NCAA Basketball: 5 bounce-back teams, 5 teams with question marks entering 2024-25 season
Team with question marks No. 5: Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers are somewhat of a wild card entering 2024-25 -- and certainly, a team with no shortage of question marks come November.
Gone are leading scorer Reece Beekman and big man Ryan Dunn, who have both departed to the NBA. Jacob Groves exhausted his eligibility and Elijah Gertrude, who was poised for a promising sophomore campaign, recently suffered a season-ending injury this summer.
Tony Bennett will now shift focus, sporting a new-look backcourt consisting of the ultra-quick and aggressive Dai Dai Ames (K-State) and returnee Isaac McKneely, who will once again pose a threat on the perimeter. Combo-guard Jalen Warley (Florida State) is an interesting piece in the backcourt as well thanks to his size and athleticism which can make the Cavaliers more formidable on offense.
In addition, Tony Bennett bolstered the frontcourt with former five-star power forward TJ Power (Duke), who should be a tremendous help on the perimeter despite his limited role with the Blue Devils last season.
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On paper, Virginia should be improved offensively. That’s a positive sign. Yet, on paper, replacing elite defenders in Dunn and Beekman leaves more questions than answers, making it hard to envision the Cavaliers breaking into the top of the ACC in 2024-25.