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ACC Basketball: Duke, FSU leads early power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Tristan Freeman

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 06: Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils cuts down the net after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers during the NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 06: Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils cuts down the net after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers during the NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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Virginia Basketball
ACC Basketball Kihei Clark Virginia Cavaliers (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

5. team. 446. . . . Cavaliers

2020-21 season record: 18-7 (13-4)

The reigning ACC regular-season champions once again proved that you don’t need five-star prospects to be the best in the league. It’s become very difficult to doubt head coach Tony Bennett but the projected roster for next season may be his toughest task since 2017.

The star frontcourt of Jay Huff and Sam Hauser is gone after combining to average 29.0 ppg and 13.9 rpg to lead the way for the Cavaliers. Their departures are a blow on both ends, as Hauser is a dynamic stretch forward, while Huff was one of the best interior defenders in college basketball.

The good news is that the team landed one of the top transfers this offseason in Jayden Gardner, a 6’7 forward that averaged 18.0 ppg and 6.7 rpg in three years at East Carolina. He’s an outstanding offensive player but doesn’t space the floor much, something to keep an eye on in various lineups.

The Cavaliers could play him at the five-spot alongside Trey Murphy, a former Rice transfer that averaged 11.3 ppg at 43% shooting from three-point range. He’s currently in the NBA Draft waters but it’s important for the team for him to come back as he provides things the rest of the roster doesn’t in terms of size at the wing and long-range shooting. Speaking of providing, UVA will need centers Kadin Shedrick and Francisco Caffaro to become the rim protectors for the team on defense.

Far as the backcourt goes, the losses of Thomas Woldetensae and Casey Morsell hurt a bit but key guard Kihei Clark will be back, along with rising sophomore Reece Beekman. The issue last year was scoring production among the guards, so the hope is that Indiana transfer Armaan Franklin, 6’4 sophomore guard that averaged 11.4 ppg last season, would provide double-digit contributions in the lineup. Kody Stattman and top-100 guard prospect Taine Murray adds shooting and depth to the rotation as well.

It’s interesting to see how the incoming transfers work with the Cavaliers system, particularly on the defensive end. As good as Hauser was on the offensive end, he was a complete liability at times on defense, which caused some defeats. If things don’t gel with Gardner and Franklin on both ends of the court, Virginia could be vulnerable at the top of the ACC Basketball food chain.