years – they’re better at what they do than anyone else is.