NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season
By Ian Mumm
. . . Cavaliers . 6. team. 446
Under Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers haven’t been the ‘sexy’ or flashy powerhouse in college basketball. However, their elite level teamwork, discipline, and complete buy-in from every player on the roster have resulted in sustained success.
There’s little doubt the 2020 version of the Cavaliers will struggle to succeed on the floor, but the decision of star center Jay Huff to return for his senior season all but ensures it will happen. Huff may not frequently pour in tons of points for Virginia, but his impact blocking shots and disrupting shooters is as important as any measurable stat in a box score. Without a proven option behind him, the significance of Huff’s return cannot be overlooked.
His frontcourt mate the last several seasons has been filled via transfer. Braxton Key was a reliable and multi-faceted forward Coach Bennett utilized as an internal playmaker. This season Key has been replaced by Marquette transfer Sam Hauser who possesses a lot of the same traits.
Hauser is a strong rebounder and will drastically boost Virginia’s offensive prospects by stretching the floor. However, Hauser’s ability to make plays insider the paint will need to be emphasized even more so than it was with the Golden Eagles. There’s a real opportunity for him to showcase a seldom-used aspect of his skillset.
Rice transfer Trey Murphy III has a very similar repertoire as Hauser to shoot the ball lights out and his move immediately adds depth to the Cavaliers for next season. Murphy is a nearly-automatic threat from the free throw line and creates a lot of disruption in passing lanes to force turnovers for his team. With his move to the Virginia program, Bennett suddenly has a lot of versatility on his roster to toy with as he works to build another title contender.
The trio of Justin McKoy, Kadin Shedrick, and Francis Caffaro will look to position themselves as Huff’s immediate backup. Shedrick was redshirted last season as a freshman, but McKoy and Caffaro saw the floor very little to prove what they can offer the team. Their development seems to be vital this season to ensure there’s little to no dropoff during periods of foul trouble or rest for the potential All-ACC selection.