Virginia Basketball: Setting 2019 offseason priorities for the Cavaliers

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers cuts down the net after his teams 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 08: The Virginia Cavaliers celebrate. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Virginia basketball is fresh off of winning the national championship. What should be some of the priorities for the program this offseason?

Virginia basketball just completed its best season in program history. By cutting down the final nets as national champions, the Cavaliers asserted themselves as one of the top programs in the land and head coach Tony Bennett’s style is now validated as capable of winning in the postseason. With this said, it is reasonable to assume that the positive momentum around the program will carry into recruiting and future on-the-court successes.

Heading into this offseason, though, the Cavaliers have been faced with some stiff questions. Due to four players declaring for the NBA Draft, the talent pool is much shallower than many were expecting just a couple of months ago. And while the program has done well to fill this with a couple more incoming talents, it is not quite the same as returning the vast majority of the championship-winning roster. There are, though, several returning contributors despite the departures of Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and (possibly) Mamadi Diakite.

With that quartet likely leaving Charlottesville, the new age of Cavaliers basketball will rest on the shoulders of players such as Kihei Clark, Braxton Key, and Jay Huff. These might not be the big names that many are accustomed to, but this is Virginia we are talking about. Coach Bennett’s system will have them nationally ranked.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the program is also bringing in its fair share of new talent.

All of these players look poised to enter the program and play big roles right away. Ranked at No. 27 in the nation, this is one of the better classes in recent history for UVA and this does not account for the potential impact of JUCO transfer Tomas Woldetensae, a well-noted perimeter threat, enough.

Still, every program in the nation has priorities to set and Virginia basketball is no different. Let’s take a look at four potential keys to a successful offseason for the defending national champions.

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