13. Virginia (24-3)
Considering where the Cavaliers were sitting a year ago, it’s pretty clear that Ryan Odom has done an amazing job in his first season leading this program. Virginia absolutely looks like the second-best team in the ACC and have built up quite an impressive record to date. This team has won some important games away from home and has built quite the winning streak over the last month.
That streak continued growing in an emphatic performance this week, with the Cavaliers blitzing Georgia Tech early in what became a 94-68 road win. Thijs De Ridder had his latest standout performance with 22 points while Malik Thomas added 17 points in Atlanta. A true team effort on Saturday was needed, with Virginia fighting back for an 86-83 win over Miami. Jacari White led the scoring with 17 points off the bench, but six of the team’s eight players actually scored in double figures.
You’ll find plenty of excitement in Charlottesville based on how things have gone this season. We’re not yet comparing this team to some of those great ones led by Tony Bennett, but Virginia has done their part against an ACC that’s a bit stronger this season compared to last year. They get a revenge-seeking NC State team on Tuesday before a very difficult road matchup at Duke next weekend.