NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from the 2019 recruiting classes

5) Virginia, reloaded

Speaking of the Final Four, let’s discuss the reigning national champs, shall we?

Virginia is going to look very different following the departures of Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and De’Andre Hunter, but this next incoming group is extremely talented as well and will keep the Cavaliers among the nation’s elite – even if they take a slight step backwards this year.

Since arriving in Charlottesville, Bennett has had two core groups that have gone on to have success. First, there was the Justin Anderson-Malcolm Brogdon-London Perrantes core that won back-to-back ACC titles and made the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend twice. Once that group graduated/left for the NBA, Bennett recruited the Jerome-Guy-Hunter core to replace them.

Now, Bennett has brought in players that can make up the next successful core. That starts with four-star guard Casey Morsell, who I think will be one of the most impactful freshmen in the country next year. He’s an elite scorer and Virginia-level defender, giving him a real chance to be one of the nation’s best all-around players. Three-star wing Justin McKoy also made the list thanks to his shooting and versatility. Kadin Shedrick, a 6-11 four-star freshmen, is a rim-protecting stretch big.

Virginia also landed coveted Marquette transfer Sam Hauser, a 6-8 sharpshooting wing who averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles last year. He only has one year of eligibility remaining in 2020-21, and his introduction into the lineup following a year of development from Morsell-McKoy-Shedrick will make the Cavaliers extremely dangerous.

Don’t expect immediate results – the Jerome-Guy-Hunter core went 23-11 overall and 11-7 in the ACC as freshmen – but that set the stage for the dominant two-year run they just finished. This new class has all the tools to be the next successful core at UVA.