NCAA Basketball: UConn, Purdue rise on top 25 power ranking after Feast Week

3. Virginia (5-0)

After a bit of a slow start to the season in a closer-than-expected win over North Carolina Central, it’s been full steam ahead for these Cavaliers, now sitting here with five wins through the first three weeks. Nothing they did this past week was as impressive as those wins over Baylor and Illinois in Las Vegas, they simply held serve, picking up another easy win over a mid-major foe.

Virginia enjoyed their holiday at home, handling Maryland Eastern Shore in a 72-45 victory. The Cavaliers turned in their best defensive performance of the season and got a 26-point performance from Jayden Gardner, who made 12 of 15 field goal attempts in an efficient effort. After the offense was a major force earlier in the year, the Cavaliers really leaned on that defense again, limiting the Hawks to their lowest point total of the season.

This just might be the best team in the ACC, and it wouldn’t be the first time the Cavaliers went from unheralded to conference champion. Led by national champion point guard Kihei Clark, there’s a lot of talent on this team and they play hard-nosed defense. It’s the play of the offense that has been intriguing this year, an offense that has failed them at times in recent years. Next week poses another tough challenge with a road game at Michigan, though they should at least have it easy against Florida State next Saturday.